Last week we talked about the impending implementation of the new menu labeling law, and how restaurants that find a way to adapt and offer healthy menu options stand to thrive. So what do you do if your current recipes aren’t going to be breaking any records for low calorie numbers anytime soon? This week and next we will cover some basic ways to cut calories and fat in any recipe without compromising taste or flavor. That way you can try to keep at least some of your restaurant’s menu offerings under four figures when it comes time to count the calories. This week let’s tackle something that plays a huge role in the number of calories in any given dish: cooking method.
Healthier Cooking Methods
Bake It
Deep frying is definitely not your only option when it comes to french fries and other finger foods. Baked fries are a surprisingly delicious alternative to french fries, and baking instead of frying can slash the calorie and fat count per serving in virtually any recipe. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well people respond to this as an option on your menus. Baking instead of frying is also a great way to reduce the fat and calories of various meats, such as chicken.
Steam It
Again, you don’t have to fry vegetables in oil or butter to get them to taste good. Steaming them and then adding a small amount of fat afterward is one option. Another is using a flavorful liquid such as chicken broth to steam them in, and forgoing the fat altogether.
Stir-Fry It
Stir-frying is a great way to cut calories and fat, especially if you were deep frying something previously. You can also experiment with using cooking sprays to drastically reduce the amount of fat you use in the recipe. Here too, chicken or vegetable broth is your friend in terms of adding flavor without increasing calories.
Grill It
Remember that original As-Seen-On-TV classic, the George Foreman grill? It’s health benefits were due to the way the sloped grill allowed the fat to run off of it. The same concept can be applied in your restaurant. Grilling meats on a raised grate so that the fat is allowed to drip off will reduce the calories of your dishes. And if you were about to deep-fry something, grilling is a healthier option by far.
Use Non-Stick Cookware
This might take a little more cash than the aforementioned cooking methods, but outfitting your kitchen with some non-stick cookware, at least for the menu items you want to tout as healthy, is a great way to reduce the amount of fat used and thereby the calories.
Next week we’ll talk about some other simple ways to reduce a recipe’s calories: strategic ingredient substitutions. Stay tuned!
Are you looking to provide your restaurant customers with the information they need to make healthy choices about what they eat? Contact us today about our complete menu labeling and nutritional analysis services.https://www.menutrinfo.com/contact-us-email-recipe-nutritional-software-analysis/
Image used under Creative Commons from Michela Simona.
