Handout: Is This Recipe Healthy?
Evaluating whether a recipe is healthy can be done by looking at a few key aspects:
What are the key ingredients?:
Based On Whole Foods: Recipes based on whole foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats) are generally more nutritious and high in fiber.
Avoid Processed: Avoid recipes that are based on highly processed ingredients like oils, fats, salt, sugar, white flour and processed meats. Examples are biscuit or baking mixes, canned soups, processed meats, sausage, cereals, cookies, crackers, etc.
Evaluate Macronutrient Balance:
Proteins: A healthy recipe often includes a source of protein, like lean meats, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, or eggs.
Healthy Fats: Healthy fats (from olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, etc.) are preferable to bacon fat, butter, shortening, cheese, and margarine.
Whole Grains: Opt for whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats) over refined grains (white rice, white flour), which help maintain steady energy levels and support digestive health.
Fiber-Rich Plant Foods: Fiber helps with satiety, digestion, and blood sugar control. Aim for recipes with high-fiber ingredients like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
Limit Added Sugars and Salt:
Check for added sugars and salt, which can increase the calorie content and affect health if consumed in excess. Salt is added to many sauces, soups, broths, frozen foods, canned goods, and condiments so read the labels on these and choose items with no added salt or that are low in sodium. Natural sweeteners like fruit can be better choices, and herbs/spices often enhance flavor without added salt.
Consider Cooking Method:
Healthier recipes often use cooking methods like baking, air-frying, boiling, steaming, grilling, or roasting rather than deep-frying or pan-frying in large amounts of oil.
Look at Nutritional Information (if available):
A balanced recipe often has a reasonable calorie range per serving, low saturated fat, limited added sugars, and moderate sodium. Protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (like calcium and iron) can enhance the recipe’s health benefits.
If a recipe has whole, unprocessed ingredients and balanced macronutrients, and it uses healthy cooking methods, it’s likely to be a nutritious choice!
It is usually easy to adapt most recipes to be healthier by reducing the fat, using whole grains, adding more vegetables, and substituting no-added-salt ingredients. Our next article will cover this topic.