
Making recipes healthier
Many of your favourite recipes can be made healthier by swapping some ingredients or using a different cooking method.
Try some of these simple changes to increase the GREEN and AMBER foods and drinks you provide!
Healthier ingredients
Recipes can be generally made healthier by either reducing or deleting the less healthy ingredients or by using a healthier alternative. Make your recipes healthier with these simple ingredient swaps:
Ingredient | Healthier alternative |
---|---|
Butter and lard |
|
Oil |
|
Cream and sour cream |
|
Coconut cream/milk |
|
Sauces, salad dressings and mayonnaise |
|
Cheese, milk and yoghurt |
|
Fatty processed meats (e.g. salami, chorizo, kabana) |
|
Meat |
|
Fish canned in oil, flavour combinations or brine |
|
Canned fruit and vegetables |
|
Stock and gravy |
|
White flour |
|
Salt |
|
Sugar |
|
Healthier cooking methods
Healthier cooking methods include:
stir-fry
- steam or blanch in water
- boil, braise and simmer
- grill and toast
- microwave, and
- roast or bake with minimal oil (e.g. using oil spray or brushing on oil).
Some additional tips
Use non-stick cookware or an oil spray (like canola or olive oil) instead of a liquid oil to reduce the amount of fat added during cooking.
- When baking, use baking paper instead of oil to ensure items do not stick to the tray.
- Bake crumbed and coated foods instead of frying.
- Avoid pan-frying or deep-frying items as this increases the fat content of foods.