Cookie Week - What Can I Substitute to Make Cookies Healthier?

So far this week I have shared two recipes, that have been made a bit healthier by others, to help fill your holiday cookie jar.  But today I am going to give you the tools to slim down your favorite family recipes without taking away the taste that makes them a holiday staple.

This list of substitutions has been put together by my friends at the Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center.  It covers the baking of sweets, one of the hardest things to transform, but it also offers tips for the savory dishes in your arsenal.  Some of these are common sense, others are downright creative.

Instead of using:                                                    Try:

Whole milk ............................................................ Skim milk

Sweetened condensed milk .................................... Non-fat sweetened condensed milk

Cream ................................................................... Evaporated milk or fat-free half & half

Whipped cream ..................................................... Light or fat-free whipped topping

Cream cheese......................................................... Light or fat-free cream cheese.

*Note: fat-free cream cheese may change the consistency of finished product

Butter, margarine or oil ........................................... Fruit puree (unsweetened applesauce)

Whole egg .............................................................. 2 egg whites or a ¼ c. egg substitute

White or brown sugar ............................................. Splenda® or decrease the total amount by 1/3 to a 1/2

1 oz. baking chocolate ............................................ Three Tbsp. of cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp. oil

Sour cream ............................................................. Low-fat or fat-free sour cream

                *Note: fat-free sour cream may change the consistency of finished product

Mild Cheddar Cheese ............................................. Reduced-fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese

White rice ............................................................... Brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous

1 c. chocolate chips ................................................. ½ c. mini chocolate chips

Hopefully this helps you create magic in your kitchen and your family never misses the calories.

Yours in Health,

Kate

Cookie Week - Low-Fat Oatmeal Cookies

Today, the good old fashioned oatmeal cookie.  The oats are the bulk of the calories in this one. This recipe has been reworked with whole wheat flower, lower fat shortening and egg whites.  It also has lots of fruit and a good amount of spice.  These two are the keys to enjoying a cookie that doesn't come from your traditional recipe.  A lack of fat can sometimes distract you, but these tastes give you the satisfaction you are looking for.

This recipe is from Food.com.  It has been well reviewedtoo,

Tomorrow, it's a great list of tips for making your holiday foods, including baking, healthier from my friends at Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center.

Yours in Health,
Kate

Cookie Week Begins

Ah, the holiday cookie.  It doesn't matter what you are celebrating, it calls to you.  And because it's often snazzily dressed, it's hard to turn it down.  So this week I am going to share the recipes I have hunted down to create slimmer cookies.

To be clear - no cookie is "healthy".  Yet, most can be healthier.  Some recipes cut the fat, some sugar and some substitute ingredients that are a healthier option. 

Today it's the basic sugar cookie.  This gem can stand on its own or it can be the foundation to dozens of other cookies.  Taste of Home Magazine has lightened it up and even has ways to use it with other recipes.

Yours in Health,
Kate

A Bucket of Cookies and An Ounce of Growth

Yesterday was the Cookie Walk to benefit "Shoes That Fit", an organization that helps get warm clothes for underprivileged kids in the metro.  Des Moines' Holiday Music Station LITE 104.1 (my station), Mediacom and West Glen Town Center put on the event with donated cookies from a long list of generous businesses.  For a first time fundraiser, it went very well.  A lot of fans of the station came out and it was really fun.

Since it was for a good cause, I had to buy a bucket of cookies.  I bought a bucket for Monica, one of our part-timers, as well and with my gloves on she braved the chilly wind and went business to business collecting the cookies.  She also later donated money herself, good kid!  She brought them back and I looked inside, yum, they looked fabulous, but I didn't eat any - yep, you read that right.

I realized I hadn't had real food to eat in a few hours, so I needed lunch before I put sugar in my tummy.  After the event was over, I grabbed a healthy lunch and then got back in the car with the open bucket of cookies.  Oddly, though I was fully aware they were there, lunch was satisfying and I wasn't even tempted.

Long story short, the open bucket of cookies was in my presence for at least 45 minutes of driving from location to location and I never ate one.  They made it all the way home, except the one I 'tipped' my hairdresser with during my up-do for the Christmas party.

I walked in the door to change for the party, put the bucket on the counter and walked straight upstairs.  By the time I was ready I had forgotten about them.  When I came down the stairs Lori drooled, "A bucket of cookies..." and I said, "Oh yea, I forgot."  I explained where they were from, told her she could have as many as she wanted and asked if she could please bag them up because I was running late.

The common thread here is that my old behavior would have had me stuffing those suckers back one or two at a time, especially when no one was around to witness it.  Even as I am typing, they aren't really tempting me.  I am kind of feeling like the Grinch's heart right now - I have grown.

Yet, I will admit, at some point I will savor the gourmet goodies.  But I don't feel rushed to do so, I don't have that fervor that has taken over so many times - 'I better eat it or somebody else will'.  If they do that's okay, I know the name of each store that donated and they will happily make more.

Yours in Health,
Kate

Noted: Alcohol and Acid Reflux are NOT Friends

I rarely drink.  In fact, I can count on one hand the number of drinks I have had this year.  I don't need alcohol to have a good time and I don't want to use it to release stress.  (Bad habit to start.)

Tonight however was the company Christmas party and I couldn't resist.  Just a chance to loosen up a little with my friends.  I had a rather weak, but tasty cranberry and vodka for cocktail hour and then during dinner half a glass of wine.  Finally, after dessert, we convened to watch the band play and I had a Bailey's and coffee.  Spaced out over 3 hours, not too bad.  Afterward I switched to water and regular coffee.

But, as time passed, I started to have weird pains in my chest and didn't feel well.  It took me a few minutes and then I remembered - if I drink more than one alcoholic beverage, my acid reflux rebels.  And it sure did.  What happens is that the acid overwhelms the stomach and basically starts jumping up the throat.  That causes the esophagus to spasm and press against the heart, sometimes causing pain - it can even mimic a heart attack.

Since I needed to come to work anyway, I left the party.  I came back here and took an antacid and drank some more water - all better.  So, the moral of the story is, I will go back to my non-alcoholic drinks and be perfectly content - and without pain.  :)

Yours in Health,
Kate

I Think It's Bubble Bath Time

It's only Thursday and yet, it feels like it should be next Wednesday.  It has been a hard, stressful week of everyone else's problems being mine.  I was even mean to one of my favorite people here at work today.  She bore the brunt of my frustration and it wasn't fair.  I will try to make it up to her, but it made me look hard at my stress level.

They still have no answers as to why I landed in the hospital, they say they may never know.  With the way the week has slowly worn me down, I'm leaning toward the guess the emergency room doctors proffered - yep, stress.  Feeling overwhelmed, overworked, lacking sleep and faltering.  I have been working hard on the sleep, but the work has risen again.  So, I will attempt to correct.

My parents are going on vacation next week and this may be a good chance.  You see, I am dog-sitting three furry children who need a little more attention than my lifestyle usually allows.  But I am thinking that I will try to telecommute from my mom's house as much as possible.  That will cause those most in need of my help to e-mail me or call my cell for assistance, thereby limiting interruptions.  Hey, I might actually accomplish something.

For now, I am serious about that bubble bath.  I am grabbing dinner, going home and sinking in a tub-o-bubbles. :)

Yours in Health,
Kate

Candy!

The "C" word for those attempting to eat healthy.  It pops up everywhere during the holiday season.  Sometimes left in dishes off by itself with no witnesses to see you indulge.  If no one sees it, it never happened, right?

Well holiday candy is like everything else in life, you can have it in moderation.  But unlike other things, a little candy that weighs less than an ounce can be, not only a calorie bomb, but full of really bad fats.

Today I went forth seeking a healthier option and Martha Stewart has come through.  (No surprise there.)  I wanted dark chocolate because it's heart healthy and nuts for the same reason.  These Chocolate-Nut Patties fit the bill and they couldn't be more simple.  The only thing that might be a little foreign to you is tempering the chocolate, but the recipe explains that as well.  Enjoy!

Yours in Health,
Kate