Cooking Tips

Now that you have your healthy foods in front of you, what should you do with them? When you start cooking, you should know that both certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your dishes – but there are plenty of ways to keep things both healthy and tasty.

Sister to Sister's Recipe Finder is a great resource for recipes that taste great and are good for your heart, too. You can also use the tips below to give your family's mealtime standbys a heart healthy overhaul.

Cook out fat

• Bake, broil, microwave, poach, or steam.
• Roast vegetables, skinless chicken, and lean meats on a rack.
• Lightly stir-fry or sauté in cooking spray, small amounts of vegetable oil, or reduced-sodium broth.
• Grill seafood, chicken, or vegetables.

Rethink condiments

You don’t have to give up taste to keep your saturated fat and cholesterol intake low. Here are some substitutions that will leave you feeling satisfied.

• Two tablespoons of butter on a baked potato can add an extra 16 grams of saturated fat and 22 grams of fat! Substitute with ¼ cup salsa for 0 grams of saturated fat and no cholesterol.
• Two tablespoons of regular creamy Italian salad dressing will add an extra 3 grams of saturated fat and 18 grams of fat to a salad. Using reduced-fat Italian dressing instead adds no saturated fat and just 2 grams of unsaturated fat.

Spice things up

There are plenty of tasty alternatives to salt. Here are some spices and other substitutions that can make even the healthiest foods flavorful.

• Herbs - oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary
• Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, paprika
• Reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing
• Mustard
• Catsup
• Reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise
• Reduced fat or nonfat sour cream
• Reduced fat or nonfat yogurt
• Reduced sodium soy sauce
• Salsa
• Lemon or lime juice
• Vinegar
• Horseradish
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Spray butter flavoring (not made with real butter)
• Red pepper flakes
• Grated parmesan cheese (just a sprinkle)
• Sodium-free salt substitute
• Jelly or fruit preserves

Be sure to download our Eating For Your Heart fact sheet which contains this information in a printer friendly version.

This heart health fact sheet is also available in Spanish to download.