Heart Healthy Cooking Made Easy

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner it’s a good idea to start thinking about what you’re going to cook (and how you’re going to prepare it) for your family members over the holidays.

While family members may have different dietary needs, one thing we can all benefit from is heart healthy eating habits.

Aside from cutting back on the obvious offenders like too much fat you should also look at the types of tools and techniques you use.

For instance, do you have a good roasting pan with a sturdy rack to drain fat? Flexible silicone bake ware is also ideal as it eliminates the need to grease your pans. When it comes to frying pans, consider a solid non-stick one made of anodized steel. And when serving your gravy use a separator jug.

And if you’re looking for ways to boost flavor yet reduce fat consider the following heart healthy ideas:

*Grow herbs on your kitchen windowsill or purchase frozen cubes of minced herbs in your produce section.

*Use a heart healthy margarine instead of butter in your recipes.

*Keep egg substitutes or pre-packaged egg whites on hand for baking and for other dishes that call for whole eggs.

*Where possible select low-fat versions of dairy products.

*Use stock instead of fat for basting.