The Centers for Disease Control, American Heart Association and other health organizations are raising the alarm about the rising instances of youth obesity, diabetes and other health concerns. One way to battle these problems is through diet. Getting kids to eat healthy doesn't mean eliminating all of their unhealthy favorites, just changing them. A few simple recipe tweaks can turn junk food into healthier nutrition.
Pizza
Kids love pizza, and you'll get the "evil eye" if you try to tell them they can't have it any more. Reduce the saturated fats in regular pizza to make it more heart healthy. First, eliminate the meat. Most of the fats in topped pizzas come from sausage, pepperoni, bacon and hamburger. To make vegetable toppings, like green peppers, onions and mushroom, more appealing to kids, pre-heat them in the microwave or sautee them before putting them on the pizza and putting it in the oven. This will soften the veggies and bring out their natural sugars. You can also reduce the fat in pizza by using less cheese, and low-fat cheese. If you make your own crust, the less shortening you use the better. Trim excess crust away from the outside of deep-dish or pan pizza to reduce calories.
Chicken Fingers/Nuggets
Reduce the fat in chicken fingers and nuggets by baking them, rather than frying them. Dredge the chicken in low-fat milk or butter, and skip the egg to reduce fat and cholesterol. Bake fingers or nuggets on a wire rack to let additional fat drip from the chicken meat.
French Fries/Potato Skins
Baking fries is another way to reduce fat calories in a favorite food. Slice a baking potato into vertical strips, leaving the skin on to make more nutritious steak fries. Potato skin is a good source of dietary fiber. Spray the fries with a monounsaturated cooking oil, and season the fries prior to baking.
For potato skins, cut potatoes in half, then bake until the potato is soft enough to separate from the skin. Scoop out the potatoes, then mash or blend with non-sodium seasonings. You can put the potato mixture back in the skins and finish baking, or just bake the skins until crispy and golden brown. Traditional potato skins are usually loaded with cheese, sour cream and bacon. To make potato skins tasty without all the fat, leave more of the potato in the skin for more flavor, and use low-fat sour cream or cheese and/or fat-free items, like salsa. Use a veggie-bacon substitute to add that familiar ingredient.
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a good source of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates. Drowned in tomato sauce with lots of hamburger or sausage, it becomes a high-calorie, high-fat dish. To coat spaghetti with less sauce, do not rinse your pasta and do not serve it immediately. Let it sit and solidify so that its natural starches will cause the lesser-amount of sauce you use to cling better to each noodle. Instead of hamburger or sausage, consider canned tuna or ground turkey breast. You can use ground turkey for meatballs. Add our own diced vegetables to store-bought sauces to make them more nutritious and filling. Use a whole-wheat pasta, and serve with a salad with a low-fat dressing with veggies, and a whole-grain garlic bread with a light spray of olive oil, instead of butter.
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