MAKING RECIPES MORE MACRO-FRIENDLY
As the holiday season enters it’s stride, with it comes a lot of family recipes that carry memories and emotions and celebration. Sometimes, if you’re tracking your macros or trying to be more mindful about your nutrition choices, these family favorites can be tricky to “fit” in your macros. Below are some choices and ingredient substitutions you can incorporate if you are looking to stretch your calorie budget just a little further…but still have your season, soul, and belly filled with traditional favorites.
Food carries so many meanings, and sometimes the traditional version is going to suit you, your goals, and your emotions. When it’s tough to modify the portion and feels impossible to leave the flavors off your plate, these tips can give your classic favorites a “macro-friendly” twist!
Removing or modifying the topping or dressing
Many recipes become dense when a topping or dressing is added – these calories can feel hidden and tasty all at once! One option for avoiding the calories in toppings or dressings is to remove them altogether; an alternative is to substitute them with more macro-friendly options.
Dressings: Salad dressings can pack a calorie punch, especially if you are winging it with a drizzle here and a pour there and not measuring it out. While many vinaigrettes are touted as the “healthy” option, they often have 3 - 10 grams of fat in a 2 Tablespoon serving. With a salad or veggies, try a squeeze of fresh citrus (lemon, lime, orange); these can be mixed with Dijon mustard, honey, or agave, if you are looking for more texture. Flavored vinegars (like balsamic) is another great substitution, and if you enjoy creaming dressings, cottage cheese (regular or thrown into the food processor to smooth out; left alone or with a bit of ranch seasoning thrown in) can scratch the itch.
Toppings: Like dressings, toppings can add quite a few calories to your meal, often unintentionally. For the dried fruit, nuts, and croutons that you love on a salad, consider raw veggies (bell peppers, celery, carrots, or banana peppers) for the crunch you are craving.
Fruit: Opt for fresh fruit in place of syrups or icings – these can provide the sweetness you are looking for without the concealed calories.
Whipped toppings: for pies, desserts, and drinks that are garnished with whipped cream or ice cream, try choosing a non-fat or low-fat version of the topping. Lite Cool Whip clocks in at 12 calories (0g P | 3g C | 0g F) for a 2 Tablespoon serving.
Using a substitute for fat
Fat is often the culprit of the additional (and again, often hidden!) calories in many homemade dishes. Opting for alternatives to butter, milk, cream, oil, and other fats can significantly reduce the calorie content of your seasonal favorites. When you're baking next, experiment with these healthier fat substitutes to enjoy a flavorful outcome without compromising on taste.
Applesauce: substitute half the volume of applesauce for butter
Greek yogurt: use equal volume of yogurt for fat (oil, butter, mayonnaise,etc.). Non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt will often result in a more moist finished product than whole-fat Greek yogurt.
Purees (like banana or pumpkin): for recipes with butter, substitute ¾ the amount of puree in place of butter. If recipe calls for oil, substitute the same amount of puree in place of oil.
PB2 Powder: have a recipe that calls for nut butter? Try using PB2, a peanut butter powder that can be mixed with water or milk (of any variety) for a lower-calorie peanut butter option.
Using a substitute for carbs
For recipes with all-purpose flour (1 cup = 13g P | 95g C | 1g F, for reference), a lower-calorie substitution can make the recipe more macro-friendly. Some alternative flour/powder options include:
Oat flour (1 cup = 12g P | 84g C | 8g F, varies by brand)
Cauliflower flour (1 cup = 16g P | 44g C | 0g F, varies by brand))
Natural/unflavored protein powder (1 cup = 100g P | 0g C | 0g F, varies by brand)
Adding protein
Some recipes can become more macro-friendly by adding instead of subtracting! Many baking recipes can benefit from the addition of a few scoops of unflavored or vanilla protein powder – they may take a test batch to ensure you have enough moisture in them, but this can add a protein boost into an item that does not typically carry a ton of protein.
Using a sugar substitute
Like fat, this is an area of sneaky calories in many recipes – both white and brown sugars can add unexpected calories (especially carbs). These sugar substitutes can balance out the macros in many recipes, while maintaining the sweetness that sugar provides!
Honey or agave: replace 1 cup of sugar with either ¾ cup of honey or ⅔ cup of agave nectar.
Fruit puree: much like fats above, banana, pumpkin, or applesauce can be swapped for sugar. Equal parts puree to sugar will do the trick!
Monkfruit: this is a low-calorie sugar substitute – it’s made from real fruit and there are two versions: classic and golden. The classic is a good 1:1 substitute for white sugar, and golden monkfruit is a good 1:1 substitute for recipes that call for brown sugar.
Stevia or Truvia: both come from the stevia plant, and Truvia is slightly more processed; both options are much sweeter than sugar, so no need for a 1:1 substitution. Depending on the product you use, you’ll only need 1-2 Tablespoon of stevia for every cup of sugar.
Being mindful of portion size
Outside of all the substitutions suggested above, thinking about your portion sizes is another way to be mindful of calories. For you, this might mean keeping it top-of-mind, or (depending on the dish) creating individual portions of the recipe – like baking a casserole in individual ramekins or making a pie in personal pie-crusts.
You got this holiday season! If you’re tracking your macros or trying to be more mindful about your nutrition choices, these tips and ingredient substitutions can give you a little more wiggle-room to enjoy your favorites without sacrificing your macros and your goals. What tip did you find most helpful? Anything surprising? Please share in the comments below!
