Easy Culinary Tricks to Lighten Up 5 Summer Favorites
It's time fire up the grill, prep those luscious sides, dig into summery desserts and kick back with sweet cocktails. The hot weather brings a delicious smorgasbord of favorites, but they're often brimming with calories, sugar and fat. However, that doesn't mean you should skip out on the foods you love. There are simple swaps or modifications you can make to these recipes to help lighten them up -- without compromising on flavor.
1. Hamburgers
Fatty meats, oversized buns, gobs of creamy sauces and piles of cheese can turn a burger into calorie nightmare. To lighten up this barbecue favorite, make your burgers with 90 to 95 percent lean ground beef, ground turkey or chicken breast, bison or even fish (such as tuna or salmon). Size also matters, so keep patties to about 4 ounces.
Large buns can take away from the juicy flavor of the burger. Choose thin breads like English muffins or a whole grain pita. Thinner breads also contain fewer calories, which can give you more leeway to enjoy dessert or a cocktail. When it comes to high-fat add-ons like mayo and cheese, choose only one and opt for the lighter versions (think light mayo or reduced-fat cheese). And don't count out avocado slices: They make a delicious, creamy burger topping and are filled with healthy unsaturated fat.
2. Potato Salad
This salad is often drowning in mayo -- so much so that you can't even taste those creamy spuds. Many homemade versions call for at least 1 cup of mayonnaise. That's 920 calories and 80 grams of artery-clogging fat. Instead, use enough dressing to lightly coat your salad. To slash calories and fat even further, swap half the mayonnaise for nonfat plain Greek yogurt. You can also opt for alternative dressings like a flavorful vinaigrette or pesto. Use about 2 tablespoons per serving to keep calories in check.
Another way to make your potato salad healthier and more flavorful is by tossing in vegetables. Replace some of the potatoes with parsnips, or add carrots, green beans, celery, bell peppers, peas or red onions.
3. Iced Tea
Beat the heat with a cool glass of ice tea. But beware of sugary mixes or scoops of granulated sugar that can rack up calories quickly -- not to mention, can cause you to easily surpass the recommended daily intake of added sugar. According to the American Heart Association, women should consume a maximum of 100 calories (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day, while men shouldn't eat more than 150 calories (9 teaspoons) of added sugar daily.
To keep sugar under control in ice tea, start by watching portions. Aim for a maximum of 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per person. You can sweeten the drink without sugar too by using 100 percent fruit juices like apple, mango or cranberry. Each juice contains about 60 calories for 1/3 cup. Fresh herbs or spices -- think mint, ginger root or pieces of fresh fruit such as strawberries or pineapple -- can also add zing.
4. Ice Cream Sundaes
What's a hot day without a frozen treat? But there's no need to pile on scoops of ice cream and drown it in chocolate syrup, pieces of candy and whipped cream. Instead, grill a piece of fruit like a peach or pineapple, top it with a scoop (about 1/2 cup) of ice cream and drizzle it with a tablespoon of 100 percent pure maple syrup. To slash calories further, swap the ice cream for lower-calorie frozen yogurt.
5. Daiquiris
After a long, hot day, you want to kick back with a cocktail. Daiquiris are a favorite, but those sweet mixes have about 120 calories and over 5 teaspoons of added sugar per 2-ounce portion -- and that's before you even add the alcohol. Plus, many of those bottled mixes are made with preservatives and artificial colors. Once you start adding the rum, it's another 100 calories per every 1 1/2 fluid ounces.
To lighten up this refreshing treat, forgo the mix and look for a recipe using fresh strawberries. You can also save hundreds of calories by replacing part or all of the alcohol with 100 percent juice such as pineapple or cranberry. Use smaller glasses to serve your cold drink, which also helps keep calories and sugar at bay.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is the owner of Toby Amidor Nutrition and author of the cookbook, "The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day" (Grand Central Publishing 2014). She consults and writes for various organizations, including FoodNetwork.com's "Healthy Eats" blog and "Today's Dietitian" magazine.
