You may notice a decrease in your waistline as the holiday season progresses. Even though a few indulgent meals are fine, the weeks of baking, cookies, and fudge can really take their toll.
It is possible to make holiday meals that are delicious and low in fat and calories by using yogurt.
Yogurt is more than a smoothie or granola. Low-fat organic yogurt can be used in place of oil, shortening, and dairy products such as milk, butter, and shortening to make a variety of recipes, from chocolate cake and onion dip to sour cream. Yogurt can also provide calcium and protein, so you won’t feel guilty about eating an extra piece.
Are you unsure where to begin? Here are some tips from Stonyfield Farm for substituting yogurt in your recipes
One cup of yogurt can be substituted for one cup of mayonnaise, or sour-cream to reduce calories in dips. You can save 46g of fat by substituting low-fat yogurt for sour milk.
To tenderize meat, you can use yogurt. Yogurt makes a great oil-free marinade.
You can thicken sauces with yogurt, instead of heavy cream. You can add one tablespoon of flour to every cup yogurt.
Reduce the amount of butter you use. To save calories and fat, replace half of the butter with half of the yogurt. You can substitute half the butter for half the yogurt in a recipe for cookies that calls for 1 cup of butter.
– Use fewer eggs. You can substitute a quarter cup yogurt for one egg if cholesterol is a concern. This will allow you to use up to two eggs per recipe.
Use yogurt in place of buttermilk. One cup of yogurt can be substituted for one cup buttermilk. Yogurt can be substituted for milk or water. However, you will get richer and more moister results. Begin by replacing one quarter of the liquid with yogurt.
The Stonyfield Farm website has great recipes and information about healthy, delicious organic yogurt. www.stonyfield.com.
