Tip 1: Cooking veggies? Rather than putting down butter or oil in the pan so the veggies don’t stick, use low sodium vegetable broth! Cover and stir the veggies until they are cooked and add more broth as needed. This reduces the amount of fat/oil in your diet!
Tip 2: Substitute other spices for salt. Garlic or onion granules, pepper or lemon pepper and paprika are good substitutes to flavor foods (be sure to check labels – some spices will add salt). This will reduce the salt in your diet, which can help keep your blood pressure down.
Tip 3: Substitute balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice for salad dressing. Many salad dressings are high in fat/oil and have a lot of salt! There are many good recipes for simple vinaigrette dressings without oil that you can make at home with only a few ingredients.
Tip 4: Substitute plant-based proteins, such as beans, lentils or nuts for the meat in your diet. While you don’t have to give up meat altogether if you don’t want to, substituting plant-based proteins for meat several times per week can be beneficial.
Tip 5: Bake, steam or grill. Cook most foods this way to avoid having to add oils to your foods.
