Put a healthy spin on your favourite recipes

As a father of five, USask’s culinary services assistant director and executive chef James McFarland knows the value of sneaking vegetables into everyday meals.

Whether you’re dealing with a picky eater or are just looking for some healthy alternatives, consider chef James’ tips.

  • Try switching out pasta noodles for root vegetables. By using a spiralizer or thinly slicing root vegetables, you can recreate your favourite pasta dishes while getting in some extra vegetables.
  • Lentils are a great source of nutrients like protein, iron and fiber and can be used in a variety of ways. Its ability to soak up flavour makes for a great rice substitute, and they can easily be worked into desserts, either puréed and mixed in or blended dry to be turned into a flour.
  • Replacing mayonnaise with greek yogurt in salad dressings is a great way to lower the fat content of your meal while getting in some extra protein.
  • As the weather warms up, consider grilling instead of pan frying. Grilling provides extra flavour and texture without requiring the amount of oil and butter that pan frying does.
  • Mushrooms are a great source of fiber, protein and B vitamins that can be easily blended or mixed into ground meat for some extra nutrition. This pasta recipe from chef James is a great example.

Healthier eating doesn’t have to be drastic. If you want to make changes, remember to keep your own preferences, needs, and eating habits in mind.