Old recipes and dishes passed down from generation to generation may be the best kind of comfort food, but many of the ingredients aren’t the healthiest. That doesn’t mean you should never make these memorable dishes, though. Just swapping out a few ingredients or changing a cooking technique can enhance these tasty favorites without sacrificing flavor. Below are vintage recipes that dietitians love and how they turn them into a delicious and healthy dish.
Tuna noodle casserole (picture above) is the quintessential vintage recipe traditionally made with canned cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles and melted cheese. Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD, Owner, Nutrition sound clips explains that cream of mushroom soup adds fat and sodium, while egg noodles are low in fiber. Cheese can add even more fat and calories to the mix. Andrews makes three key changes using low fat cream of mushroom soup, whole wheat elbow noodles for more fiber and adding chopped spinach for color, flavor, texture and nutrition, including vitamin C, potassium and folate.
Deep-fried mushrooms — or most foods, for that matter — were a favorite in Amanda Sauceda, RDN’s household when she was growing up. “Frying can produce trans fats that can negatively impact our cholesterol and, therefore, our heart health,” Sauceda says. To reduce (and even eliminate) trans fats from these recipes, Sauceda recommends using an air fryer as an alternative to frying foods. Air frying can reduce the amount of oil you need, while still maintaining the crunch you love in fried foods. She also recommends using avocado oil for frying, as it’s a heart-healthy oil that works well in high temperatures.
Cheryl Mussatto MS, RD, LD, clinical dietitian and author of The nourished brain calls her favorite creamy macaroni salad, which is made with lots of sugar, mayonnaise, and white elbow macaroni. The dish is high in calories and carbohydrates, which may harm those with diabetes or trying to manage their weight. Mussatto recommends a few swaps to make this dish healthier, including switching to whole-wheat macaroni and adding more vegetables like thinly sliced celery, green peas, diced chili peppers and chopped red onions. Using reduced-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to replace some of the mayonnaise also helps control calories and fat.
Scottsdale-based Anne Danahy MS RDN, owner of Craving Something Healthy makes his mother’s three-bean salad a summer staple. The original recipe called for kidney beans, yellow beans, and green beans, plus a huge cup of sugar and lots of corn oil in the dressing. The healthier version of Danahy is actually a five bean salad by adding black and white beans. She also uses olive oil, a heart-healthy oil, instead of corn oil and opts for less oil overall. Finally, she reduces the sugar to 1/4 cup. If she wants even more sweetness, she will add 1-2 tablespoons of erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Danahy says even her mom makes this healthier version now!
This dish is traditionally made with slow-cooked green cabbage with pork shanks, neck bones and bacon – sometimes all tossed together! Collard greens can be a great way to add a vegetable to your diet, but pork recipes contain higher levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. “Too much of any of these three nutrients is not good for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, where all three conditions are prevalent in black communities,” says KeyVion Miller RDN, LDN , recipe developer, photographer and brand consultant.
Miller recommends replacing the pork with turkey (like turkey bacon) to help flavor the greens, and using a flavorful, low-sodium broth like chicken or vegetable broth, which would add even more flavor. flavor without the saturated fats and cholesterol. Finally, Miller uses smoked paprika to add the smoke you’d traditionally get from smoked meat.
Christina Iaboni, RD grew up with Sloppy Joe’s made with ground beef, a seasoning packet and tons of ketchup and brown sugar, all piled on a white hamburger bun. “This recipe is high in fat from ground beef and high in sugar from ketchup and brown sugar,” says Iaboni. Instead, Iaboni uses lean ground beef (at least 90% lean), ground turkey (93% lean or more), or lentils, which add fiber. Iaboni recommends replacing the pre-made seasoning mix and ketchup and sugar with a homemade sauce of pureed tomatoes or spiced tomato sauce. For extra fiber, replace white bread with whole-grain bread.
Rhyan Geiger, RDN, owner of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian says his Midwest-based grandmother makes the best potato soup, but the original recipe calls for almost a stick of butter, heavy cream and lots of salt. . To make the recipe healthier, Geiger replaces the butter with a little olive oil. Instead of heavy cream, she uses non-dairy milk like oat milk to reduce the fat content. It also uses herbs and spices for the seasoning lost during salt reduction. Finally, she leaves the potato skins on to add fiber.
We all have a family member who makes the best baked goods. Kathy Levin, RDN, CDCES, DipACLM, owner of Nutritiously Simple says her great aunt Bessie had a family favorite pumpkin bread recipe. “Each year she would make individual loaves, wrap them meticulously in foil, and hand them out to everyone. When I took office, I noticed that the fat and sugar content was off the charts,” says Levin. Over the years, Levin tweaked the recipe by gradually reducing fat and sugar and increasing fiber. The best part? No one is wiser. Her simple swaps include using applesauce for some of the oil, using egg whites and flax eggs for the whole eggs, and incorporating whole wheat pastry flour instead. all-purpose flour.
*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent dietitian nutritionist.