Skinny-Size It. Molly Morgan

for sugar. So while agave nectar is used in some of the Skinny-Size It recipes to avoid adding table sugar, it should still be used in moderation.

       Grains

      The recommendation set forth in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010) is to make at least half your grains whole grains. The Skinny-Size It goal is to make almost all your grains whole grains, as they not only are more nutrient rich than their stripped-down counterparts, but also add excellent flavor and texture to recipes. Whole grains and whole-grain products to stock up on include brown rice, steel-cut oats, rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats), quinoa (red, white, black/purple), whole-wheat panko bread crumbs, oat flour, whole-wheat flour, white whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pasta, soba (100 percent buckwheat) noodles, wheat bran, cornmeal and buckwheat flour.

       Skinny Tools

      Having the right mix of ingredients is a must, and having the essential tools to prepare healthy foods can make the job easier and, in some cases, more enjoyable too! Check out the list of Skinny tools to have on hand. If your kitchen is missing some of these tools, add them to your wish list and slowly work on getting them.

       Garlic press—e.g., OXO Garlic Press, approximately $20.00

       Salad dressing shaker—e.g., Tupperware Quick Shake Container, $15.00–$20.00

       Mini food processor (1½-cup)—e.g., Black & Decker 1½-Cup Food Chopper, $13.00–$20.00

       Large food processor (5- to 9-cup)—e.g., Cuisinart 5-Cup Food Processor, $270.00

       Cast iron skillet (12-inch)—e.g., Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, $18.00

       Large stainless-steel skillet (14-inch)—e.g., All-Clad, $180.00–$200.00

       Stockpots and soup pots (small [3-quart], medium [5-quart] and large [8+-quart])—prices vary

       Blender and/or immersion blender—e.g., Bamix Immersion Blender, $179.00

       Cut-resistant gloves—e.g., Microplane Cut-Resistant Gloves, $15.00

       Salad spinner—e.g., OXO Salad Spinner (small or large), $24.00–$30.00

       Mini colander (2- to 3-cup)—e.g., Crate and Barrel, $7.00

       Wok (13-inch)—e.g., Calphalon Stainless Wok, $100.00

       Rice cooker (works great for quinoa too!)—e.g., Oster Rice Cooker and Food Steamer, $20.00

       Pizza stone—e.g., Breville Smart Oven Pizza Stone, $30.00

       Skinny Skimps, Swaps and Skips

      The Skinny-Size It recipes have already made these skimps, swaps and skips for you! You can use this chart to move some of your not so Skinny recipes over to the Skinny side.

       Whole eggs

       Swap one whole egg for two egg whites. This works great in baking. For every whole egg you swap out, you will save 184 milligrams of cholesterol and five grams of fat.

       Swap one whole egg for two ounces of silken tofu. This works great in egg scrambles.

       Use an egg replacer (such as Ener-G Egg Replacer) made with potato and tapioca flours in baked goods to forgo eggs altogether. Note that 1½ teaspoons egg replacer + 2 tablespoons warm water equals one egg. Works great in cookies, quick breads, muffins and brownies.

       Flour

       Replace at least half the non-whole-grain flour in most recipes with 100 percent whole-grain flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat or buckwheat). This works especially great with cookies, muffins and quick breads.

       Swap one-quarter of the flour in a recipe for flaxseed meal to boost the fiber content of a recipe.

       Milk

       Swap low-fat cow’s milk for almond milk and save sixty calories per cup and gain 1½ grams of monounsaturated fat per cup (from the almonds)!

       Swap whole milk or 2 percent milk for 1 percent milk or skim milk to reduce the calories and fat in a recipe.

       Swap buttermilk for the same amount of low-fat milk plus one tablespoon of vinegar.

       Swap heavy cream for cashew cream, which is loaded with heart-healthy unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat. Soak one cup of raw cashews overnight (or for at least thirty minutes), drain most of the water, reserving it, and blend the cashews in a blender until creamy, adding a teaspoon of the reserved water at a time, if needed. Stir the cashew cream into soups and sauces to thicken them!

       Oil

       Reduce the amount of oil in a recipe by half or skip it all together (depending on the recipe).

       For baked items, such as muffins and quick breads, substitute equal parts unsweetened applesauce for oil.

       Sauté vegetables without any oil! Each tablespoon of oil, even extra-virgin olive oil, adds 120 calories and fourteen grams of fat to a dish. Even though it is healthy fat, it still has calories, and it is easy to overdo it.

       Sweet onions

      When making soups and sauces, start with sautéed sweet onions to add fresh flavor and to limit the amount of heavier ingredients that must be added during cooking.

       Sugar

      Skimp on or skip the added sugar in recipes and rely on the flavors of the ingredients instead. Typically, at least a third of the sugar in a recipe can be removed without altering the texture of the finished product very much.

       Sour cream

      Substitute plain nonfat Greek yogurt for sour cream. Thanks to the thick, creamy texture of Greek yogurt, you won’t even miss the added fat. Works great for dips, salads and sauces.

       Cheese

      Switch from full-fat cheese to 50 percent light cheese or part-skim varieties to eliminate about half the saturated fat.

       Salt

      Although it is tempting to add salt to boost the flavor of a dish, instead look first to spices and herbs, such as basil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley and rosemary.

      1

      Skinny-Size It Breakfast

      Tempted to skip breakfast because you don’t feel hungry in the morning? Think again! Studies continue to pile up that link eating breakfast to weighing less. Researchers have found that breakfast skippers engage in lower levels of physical activity and have a lower fruit and vegetable intake, and they have increased levels of fat and soft drink consumption—all factors that go against the Skinny Rules. Eating a higher amount of overall calories at breakfast is linked to lower weight gain in middle age. It is also interesting that in research studies, the groups that had the highest percentage of calories at breakfast had a higher total daily energy intake, yet they gained the least amount of weight. So forget just moving through