Dietary

Modifications
By Leigh McGuckin

Overview
Why Modify the Diet
How to Modify the Diet
salt, protein, & carbohydrate
Healthy Baking Tips Fat, Sugar & Oil Substitutions
Recipe Modification Example
Summary
Group Activity

Why Modify the Diet?

A modified diet alters calorie, fat, sodium, and vitamin/mineral
amount.

Diets are modified to help :

Reduce high blood pressure and total cholesterol level
Encourage weight loss or weight gain
Make you feel healthier and increase energy levels

How do you modify the diet?

Modifications include:
Lowering fat and cholesterol intake
Lowering high carbohydrate intake
Reducing sodium intake (helps with lowering and stabilize
blood pressure)
Increasing or decreasing caloric intake depending on weight
Increasing certain nutrients (iron, calcium, or potassium)
Increasing protein intake

Ways to Easily Modify Your Diet

Reducing Sodium
The American Heart Association recommends:
[That] people [are] to consume a maximum of 1,500 milligrams a
day of sodium; based on scientific evidence it is the best approach
for cardiovascular health while also providing an adequate intake of
other nutrients.

Salt equivalents:
1 Pinch = 600 mg Sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium

Easy Ways to Make Food Flavorful

While Avoiding the Salt Shaker
When buying ingredients always check food labels for hidden salt
It can be called soda, sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite
in ingredients list

Look for no salt added items

Example: low in sodium, reduced sodium, or no added salt
Use a variety of Herbs and Spices instead of salt
http://heartbright.org/sodium.pdf
Link provides great tips on how to purchase low-sodium foods and
incorporating low-sodium methods while cooking

Tips on Cutting Back on Salt

Foods labeled sodium-free have less than 5 mg of
sodium in a serving
Foods labeled low-sodium have less than 140 mg of
sodium in serving
Options with less sodium
Fresh or frozen fruits/vegetables
Make you own salad dressings and sauces without adding salt
Use half the salt a recipe calls for without losing too much flavor

Protein Intake
Protein intake is an important component in the diet.
Why protein?
Elle Penner, a registered dietitian and editor for
MyFitness Pal, states:
Calorie for calorie, protein has the most metabolic
benefits for weight loss, it increases satiety, stimulates
energy expenditure and preserves muscle

How to Include Healthy Protein

Options to Reduce Fat Intake
Meat based (3 oz serving)

Skinless chicken
Steak, lean cuts of beef
Salmon, heart healthy
Plant sources (1/2 cup serving)

Pinto beans
Lentils
Black Beans

Dairy

Greek Yogurt (6 oz)

Regular yogurt, nonfat (1 cup)

Skim milk (1 cup)

Nuts & Seeds (1 oz)

Almonds

Peanut butter

Flax seed & Chia seed

*Cal content: 140 to 138

For Carbohydrates
When including carbohydrates into meals remember that
Complex Carbs are the better options and try to stay away
from refined grains
Whole grain, beans & vegetables
Fiber boost and help with satiety and blood sugar
Examples include:
Whole-Grain Oatmeal, Whole-Grain Pasta, Whole-grain breads, &
Brown rice

Beans, lentils, & peas

Healthy Baking Substitutions

For reducing fat and sugar content

Fat Substitution
When the recipe calls
for
1. Whole Milk (1 cup)
2. Sour cream
3. Butter, shortening or oil
4. Cream cheese
5. Eggs

Use this Instead.

1.

Fat-free milk or reduced milk plus one T of liquid vegetable oil

2.

Fat-free plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream

3.

Applesauce, pumpkin puree, or prune puree for half of the

butter, shortening or oil indicated in the recipe

4.

Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese

5.

Two egg whites or choose a commercially made, cholesterol-free

egg substitute (1/4 cup)

Sugar Substitution
When the recipe calls
for
1. Sugar
2. Unsweetened baking chocolate
(1 oz)

Use this instead

1. In most baked goods you can reduce the
amount of sugar by one-half. Intensify
sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or
cinnamon. Sugar sweetener blends can
also be used. (Splenda)

2. 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon
vegetable oil or soft margarine; since
carob is sweeter than cocoa, reduce the
sugar in the recipe by 25%

Oil Substitution
Instead of using

Use these oils instead

Coconut, Palm, or Palm Kernel Oil

High in saturated fats

Canola, corn, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower oils

But use them sparingly

because they contain 120
calories per Tbsp.

Use liquid oils or nonfat cooking sprays whenever possible

BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad with Buttermilk

Ranch Dressing

BBQ Chicken Salad Nutritional Information compared to

Wendys BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Modified Recipe (per

serving)

*Salad Dressing included

360.75 Calories

Wendys Full Salad

12.75 g Fat

336.75 mg sodium

600 Calories

30 g Fat

1560 mg Sodium

Comparison of Buttermilk Ranch Dressings

Modified Recipe (per
serving)

39.75 calories

Hidden Valley Ranch

Buttermilk

1.5 g fat

77.25 mg sodium

130 calories

14 g fat

230 mg sodium

Summary
Looking at Recipes and Modifying Them
Find ways you can easily modify your favorite recipe
Look at protein, fat, sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates
Can you make substitutions?
Some examples:
Instead of using salt, use different herbs and spices
Instead of using white rice substitute for brown rice
Instead of using high fat meats, switch to leaner cuts
Remove the skin off chicken to eliminate excess saturated fat

Share with us a recipe that you can modify

&
Help others with modifying their recipes

Carrot Cake Recipe

Original

Modified

2 cups sugar
1 cups oil

8 oz. cream cheese

Splenda for baking instead of sugar

Only need 1 cup (Save 678 kcal per
cup)

No sugar added Applesauce

(save 2896 kcal)

Or can just substitute of oil

Fat-Free or Low-Fat Cream

Cheese

Any Questions?

Team Challenge #5
Make modifications in a recipe and send a copy to your
team leader.
Due next Wednesday 18th before the next session.

Blue Team: leigh.mcguckin@eagles.usm.edu

Red Team: kalie.herman@eagles.usm.edu
Yellow Team: molly.chaffin@eagles.usm.edu

References
1.American Heart Association (2014). About sodium (salt). Retrieved from http://
www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/About-Sodium-Salt_UCM_463416_Article.jsp

2.American Heart Association (2014). Smart Substitutions. Retrieved from http

://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyCooking/Smart-Substitutions_UCM_302052_Article.js
p#.
VkNtUyu1Jdg

3.Le, T. L. (2015). A beginners guide to protein. Retrieved from https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-beginners-guide-to-protein/

4.Penner, E. (2015). Ask the dietitian: Whats the best carb, protein and fat breakdown for weight loss? Retrieved from
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/