Six Ways to Make your Lasagna Healthy ...

Lasagna is one of my favourite winter comfort foods, and I know it's a popular one of my clients as well. I often get asked "Is it OK to have Lasagna?", so I thought I would write a post about incorporating this yummy dish into your healthy eating plan.

Here's 6 suggestions for a modifying recipes to make a more healthy beef mince lasagna. Even just modifying a standard recipe with one or two of these ideas will make for a healthier option!

• Use the leanest beef you can find. There is a huge variation in the amount of fat in mince from the supermarket (and this is saturated fat), so choosing the leanest mince will reduce the saturated fat content of the overall dish. Lean beef mince is a more intense red colour and you wind find the specks of white fat through it. Often it's labelled Heart Smart or Premium mince;
• Reduce the fat content of the cheese you choose.Even choosing a 25% reduced fat cheese will reduce the fat content of the overall meal considerably;
• Add some more vegies - maybe some thawed frozen spinach or grated zucchini (squeeze the excess moisture out). This will add extra vitamins and minerals and antioxidants and all the good stuff.
• Add some legumes like some canned kidney beans to the beef and tomato mixture. Beans and legumes add fibre and minerals and are low in fat and low GI. More good stuff!
• Use some wholemeal pasta. Wholemeal pasta includes wholegrains which are full of nutrients and fibre as well - even more good stuff!
• Watch the serving size! If you normally have a piece of lasagna 4 inches x 4 inches and 1 inch thick, and reduce it to 3 inches x 3 inches, you will reduce the kilojoules and fat by over 40%.

Hope that's helped you to see some ways to modify one of our favourite dishes!

Be back soon with more - apologies for the delay in posts over the last 3-4 weeks. Had some other things happening but back into the swing of it now.

Stay happy and healthy

Claire

Claire Daly is an Accredited Practising Dietitian / Accredited Nutritionist who works with women and families. She has particular interest in working with women who have PCOS (Claire has PCOS herself), fertility problems or who are wanting to achieve a healthy weight and good health prior to and during pregnancy. Claire has her own private practice in Melbourne. For more information visit www.eatwell.com.au

Like to use this blog post in your own newsletter or publication? Just email Claire to let her know which article you would like to use and how I would like you to acknowledge the source of the article, then you are on your way.