February 19, 2025
This Culinary Connection CE article appeared in the February 2025 issue of Nutrition & Foodservice Edge Express. To view a PDF of this article click HERE.
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New Year, New Outlook
By: David Voelz, CEC, CWPC, CCA, WCEC, CDM, CFPP, FMP, FSWC
NEW YEAR OFTEN BRINGS with it promises that we make to ourselves, and those we care for, to be healthier. We vow to go to the gym. We resolve to actually get those eight hours of sleep. And of course, we pledge to eat right and cook in a healthier way. But what is usually the first step there? We go to our cookbook stash, or to our best friend Google, and begin to search ad nauseum for all new healthy recipes. Then the inevitable overwhelming feeling sets in, we get discouraged and throw on a hamburger and fries to distract ourselves from what seems to be an impossible task.
It doesn’t need to be that way. Let’s look at some simple but effective strategies to prepare more nutritionally-sound and flavorful foods now and going forward.
PROTEINS
We’ll start with that hamburger and French fries, as the lessons we can learn here will translate throughout our cooking. The easy way out is to look for protein that isn’t really protein. The ballot is often split over this decision as there are a number of unnatural things that are put into the “meat” to give it a similar taste and texture. If we are looking for healthier options to the traditional ground beef burger, there are better choices in leaner meats. The turkey burger has been around for some time and is a great alternative. I personally prefer the ones that have a little dark meat mixed in. It yields a moister and more flavorful patty, and is superior in its health benefits to the beef burger. We can also explore other proteins. Bison is a popular substitute given its lean makeup and also because it is a red meat, which helps our minds to think we’re almost cheating.
We can apply this throughout our protein choices in our personal menus and also for clients. If your residents love steak, for not much more money we can switch them from ribeye to New York strip steaks. This leaves behind large deposits of fat in favor of marbling. The cooking process allows, when properly rested, for this to be a moist piece of meat without all the fat. Another great choice is a baseball sirloin. Because it’s a sirloin, it is a leaner cut of meat. However, it has the same shape as a filet mignon, so it gives the impression that you are eating a better cut of meat instead of the slice of sirloin that is usually served. In order to ensure its tenderness, jaccard it before cooking. Chefs often use a jaccard, which features multiple blades to pierce and tenderize almost any kind of meat, including beef, pork, and poultry. A number of jaccard machines are on the market. I recommend buying one that is inexpensive as they can break easily and are hard to clean.
STARCHES
French fries. Who doesn’t love French fries? But we all know that aside from the cooking method, eating heavy starches like potatoes can lead to weight gain and higher blood sugar levels. Go one step healthier and consider sweet potato fries. Their starch content is lower and they are rich in Vitamin A, resulting in a better choice to go with our burger. Consider thinking outside the box with a fresh slaw—not the usual coleslaw loaded with mayonnaise. Use a vinegar over shredded cabbage or jicama. Jicama is often overlooked, but it has a very similar texture to the potato. Experiment with the shred size and seasonings and have some fun with it.
The other “go-to” option in the starch category is rice. What if we very simply switched from white rice to brown rice? The health benefits increase exponentially with more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Once you’ve opened that door there’s an almost endless string of grains to choose from. Amaranth, quinoa, millet, barley, and the list goes on. Sometimes these grains can be a little bland and we use oils and fats to season them. Consider using a stock or low-fat broth to cook the grains. The flavor will be enhanced as it cooks, so using a lot of sodium and unhealthy seasonings at the end is not necessary.
SOUPS
As I write this article in the “sunny South” there is an inch of snow on the ground and the temperature is forecasted to be 18 degrees when I leave for work in the morning. A well-thought-out soup can be an entire healthy meal in a bowl. Start with a good rich stock, low in fat, and add some lean meat. And of course, we can load it up with vegetables to increase volume and give us additional health benefits.
One of my favorite winter soups is chili. I choose ground turkey over ground beef, with some onion, peppers, and garlic to start. Somewhere along the way I picked up a tip to use V8 juice instead of regular tomato juice. This provides the tomato juice we’re used to, but has the benefit of extra vegetables. And with my apologies to Texas, I add kidney, pinto, and black beans for some more protein. It provides minimal fat, lots of lean protein, and most importantly it’s full of flavor. Top your chili with a low-fat grated cheese if desired.
SEASONINGS
For those of us who have worked in classically-leaning kitchens, our go-to seasoning or finishing techniques involve butter and salt. It is best to avoid the butter, when possible, but there is another way to use salt to finish. Instead of grilling meats with lots of salt, once they are moved to the resting phase, sprinkle them with just a bit of salt. The result is nearly identical and the amount of salt is miniscule compared to what we would have used at the beginning of the process. A substitute for salt is acid. Salt “brightens up” our dishes by bringing flavors to the front of the tongue. Acids will do the same thing. Citrus juice will do the job. Think about how we almost automatically squeeze lemon on fish. A little vinegar will do the same thing in sauces or soups. The last suggestion is to finish sauces or dressings with fresh herbs. They are available year-round and have none of the health risks as our old friends salt and butter.
COOKING METHODS
Lastly, choose cooking methods that are healthier. Fried chicken is one of my favorite foods, but it can also be put in the oven instead of the fryer to eschew all the grease. Those French fries that I talked about can be put in the oven as well. If you want to have some oil on the protein, instead of deep frying, opt to sauté. A chicken breast can be sauteed in a bit of oil the size of a nickel, instead of dropping it down into 35 pounds of shortening. Roasting and grilling are other good choices. These dry-heat methods require very little fat, if any. The Maillard reaction that is the result of grilling gives extra flavor without adding anything. Roasting can be done with the addition of herbs and mirepoix to enhance flavor without including unhealthy ingredients.
FOCUS ON BETTER HEALTH
Hopefully these suggestions will get you thinking about your menus in a different way. There is no need to go down all the Google rabbit holes looking for new innovations. Most of the ingredients and techniques needed to cook healthier are already in our kitchens. Just take a few minutes to step back and reevaluate existing recipes and use some of the suggestions provided here to move toward lighter, healthier offerings that focus on flavor.
About the Author
David Voelz, CEC, CWPC, CCA, WCEC, CDM, CFPP, FMP, FSWC
David Voelz is the Senior Dining Director for Glenaire CCRC in Cary, N.C., managed by Compass Community Living, a Morrison Company. He is a Past Chair of the American Culinary Federation’s National Certification Commission, and a Charter Member of the ACF Sandhills Chef’s Association.
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