We asked Pennington registered dietitian Renee Puyau and project manager Allison Davis for healthier cooking tips.
1. Use whole grains such as brown rice, barley or quinoa in place of white rice.
2. Try eating gumbo over a roasted sweet potato—it’s delicious!
3. Add extra veggies to gumbo, like okra. You can also add greens like spinach or kale without compromising the flavor of the dish.
4. Try adding red kidney beans to gumbo to add some extra fiber.
5. Replace beef with lean chicken to make a chicken Andouille.
6. Swap out some of the meat in a dish for chunky vegetables (like mushrooms or cooked carrots).
7. Oven “fry” foods instead of deep-frying them. Roll food lightly in flour, egg white and breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven.
8. Use herbs, dried spices, salsa and lemon juice or vinegar to add flavor rather than oils.
