On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary
Fundamentals
Sixth Edition
Chapter 24
Healthy Cooking and
Special Diets
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Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
24.1 Create nutritious menus for health-conscious adults
24.2 Use alternative ingredients and substitutes to develop
recipes that provide guests with healthy foods and foods
that meet special dietary needs
24.3 Identify and use techniques to modify recipes for
special diets
24.4 Describe the range of vegetarian diets and employ a
variety of ingredients as alternatives to meat, poultry, fish
or dairy

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Principles of Healthy Cooking
• Healthy cooking is based on sound culinary techniques
• Portion size is the amount consumed single dining
occasion
• Serving size is the amount recommended
• Chefs should be aware of the amount of food served
• Weigh or measure accurately

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Rethinking the Center of the plate
• Center of the plate is the focal point of a dish
• High-fat meats and animal products were traditionally the
focus
• Healthful vegetables, grains and fruit were secondary
• Healthy cooking today
– Use whole foods free from additives
– Cook with fresh, local and seasonal foods
• Consider creating inherently healthful menus a creative
challenge

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Rebalanced Plates
• A chef may take different approaches to adapt a recipe to create a
healthful dish
• Roast chicken with mashed potatoes and natural pan gravy (left)
• Gingered chicken broth, chicken, bitter greens, star anise, squash
and chile oil (right)

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Recipe Modification
• Reduce the amount of ingredients needed without
altering the structure, taste or appearance
– Not always the case with baking formulas
• Replace the problematic ingredient(s) with a substitute
that will result in the least change to the flavor profile and
appearance of the dish.
• Eliminate ingredients if doing so wont destroy integrity of
dish
– Remove allergens

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Substitutes and Alternatives
• Replacing ingredients helps with recipe modification
• Ingredient Substitutes - ingredient with similar flavor,
texture, appearance
– Nonfat sour cream in place of regular flavor, texture,
appearance
• Ingredient Alternative - ingredient with another that has
different,
– Lemon juice and herbs in place of salt
– Salsa in place of cream sauce

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Modifying Recipes
• Identify ingredients to modify
• Consider the flavors, textures and sensations of the
original recipe
• Consider alternative cooking techniques
• Use techniques that intensify flavor
– Toasting nuts, oven roast-potatoes instead of deep-
frying
• Moderate amount of sat, salt and sugar at all times

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Special Diets
• Health conscious consumers seek special menus
• Others may have special conditions that require special
diets such as the following:
• Low-sodium
• Low-sugar
• Low-fat
• Dairy-free
• Gluten-free

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Low Sodium Diets
• RDA Sodium 2300 milligrams day
• Average American consumes 3,000- 7,000 milligrams
day
• Salt substitutes “off” metallic taste
• Reduce amount of salt used
• Find low-sodium alternatives such as low-sodium soy
sauce
• Limit prepared condiments, brines, commercial baked
goods, chemical leaveners

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Low Sugar Diets
• Obesity and diseases tied to added sugars in soft drinks,
salad dressings and processed foods
• Excess sugar consumption can lead to Type 2 diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes cannot consume any sugar

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Sugar Substitutes and Alternatives
• Non-carbohydrate, low-calorie artificial sweeteners may
be suitable for Type 1 Diabetics and those looking for
substitute
– Saccharin
– Aspartame
– Sucralose
– Reb A, stevia

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Modifying Recipes for Low-Sugar
Diets
• Ripe fruits, berries, dates, dried fruits add natural
sweetness
• Agave, maple syrup and honey are natural sweeteners
some consumers prefer over refined sugar
• Salad dressings and sauces for savory foods do not need
added sugar
• Use fruit purées as sauce in place of sugary ones
• Sugar in muffins and cookie recipes cane be reduced
10%-15%

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Low-Fat Diets
• Low-fat and fat-free substitutes work in most applications
• Reduce amount of fat you use
– Broiling, grilling, baking, poaching and steaming
require no added fat
– Remove skin on poultry
– Use lean cuts of meat
– Use nut oils

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Dairy-Free Diets
• Lactose and casein, proteins in milk products are
allergens
• Use lactose-free dairy products
• Use milk-like liquids made from nuts, grains, legumes
• Vegetable fats in place of butter
• Vegan cheeses, yogurt, ice cream

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Gluten-Free Diets
• Gluten formed when proteins in wheat are moistened and
allergen
• Celiac disease (gluten allergy) treated by removing all
wheat, rye and barley from the diet
• Use gluten substitutes
– arrowroot, buckwheat, coconut, corn, potato, rice,
tapioca, soy, amaranth, beans such as chickpeas,
flax meal, millet, quinoa, sorghum and ground nuts.
• Use commercially-available gluten-free baking flours,
baked goods

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Vegetarian and Vegan Diets (1 of 2)
• Vegan
– A person who will not eat any meat
• Raw foodist
– Typically, a vegan who eats only raw or slightly
warmed plant foods
• Fruitarian
– A person who eats only fruit, nuts, seeds and other
plant products
• Ovo-vegetarian
– A vegetarian who eats eggs but no dairy products

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Vegetarianism (2 of 2)
• Ovo-lacto-vegetarian
– A person who eats plant products as well as eggs and
dairy products
• Lacto-vegetarian
– A vegetarian who eats dairy products but not eggs

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Soybean-Based Products (1 of 2)
• Soy “milk”
– Liquid that is created by soaking and cooking dried
soybeans
• Tofu or bean curd
– Soy milk that has been coagulated or cultured, then
formed into a cake
▪ Silken tofu
– Silky smooth texture and appearance suitable for
creamy substances
▪ Cotton tofu
– Solid blocks in three styles: soft, firm and extra firm

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Soybean-Based Products (2 of 2)
• Miso
– Made by salting and fermenting soybeans and rice or
barley
• Tempeh
– Whole bean cake made from fermented whole
soybeans and grain
• Textured vegetable protein
– Also known as TVP or textured soy protein (TSP);
textured soy flour; defatted soy protein that is dried
and compressed into granules, chunks or shapes

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Other Popular Ingredients in
Vegetarian Cooking
• Liquid amino acids
• Seitan
– “Wheat meat,” formed from wheat gluten
• Grain beverages
– Can be used instead of stock in vegetarian cooking
• Analogous foods
– Products made to mimic the appearance and texture
of popular animal-based products

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Vegetarian and Vegan Cuisine
• Use or adapt items from the regular menu
– Many existing items may already be on the menu
• Add grains and beans for texture and satiation
– Consider these for the center of the plate options
• Utilize meaty vegetables and soy products
– Many vegetables have flavor and body that mimic
meats
• Compose dishes with an eye to balancing color
– We eat with our eyes as well as our taste buds

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More Considerations
• Balance textures on the same plate
– Look for complementary and contrasting textures
• Layer flavors for complexity of taste
– Combine cooking methods and ingredients
• Create a pantry for plant-based cooking
– Stock ingredients to enhance plant-based cooking
• Seek inspiration from ethnic cuisines
– Many ethnic cuisines offer exciting vegetarian options

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Religious Dietary Laws
• Many religions have dietary laws, which strict observers
of these religions may follow
– Jewish Religion
▪ Keeping Kosher
– Muslim Religion
▪ Halal
– Buddhism
▪ Vegetarianism

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