8 ways to make your most loved guilty food pleasures, not-so-guilty

How many times has it happened that you see an advertisement of an extra cheesy burger and your taste buds beg to be smothered in cheesy goodness? If you’ve been in the same shoes, you’re reading just what you need to! We simplify how you can make some healthier tweaks in your favorite foods so they are not as unhealthy and you don’t feel guilty after your meal. All you’ve got to do is head to your kitchen and get a little busy!

Burgers :

We agree that there is nothing more satisfying than a burger when you need one. But heaps of mayo and cheese on meat, stacked between buns isn’t necessarily the healthiest choice. So we’ve found some ways you could make a humble healthy burger without compromising on the taste.

Make your own bun

By doing so you can be sure of keeping the preservatives and additives at bay. Use whole-wheat, multigrain, or other healthier flour options while baking your buns. Or go creative and ditch the buns for lettuce leaves or zucchini slices.

Sneak more Veggies

Use leafy greens, beans or whatever fresh vegetables you have in your kitchen to add more nutritional value to your creation.

Be a miser with the cheese

When you reach the most satisfying moment of all, layering your burger with a stack of cheese slices, hold it! Kick temptation in its face and go easy on the cheese. Here’s another trick: If you have a block of cheese, instead of cutting out slices and heaping them on your burger, grate the cheese evenly all over the burger – by doing so, you’re tricking yourself into eating less cheese!

Use healthier spreads

Instead of scooping out fancy full fat dressings and spreads, try using low sodium ketchup, mustard, greek yogurt, pesto in order to try something different!

Parathas :

To every kid brought up in India, a paratha is never a just a paratha. It’s an integral part of life. But there’s no hiding from the fact that these dripping parathas are full of fat. Well, unless you play them smartly.

Swap the oil for some yummy ghee.

Swap the 100% oil for some authentic ghee, which is less processed and more nutricious – and it takes better too! But remember to go easy that too.

Healthier stuffing Give a break to the old school potato, cheese and paneer stuffing and try something healthier. Experiment with stuffing like mixed vegetables, green peas, mushrooms, leftover veggies from last night – get creative!

Desserts :

As Indians our brains have been trained since childhood to crave sweet after every meal. But deep fried balls of flour, soaked in sugar syrup - you don’t want to do that to your body! Here’s some alternatives to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Fruits

Not only are they the epitome of healthy, they are naturally sweet! Try to make something amazing like chocolate dipped strawberries, frozen bananas dipped in yogurt, frozen grapes, smoothies or just eat them fresh!

Yogurt

Given the varied ranges of yogurt flavors available on our shelves you could easily swap your ice-cream for a bowl of yogurt with fresh fruits.

This was our list of simple ways in which you could make unhealthy food items a little bit healthier, and more flavorful. So the next time you get tempted, think of all the healthy items you could swap in your dish to make it better for your body.

Once you’ve done that, head to Ratnadeep and stock all the ingredients you may need for your next healthy adventure!