Are you cooking for St. Patrick’s Day? Rather than saturating yourself with an unnecessary amount of fat from corned beef, or carbs from a huge honking slice of traditional Irish Soda Bread, there are healthier ways to prepare these holiday favorites without disappointing your taste buds.
“An easy way to make your soda bread more healthful is to use whole wheat flour instead of white which has been processed and stripped of its nutrients,” suggests nutrition expert, Erin Palinski-Wade, RD. “You can also swap out full fat buttermilk for low fat instead.” To get your sweet-tooth fix, mix a no-calorie sweetener like Splenda or Truvia into your dough instead of sugar, or you can add a natural sweetener like raisins or currants—which will also give you a healthy amount of dietary fiber, iron, potassium, and B vitamins.
As for corned beef and cabbage, you’ll be happy to learn that this dish is packed with vitamins and minerals. “Corned beef is rich in zinc, iron, B-vitamins, and high in protein,” says Palinski-Wade. “It is high in sodium and fat, however, so try baking or broiling it on a rack to let fat drip off and trim any excess fat before eating it–or just limit your portion size.” Cabbage also has health benefits. It’s high in fiber and a great source of folic acid and vitamin C.
And you can’t have corned beef and cabbage without some potatoes! While they’re high in carbs, they do have a high nutritional value. Potatoes offer some protein and iron, along with zinc, potassium, and vitamin C. And if you leave the skins on, you’ll get even more health benefits like fiber. You can also toss in some carrots or other veggies to add some color as well as an extra boost of nutrients to this flavorful meal.
Wash this down with a light beer and you’re ready to celebrate!
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