The team used a nationally representative database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, to identify the 10 most popular foods that are typically high in sodium, added sugars and saturated fat. Are high. These included meatloaf, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese, and brownies.
Next, he worked with culinary experts to develop three versions of these recipes. The first included the specific amounts of saturated fat, sugar, and salt used in these recipes. The second version improved nutrition by removing excess saturated fat, sugar and salt.
The third version had the same nutrients as the second version, but also included herbs and spices such as garlic powder, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, cumin, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
For example, the typical macaroni and cheese recipe includes salted butter, 2 percent milk, American cheese, and salt. For a nutritionally superior version, researchers replaced the salted butter with unsalted butter and reduced the amount in the recipe by 75 percent.
He replaced 2 percent of the milk with skim milk, replaced some of the American cheese with low-fat cheese, and eliminated excess salt. For a nutritionally superior version, as well as herbs and spices, the researchers added onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard seeds, paprika and cayenne pepper.