How to Cook Healthier German Food

Do you love German food but not the calories you tend to take in when you eat it? A perfect solution for you is to make it at home. But instead of preparing traditional recipes using standard ingredients that often make its way into the food, such as plenty of bacon, follow these tips to make it healthy.

Don't Use Goose Fat!

It is the tradition in Germany to prepare a goose on Christmas. The most traditional home cooks reserve the fat and store it for later use. People swear that the best schnitzel is made from this fat. However, goose is high in saturated fat and is not all that great for you. Instead, use a nonstick pan and just put a tablespoon or two of cold pressed olive oil. Sure, it isn't "traditional" but it allows you to have the flavor and texture of schnitzel without all the fat.

Substitute the Bacon

German bacon is a little different than typical bacon in how it's prepared (it isn't usually smoked). However, it's still bacon and it still has a high fat content. Bacon finds its way in plenty of German recipes including their potato salad and fried potatoes. In fact, these two dishes in particular would not be the same without bacon, or speck, as it is called in Germany. To cut down on fat and calories, why not substitute this bacon for turkey bacon? It will really make a difference in terms of calorie content.

Hold the Sahne (Whipped Cream)

It is almost crazy how much whipped cream can be found in some German desserts. And, when you go to a restaurant and order something like hot chocolate, it usually includes an extremely generous portion to top it off. But to their credit, they often ask before putting it on. To cut calories when preparing these German-inspired desserts at home, why not eliminate the whipped cream entirely or at least cut it out?

Watch the Portions

Anyone who's ever dined out in Germany knows that the portions are on the extreme side. One very easy way to cut calories while preparing a traditional German meal is to simply cut the portions down to a more reasonable size and up the vegetables present at the meals. For example, if you make schnitzel (without the goose fat!) half its normal side and serve it with a big salad, the overall meal no longer has too many calories.

German food is high in fat at times and also includes a lot of potatoes which isn't necessarily the best carbohydrate choice. If you make healthy substitutions where necessary, cut out a lot of he fat, and minimize your portion sizes then it really is possible to eat healthier traditional German food.