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Make a healthier lasagna by using low-fat cheese, egg whites, lean meats or no meat, adding vegetables, using whole-grain noodles, and reducing sodium with low- or no-sodium tomato sauce and spices.
While traditional lasagna is often high in fat, cholesterol and sodium and low in fiber and nutrients, there are many changes that can be made to the recipe to create a healthy lasagna. Low-fat varieties of cheese can be used to reduce fat and cholesterol, and egg whites can be substituted for whole eggs. Lean meats can also be used for this purpose, or lasagna can be made without meat. Adding greens like onions, spinach or broccoli can add nutrients and fiber, as can using whole-grain noodles. Low- or no-sodium tomato sauces can be used in place of higher-sodium varieties to reduce the salt content, and the salt in the recipe can be substituted for spices to add flavor.
Finding ways to reduce the fat and cholesterol content is often part of making a healthy lasagna. Partially lean or non-fat versions of mozzarella, ricotta or ricotta cheese are all good substitutes for their full-fat counterparts. Some cheeses like Parmesan are already normally low in fat compared to other options and add a lot of flavor. For recipes that call for eggs, you can choose to use egg whites only. Lean beef, ground turkey, and other lean meats can also make for a lighter dish, or you can simply choose to leave out the meat entirely and make a veggie lasagna.
Another way to make healthy lasagna is to add vegetables to the recipe. Some people may prefer to stick to more traditional options like spinach, onions or garlic, while others may want to try less standard choices like broccoli, squash or eggplant. Fresh vegetables can be used if available, or frozen ones can be substituted; both are packed with nutrients, fiber, and flavor.
Using whole-wheat pasta can also make lasagna healthier. Typically, the dish contains noodles made from processed white flour, which has little nutritional value. Switching them for the whole grain type can increase the nutrient and fiber content.
A healthy lasagna recipe often calls for a reduction in sodium, which can be very high in regular recipes. Those using canned or jarred tomatoes or salsas will want to look for varieties with little or no added sodium. The amount of salt added to the recipe should also be minimized; other spices such as basil, oregano and parsley, dried or fresh, can be used if extra flavor is needed.
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