Tip# 26 - Try Delicious Bread Spreads

WOULD YOU BELIEVE: People add 8 grams of fat to their toast when they use two pats of butter. SOME FACTS: One pat of butter contains about 4 grams of fat which comprises 100% of its 36 calories. A quick and delicious way to avoid using this much fat in a snack or a meal is to use simple spreads on your breads, muffins, toast, or other forms of baked grains. They are convenient, easy to make, and widely available in the stores.

Fruit Spreads
The first example, which is really quite obvious, is fruit spread. Look for fruit preserves. Try to find the kinds that have no sugar, probably in your health food store. Stay away from the simple jellies and jams that are high in fat and sugar.
Fruit Butter
Another delicious variation is fruit butter, such as apple butter. The so-called fruit butters are generally pure, puréed fruits which are much thicker than ordinary preserves. They have a "buttery" consistency and have a flavor closer to the natural taste of the whole fruit.

Bean Spreads
Bean spreads are another convenient way to have a quick snack or meal. These can be as simple as a bean dip for chips, or they can be a complete sandwich filling.

Apple Butter
1 qt. Apple juice 8
large Tart applies
1 tsp. Allspice, ground
½ tsp. Cinnamon, ground

Boil apple juice to thicken (2 cups).
Remove apple stems and cut apples into chunks.
Add allspice and cinnamon to thickened juice chunks.
Add apple. Boil, then reduce heat and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes).
Blend apples into pulp and return to spice-juice mixture. Simmer and stir until thick (about 2 hours). Let cool. Makes 30 portions (about 2 cups). (1 portion = 37.3 calories, 0.2 grams fat, 1% protein, 95% carbohydrates, 4% fat).