Healthy Substitutes
What kinds of healthy substitutes do you use at home, or choose to swap for when you're eating out?
Here are a few of my favorites, plus my favorite pizza crust recipe & toppings!
Some healthy swaps, ask for:
-Whole wheat/grain bread in place of white
-Brown rice in place of white
-Sweet potato fries/sweet potato in place of regular, for added vitamins, & nix the fatty toppings, & opt for pepper, instead.
-Vegetables, instead of fries
-Mineral water w/ lemon in place of soda pop (diet & regular) (I don't know how many restaurants provide mineral water, which can provide calcium, may lower bad cholesterol & blood pressure, & may decrease bone loss).
For sour cream in a taco, on a salad, in a Stroganoff, maybe:
Equal parts guacamole/avocado (you can often ask to have this subtitutes at restaurants)
Plain yogurt/Greek yogurt
For salad dressing:
Salsa is one of my favorite swaps, and it adds a little kick. I'm usually alright if I add too much, conversely, I usually end up overdoing it with the ranch & vinaigrette
If you do get salad dressing at a restaurant (or even at home) have it served as a side, not preserved over the salad.
For mayo:
Equal parts guacamole/avocado
Plain yogurt/Greek yogurt
Hummus
When cooking creamy soups, you can substitute half & half or milk with a cashew/white bean blend. Just experiment for consistency & taste!
We've learned a little about sugar substitutes, & you'll remember that you can swap honey for white sugar. Here is a link about how you can properly sub. honey for white sugar in your recipes: http://www.ehow.com/how_2110342_substitute-honey-sugar-recipe.html
You can also substitute cow's milk for your own homemade nondairy milk!
When baking, try apple sauce in place of eggs or oil, just reduce the amount of eggs/oil used & fill in the gaps with applesauce. Leave about 2 Tbsp. of oil. Experiment on what kind of consistency/amount that you need/desire to use. The best recipes you can substitute with are muffins & banana bread.
How about toppings for pizza??? Pepperoni & Canadian bacon, as well as other lunch meats, are full of nitrates, which wreak havoc on the body, so think about what other healthy, & delicious toppings you can add to your homemade (&store-bought) pizza! Recently, I made the most delicious homemade pizza from scratch!
Yeast-less (& Sugar-less) Pizza Crust
vegweb.com
2 cups flour (1-1/4 cup wheat, 3/4 cup all-purpose)
1-1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup water (start off with a little less than 2/3 cup, then adjust)
1/4 cup olive oil
rosemary, to taste, optional (which may guard against brain degeneration)
Combine ingredients. Knead by hand until becomes a dough & doesn't stick to sides of the bowl. Cover until ready to use.
Top crust w/ tomato sauce, low-fat shredded cheese, sliced bell peppers, onions (green & yellow/red), cooked turkey burger, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives.
Bake crust at 350*F for about 35 minutes, or until the dough in the center is cooked through.
