Thursday, September 13, 2012

Use This Food Instead of That Food





There are tons of recipes that we all love from our childhood, holidays, etc., when the intentions of the cook most likely were not to make it an especially healthy dish, but a super tasty one. We might not make these often because of their indulgent nature, but what if we could make them healthier without sacrificing taste?
Now you can have your cake and eat it too with these simple whole food substitutions. Our indulgent dishes will go from high calorie, high fat, belt busters to lower calorie, lower fat and lower carb  delicious eats that fill you up with more nutrients.


Dish

Use This…
Instead of …
Benefits
Creamy
Soups
Potato, squash, cashews and veggie broth blended or avocado puree
Cream
Healthier fats
Lower calorie
Nutrient dense


Chocolate Desserts
Mashed avocado with cacao powder for a pudding consistency you can also use banana, greek yogurt or nut butter



Butter
Healthier fats
Lower calorie
Burgers

Bison meat, turkey
Ground beef
Healthier fats
Lower calorie


Brownies

Black beans, coconut flour
Refined white and wheat flour
Lower carb
Higher protein


Potato
Salads
Low fat greek yogurt
Mayonnaise
Lower fat
Higher protein


Chili

Quinoa or just beans
White rice
Lower carb
Higher protein


Pasta
Spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles or sweet potato. Use a spiralizer tool to make spaghetti out of veggies.


White/wheat pasta
Lower carb
Lower calorie
Nutrient dense
Pancakes
Oatmeal and egg whites (combine and make a batter. Add fruit compote to sweeten on top)


Dry pancake mix
Higher protein
Lower Calorie

Mashed Potatoes
Cauliflower or sweet potato


White potatoes
Lower calorie
Nutrient Dense

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe:



Ingredients:
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unrefined sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
3 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional) 
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper in a 8×8″ baking pan. This will be your security blanket to make sure the brownies don't stick to the pan!!
 .
Place all the ingredients except chocolate chips and walnuts in a food processor or blender and pulse thoroughly until smooth and well combined.
.
Pour batter in the baking dish. Top with nuts and chocolate chips. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is dry and edges begin to pull away from the baking dish. Cool completely before cutting. 





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