Healthy Substitutions

Eating right doesn't mean we need to deprive ourselves of the foods we love. We can still make delicious foods that are good for us by switching up the ingredients.

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Cauliflower is quite the versatile vegetable that can be substituted in many recipes. Steamed cauliflower has a bland taste that allows it to be added to many dishes without anyone noticing (add steamed, pureed cauliflower to your cheese sauce for light and fluffy mac n' cheese). Cauliflower canned be steamed and it will still hold its structure, the tops are great substitutes for rice. After steaming cauliflower, the tops can be pureed to produce a silky and velvety texture which can be substituted for cream sauce or even mashed potatoes. Thanks to its white color, it won’t weird anyone out when using it as a healthy alternative. Cauliflower is high in calcium, potassium, folate, and Vitamins A, C, and K.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Makes about 5 cups

http://pinchofyum.com/creamy-cauliflower-sauce

Ingredients:

8 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

5-6 cups cauliflower florets

6-7 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)

½ cup milk (more to taste)

Directions:

1. Sauté the minced garlic with butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Bring the broth or water to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered 7-10 minutes, until cauliflower is fork tender.

3. Use a slotted spoon the transfer the cauliflower into a blender. Add 1 cup of broth or cooking liquid, sautéed garlic and butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until very smooth.

Adding more broth or milk will thin out the sauce to your taste. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil. Addition of a little Parmesan cheese will give the sauce more of an "Alfredo" flavor.

Serve hot, or freeze for future occasions. ½ cup of sauce will provide around: Calories 50, Fat 3g, Cholesterol 7.3 mg, Sodium 280 mg, Carbohydrate 5g, Fiber 1.3g, Sugar 2g,Protein 1.8g.

http://steamykitchen.com/11285-
baked-spaghetti-squash-with-garlic
-and-butter.html

Spaghetti squash is an oblong, pale yellow winter squash that originates from Central America. The name comes from the inner flesh of the squash, which becomes stringy, much like spaghetti when cooked. These squash are high in Vitamins A and C as well as some B vitamins. They can be microwaved, steamed or baked, and will still produce the spaghetti strings. If uncut, these vegetables will keep for weeks at room temperature. Add some spicy Italian Sausage to your “spaghetti” to increase the protein.

Easy Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Makes 3 servings

http://thefitchen.com/2013/10/13/easy-spaghetti-squash-pasta/

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds with a spoon

½ tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp fresh basil, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Brush each squash half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place each half on the baking sheet, cut sides facing upward

3. Roast for 45-50 minutes.

4. After baking, remove squash from oven and use a fork to scrape out the "spaghetti."

5. Add seasoning and basil and enjoy plain or with your favorite pasta sauce.

Kale is a dietitian’s dream food. And its recent boom in popularity has me jumping for joy! Kale is

http://www.edenbrothers.com/store/kale_seeds.html

packed with calcium, magnesium, potassium, folate, and Vitamins C, A, and K. Kale even is a pretty decent source of protein. If you are the type of person that enjoys adding kale to your smoothie, then more power to you! If you are put off by green smoothies, try this recipe. Perfect for meeting that salty snack craving

Crispy Kale Chips

Makes 4 servings

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe.html

Ingredients:

1 head of Kale, washed and thoroughly dried

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Sea Salt for sprinkling

doitdelicious.com

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275

2. Remove ribs from kale and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces. Lay kale on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt.

3. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes turning about halfway through

health.com

Greek Yogurt is a great substitute for any recipe that calls for mayonnaise or sour cream. Try it on your baked potato, or on top of any Mexican or Indian dish. By using non-fat plain Greek yogurt, you easily reduce calories and increase protein.

Yogurt Egg Salad

http://bestrecipebox.com/recipes/greek-yogurt-egg-salad/

Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

½ cup non-fat, plain, Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons mustard

2 green onions, minced

1 teaspoon relish

½ teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

(if you need extra crunch, add ½ cup celery)

*Substitute chili powder for the paprika and salt for a different flavor!

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the eggs

2. Gently stir in the eggs to combine.

3.Eat with whole grain crackers, or dollop onto a salad

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Avocados are great substitutes for foods high in saturated fats. The fats in avocados are unsaturated, making them much healthier for us. Substituting avocados for butter and oil saves you at least 100 calories and 19 grams of fat.  In baking you can substitute avocado for butter at a one to one ratio. Example: one tablespoon butter = 1 tablespoon of avocado. If the recipe calls for oil, you may need to add extra liquid to get the same consistency. Avocados are also great substitute for mayonnaise. Try

an avocado in your tuna salad or in deviled eggs!

Avocado Lime Pancakes

Serves 4

http://www.avocadocentral.com/avocado-recipes/Avocado-Lime-Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup oats(processed in blender or food processor to create oatmeal flour)

½ cup oats

3/8 cup flour

2 tsp sugar

¼ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup ripe, Avocado, pureed

¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp. nonfat milk

1 Tbsp. lime zest, chopped

2 tsp. lime juice

1 whole egg

Directions
1. In a medium bowl mix together ¼ cup oatmeal flour, oatmeal,      all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2.  In a small bowl whisk together pureed avocado, nonfat milk, lime zest, lime juice and egg.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Let batter sit for 10 minutes to thicken.

4.  Heat a nonstick griddle and coat with a nonstick spray.

5.       Use a rounded 1/8 cup of batter for each 3-inch pancake. Cook for 3 minutes total on low heat.

Your favorite foods don't have to be bad for you. Healthy substitutions are easy an easy alternative, and may help you try a food that you would not have otherwise eaten. Let everyone know what you think about these recipes by leaving a comment below. If you have other recipes that include substitutions, send them our way so we can try them! With so many recipes on the internet, the possibilities are endless.