As I’ve said before, I’m NOT a fan of compromise …in any form, really, but particularly not in something as important as what I eat. But there are a lot of simple substitutions you can make without even impacting the deliciousness of your favorite recipes … and sometimes even making them tastier!
Give these a try and let me know what you think:
- Replace sodas with sparkling water. Add muddled fruit for a flavor boost: this time of year, try ginger and lemon, or fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice!
- Double the veggies in anything you make (this is my favorite :-)). Vegetables add bulk, phytonutrients, minerals, and AWESOME taste to your meal without extra calories.
- When baking/cooking, try removing half of the sugar. If a recipe calls for a cup of sugar, start with half a cup. Then, add a touch of citrus, vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon for a flavor boost.
- Cut the butter. You can usually halve the amount of butter, and then replace it with bananas, applesauce or avocados.
- Replace greasy, unhealthy dips with salsas, guacamole, or hummus. If you love creamy dips, try Greek yogurt instead of the traditional sour cream – it has a fresher taste!
- Use fresh or frozen fruits instead of frosting, syrup or jam on desserts. Pears, blood oranges, cranberries and persimmons can make incredibly beautiful seasonal toppings, either individually, or combined into a winter compote (I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!).
- Make it a habit to add kale to any/everything you can! Keep a bag pre-cut in the fridge and toss it in soups, smoothies, salads, stir-fries …. pretty much anything you make! If big pieces would be too much, grab and handful and shred it quickly with scissors.
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