Healthy substitutes for "unhealthy" food?
March 2, 2018 1:27 AM Subscribe
Recently, I have somewhat randomly discovered two food items that I didn't know existed: coconut aminos and chickpea pasta. I have been amazed at how well they sub in for their "unhealthier" counterparts and have been on a search for more food items like this that make me feel like I get to have my cake and eat it too. So if you know of any, please throw them my way!
If you're someone who likes sweet/tart candies, freeze dried pineapple is an insanely good substitute.
posted by Mchelly at 4:05 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Mchelly at 4:05 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Cauliflower rice, tho I don't find rice unhealthy.
posted by frumiousb at 4:31 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by frumiousb at 4:31 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Zucchini "noodles" are surprisingly good. Most people agree that increased vegetable consumption is healthy.
Here is a effective, small, and inexpensive peeler to make vegetable noodles. I've also made sweet potatoes and cucumber more for garnishes that whole dishes. There is no need for a large countertop kitchen noodler if you are cooking for only a few people. My favorite is to peel the zucchini leaving any pithy middle out, saute lightly just until warm then toss with desired sauce and melty cheese (if tha tis healthy for you) in the pan, turn off heat, put on lid, set for a few minutes. Undercooking is better than over. Extra tip - the peeled "noodles" can be kept in the fridge for several days before cooking.
Similary, I like to make lasagna with zucchini or eggplant instead of noodles. Bake the thinly sliced vegetables for a few minutes only to release moisture so the finished lasagna is not too wet. Using a mandolin for thin slices is nice but not necessary. Proceed with favorite lasagna recipe. It is not necessary to bake for the full time, about 1/2 hour should be enough or until the middle is hot and the vegetables cooked enough. Optionally, eggplant can be rolled with the lasagna filling and covered with sauce to make eggplant rollatini in a pan or in muffin tins.
posted by RoadScholar at 4:43 AM on March 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
Here is a effective, small, and inexpensive peeler to make vegetable noodles. I've also made sweet potatoes and cucumber more for garnishes that whole dishes. There is no need for a large countertop kitchen noodler if you are cooking for only a few people. My favorite is to peel the zucchini leaving any pithy middle out, saute lightly just until warm then toss with desired sauce and melty cheese (if tha tis healthy for you) in the pan, turn off heat, put on lid, set for a few minutes. Undercooking is better than over. Extra tip - the peeled "noodles" can be kept in the fridge for several days before cooking.
Similary, I like to make lasagna with zucchini or eggplant instead of noodles. Bake the thinly sliced vegetables for a few minutes only to release moisture so the finished lasagna is not too wet. Using a mandolin for thin slices is nice but not necessary. Proceed with favorite lasagna recipe. It is not necessary to bake for the full time, about 1/2 hour should be enough or until the middle is hot and the vegetables cooked enough. Optionally, eggplant can be rolled with the lasagna filling and covered with sauce to make eggplant rollatini in a pan or in muffin tins.
posted by RoadScholar at 4:43 AM on March 2, 2018 [8 favorites]
These lentil chips taste amazingly like Bugles. And nthing zucchini zoodles, which are fun to make with a pencil sharpener style peeler.
posted by coevals at 4:50 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by coevals at 4:50 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Make a banana split without the ice cream -- just cut up some bananas from the fridge (No gnats! The skins darken but the fruit is still unbruised and good to eat) and add a little chocolate syrup and maybe some whipped topping. Or just eat the chilled bananas as is.
Apples and peanut butter.
Frozen whole blackberries, lightly thawed. Ditto frozen unsweetened strawberries.
Sub a few squares of baking chocolate for candy aisle sweets. This way you can choose 60 percent to 100 percent cocoa.
posted by TrishaU at 5:36 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Apples and peanut butter.
Frozen whole blackberries, lightly thawed. Ditto frozen unsweetened strawberries.
Sub a few squares of baking chocolate for candy aisle sweets. This way you can choose 60 percent to 100 percent cocoa.
posted by TrishaU at 5:36 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
FROZEN BANANAS
Also I like to use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas in burritos
posted by Polychrome at 5:44 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also I like to use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas in burritos
posted by Polychrome at 5:44 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Make really delish sugar-free, dairy-free"ice cream", using frozen bananas. There are lots of recipes online for it, but basically you peel and chunk up overripe bananas, and keep them in a baggie in your freezer. I can't do dairy and am currently sugar-free, so frozen bananas are my go-to sweet treat. Bananas and dates have their own natural sugar; when I say sugar-free I mean no added or processed sugar as in cane or honey or agave or any of that. My recipe for ice cream (add more liquid to turn it into a smoothie) is
chunks of one frozen banana
3 ice cubes
half cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 pitted medjool dates (soak them in warm water for half an hour beforehand or they won't blend in)
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder (the unsweetened kind)
optional - a heaping tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter (pb has sugar in it so I use almond)
optional - a tablespoon of protein powder (use only if making a smoothie)
Just put it all into your ninja or bullet or whatever grindy-type blender you have. If it won't blend, add a bit more almond milk, maybe a tablespoon at a time. You can sub coconut milk or soy milk. You can add protein powder. It's actually GOOD for you. Cocoa powder is a superfood, and you can add more, like berries or what have you. Pineapple is also super yum in it. This is super satisfying and filling, and moreso because of the protein powder, which thickens, and the almond butter, which gives the fatness satiety.
posted by the webmistress at 5:49 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
chunks of one frozen banana
3 ice cubes
half cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 pitted medjool dates (soak them in warm water for half an hour beforehand or they won't blend in)
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder (the unsweetened kind)
optional - a heaping tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter (pb has sugar in it so I use almond)
optional - a tablespoon of protein powder (use only if making a smoothie)
Just put it all into your ninja or bullet or whatever grindy-type blender you have. If it won't blend, add a bit more almond milk, maybe a tablespoon at a time. You can sub coconut milk or soy milk. You can add protein powder. It's actually GOOD for you. Cocoa powder is a superfood, and you can add more, like berries or what have you. Pineapple is also super yum in it. This is super satisfying and filling, and moreso because of the protein powder, which thickens, and the almond butter, which gives the fatness satiety.
posted by the webmistress at 5:49 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
This cauliflower-based "Alfredo" sauce is the bomb. Even if you're OK with dairy, most people would consider traditional Alfredo sauce to have too much fat in it. (This is a recipe - you didn't specify whether you just wanted prepared foods.)
For prepared foods, I'm a big fan of these chickpea snacks. There are lots of different brands and flavors.
posted by FencingGal at 6:46 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
For prepared foods, I'm a big fan of these chickpea snacks. There are lots of different brands and flavors.
posted by FencingGal at 6:46 AM on March 2, 2018 [5 favorites]
Frozen grapes!
Buy a bunch of seedless red grapes and take them off the stem. Rinse, drain, and throw them in the freezer. I usually put them in a covered container but a plastic bag will do.
Such a treat on a hot summer day.
posted by 6thsense at 6:59 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Buy a bunch of seedless red grapes and take them off the stem. Rinse, drain, and throw them in the freezer. I usually put them in a covered container but a plastic bag will do.
Such a treat on a hot summer day.
posted by 6thsense at 6:59 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
Years ago I tried some whole-grain pasta and found it vile. I tried a new brand recently and actually prefer it to regular pasta. I don't know if it's the specific brand or my tastes or general advances in pasta technology, but give it a shot.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:00 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 7:00 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Substitute applesauce for 50% of the fat/oil in baked goods. The results are usually quite good when first baked, but they don't keep quite as well as the full-fat version.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:40 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by SemiSalt at 7:40 AM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Some good ideas in this recent question about white rice substitutes; I'm still very keen on the roasted cauliflower method, botty burps be damned.
posted by humph at 8:19 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by humph at 8:19 AM on March 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you bake, you can usually reduce the sugar by 1/3 to 2/3 of the total and still have a fine product. In situations where the sugar is structural, obviously not, but in many cases it's not necessary. Cookies that have other ingredients can often have much less sugar added. The "More With Less" cookbook has many examples that have been tested.
To reduce salt, just don't use or eat much salt. After about two weeks, your taste buds will adjust.
I like to sneak sugar snap peas into movies.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:47 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
To reduce salt, just don't use or eat much salt. After about two weeks, your taste buds will adjust.
I like to sneak sugar snap peas into movies.
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:47 AM on March 2, 2018 [3 favorites]
I can handle cow milk fine, but I think I actually prefer the taste of oat milk.
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:28 AM on March 2, 2018
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:28 AM on March 2, 2018
I can handle cow milk fine, but I think I actually prefer the taste of oat milk.
Likewise, I've found that I prefer almond milk to dairy for straight up drinking. Seems arguable though whether it's overall healthier than dairy, but it has less calories, so I'll take it.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 10:11 AM on March 2, 2018
Likewise, I've found that I prefer almond milk to dairy for straight up drinking. Seems arguable though whether it's overall healthier than dairy, but it has less calories, so I'll take it.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 10:11 AM on March 2, 2018
Cauliflower or white beans can make a very convincing mashed potatoes sub, either as a side dish or in shepherd's pie.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 11:42 AM on March 2, 2018
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 11:42 AM on March 2, 2018
Fiery Hot Peatos vs Flamin' Cheetos. Bonus: Peatos also come in Chili Cheese, Masala, and Classic Cheese, and they have them at my regular grocery store so I don't have to go to Whole Foods or a specialty shop for them. I personally get the Masala ones when I want something around the house for a handful of crunchy snacks.
posted by erst at 12:06 PM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by erst at 12:06 PM on March 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
I make a healthier pizza by getting wholewheat flatbread (versus pizza dough which is more refined and bulkier), covering it in pasta sauce, and using a sprinkling of goat cheese instead of cheddar, then using lots of veggies and herbs on top. It's delicious and if you're trying to limit carbs it's good for that.
I find in general using smaller amounts of more flavorful cheeses is effective at replacing larger amounts of mozzarella or mild cheddar, goat cheese, asiago are good.
posted by lafemma at 5:48 AM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
I find in general using smaller amounts of more flavorful cheeses is effective at replacing larger amounts of mozzarella or mild cheddar, goat cheese, asiago are good.
posted by lafemma at 5:48 AM on March 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by waving at 2:42 AM on March 2, 2018 [11 favorites]