Healthy Southern Foods? Is there such a thing?

ncbeachprincess
ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
in Food and Nutrition
I am from the south, I love flavor in comfort foods. Now, I cannot eat the typical southern comfort foods, fried chicken, cheesy bread, homemade cakes and pies, etc...and I don't feel bad about it. BUT, I would like to find some sites, or books, that have good recipes in them that are healthy. I am a baker and love to cook, but nothing so far has been successful. I tried a homemade choc cake, off of Splendas website, that tasted like pure crap! Cooking for me is a stress relief and is a hobby, so I want to do it, just healthy. Suggestions?

Replies

  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    No food is inherently unhealthy. Try just reducing portion size to hit your caloric goals.
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    I could be wrong but I believe
    water crest sandwiches and cucumbers
    are big back there. Never been to the south.
    My G.ma was Texan as is my hubby so I
    haven't first hand experience.
  • JeremiahStone
    JeremiahStone Posts: 682 Member
    texas chili!
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    texas chili!

    found several recipes online for this...dont know which one to choose from though!
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    No food is inherently unhealthy. Try just reducing portion size to hit your caloric goals.

    Never considered it like this! Thanks!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    My relatives are from the South, spread out from Texas through Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi (although I was born in D.C. and grew up there). I love vegetables traditionally included in Southern cooking, like corn on the cob, okra, black eyed peas, and collard greens. I just blanch or boil them and add salt and skip the heart-attack-special breading and frying. Just writing this makes me want a piece of my grandmother's cornbread with some black eyed peas, LOL.
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    What about goodies? Like cakes, pies, etc? I want to find recipes to cook these without the added sugars and unnecessary fats! I NEED some homemade chocolate something or other!
  • evansproudmama
    evansproudmama Posts: 493 Member
    Hi there,

    I'm a born and raised southern California girl but I lived in Tennesse for a year and I totally understand the whole southern comfort thing, I gained 60lbs living there after one year!! Check out these links, they have helped me to convert some of my favorite recipes into a much healthier and cleaner option :-)

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating/food-substitution-chart/

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-recipe-substitutions/

    Just a few substitutions and tweaks and you'll be back to enjoying your fav things in no time! I just made fried pickels the other day yum yum yum (Start using coconut oil and virgin olive oil asap and drop the canola, vegetable oils is a huge help! Calorie wise they may be the same but things like this will change your body for the better you will see)
  • evansproudmama
    evansproudmama Posts: 493 Member
    and check out her recipes she has a lot of desserts on www.thegraciouspantry.com that are just awesome!
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    Hi there,

    I'm a born and raised southern California girl but I lived in Tennesse for a year and I totally understand the whole southern comfort thing, I gained 60lbs living there after one year!! Check out these links, they have helped me to convert some of my favorite recipes into a much healthier and cleaner option :-)

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating/food-substitution-chart/

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-recipe-substitutions/

    Just a few substitutions and tweaks and you'll be back to enjoying your fav things in no time! I just made fried pickels the other day yum yum yum (Start using coconut oil and virgin olive oil asap and drop the canola, vegetable oils is a huge help! Calorie wise they may be the same but things like this will change your body for the better you will see)

    I currently use olive oil, but have heard that coconut oil tastes a lil sweet even after being cooked or leaves a bad taste on foods, is this true?
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    Bobby Deen. Paula Deen's son (forget the press on her for this, she still makes yummy food). He's taking all her southern classic dishes and making them healthier. He has a show on cooking channel, so I know they have all his recipes on their website. I've tried lots like corn flake fried chicken (a tip though is to use yogurt instead of buttermilk), the pies, and the mac and cheese and they're REALLY tasty. Very authentic tasting.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    In most cake recipes, you can cut the sugar by 1/3 and have it come out just fine. Most pies as well can have the sugar cut -- the crust doesn't need it, and you'll get used to the lower-sugar fillings and come to appreciate the natural sweetness of the fruit. My mother has an amazing and delicious lower-sugar pound cake recipe. Frankly I would rather cook real food and restrict myself to one small piece than cook something with splenda.

    You can also have your favorites in small quantities with a lower-cal side. For example, maybe you just loooove fried chicken. So have ... one piece, eat it slowly, enjoy it, and have a salad as your side. Mix and match so that you're not pairing your high-cal side dish with your high-cal main dish -- like if you're going to have a piece of cheesy bread on the side, have a grilled chicken instead.

    Track all your food first so you can see if you can fit in a small amount of comfort food along with the rest of your diet.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    There is a reason no one ever says, lets go get some great northern food.
  • Peachy1962
    Peachy1962 Posts: 269 Member
    Paula Deen's son Bobby has a cookbook called "Not My Mama's cooking" where he takes the full fattening type recipes and turns them into better healthy ones!! He also has a show on the Food network!!

    I am trying to redo all that I am use to cooking!!! I love the yellow squash casserole and that was not that hard to remake over!! :tongue:
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Pink-eye Purple Hull peas, stewed cabbage, squash and cornbread for supper here.

    Want some? :smooched:
  • leojsivad
    leojsivad Posts: 124 Member
    I live in Texas, so I grew up on fried pork chops, chicken, and mashed potatoes.

    1. Stew is a great, cheap way to eat a healthy, filling meal. Plus it's only limited by your imagination!

    2. Greens. Cheap, healthy, and there are some great recipes out there.


    I'm sure there are others, try googling, "healthy southern dishes"
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    There is a reason no one ever says, lets go get some great northern food.

    HaHa! Love this!
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    Idk if this was mentioned but I think there are lighter
    sponge cakes that are used with jello and cool whip but
    better yet angel food cake w/ fresh strawberries.
  • tanashai
    tanashai Posts: 207 Member
    I have a vegan brownie recipe (lactose free for my sister's sake) which are pretty good. 284 calories per 1/16th piece (in a 9X13 baking pan). here's the link:

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Brownies/

    and for the true chocoholics:

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-pudding-cake-ii/

    This is an awesome recipe and so tasty and easy to make :)
  • niftyafterfifty
    niftyafterfifty Posts: 338 Member
    It's very easy to fit the calories for this cake into your day; we make it using the coffee.

    King Arthur Flour's Original Cake-Pan Cake


    This wartime cake has survived the intervening years for several reasons: it contains no cholesterol, it can be put together right in the pan it's baked in, and it is a dark, moist and delicious chocolate cake, despite being only about 138 calories per 2" square serving (or small wedge, from a round pan). And, if you make it with canola oil, it also contains a minimum of saturated fat. Over the years, this has been one of King Arthur Flour's most requested recipes.

    Follow our step-by-step photos for making this cake at
    our blog, Baking Banter.


    1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
    1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
    1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) cocoa
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) vinegar
    1/3 cup (2 5/8 ounces) vegetable oil
    1 cup (8 ounces) cold water (original recipe), coffee (next inspiration), milk (later inspiration), or 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup rum (latest inspiration)

    Preheat your oven to 350°F.

    Measure all the dry ingredients into an 8" or 9" round or square cake pan; if you use an 8" pan, make sure it's at least 2" deep. Blend the ingredients together thoroughly with a fork or whisk and scoop out three holes, or indentations.

    Pour the vanilla into the first hole, the vinegar into the second, and the vegetable oil into the third.

    Take the cup of cold liquid (water, coffee, milk, etc.) and pour it directly over everything in the pan. Note: If you've used espresso powder, adding coffee will make this a mocha cake. Stir all the ingredients together with your fork until they are well blended.

    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Serve right from the pan; warm from the oven, this Cake-Pan Cake is wonderful with a big glass of milk (skim, of course!) Once cool, frost with this simple chocolate frosting, if desired: Heat 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips with 1/2 cup half & half until the chips melt. Stir until smooth, and pour/spread over the cake. Yield: 12 to 16 servings.

    This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. II, No. 5, March 1991 issue.

    Nutrition information per serving (60g): 188 calories, 2g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 1g fiber, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 203mg sodium, 17g sugars, 0mg vitamin C, 1mg iron, 2mg calcium.
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    Pink-eye Purple Hull peas, stewed cabbage, squash and cornbread for supper here.

    Want some? :smooched:

    The squash and cornbread sound great but I hate cabbage and have never heard of a pink-eye purple hull pea! It sounds like a crayon pea with an infections!
  • Four_Leaf_Clover
    Four_Leaf_Clover Posts: 332 Member
    Try Skinnytaste.com - great recipes, including lots of traditional comfort food and desserts.
  • ncbeachprincess
    ncbeachprincess Posts: 91
    I have a vegan brownie recipe (lactose free for my sister's sake) which are pretty good. 284 calories per 1/16th piece (in a 9X13 baking pan). here's the link:

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Brownies/

    and for the true chocoholics:

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-pudding-cake-ii/

    This is an awesome recipe and so tasty and easy to make :)

    I have been making the chocolate pudding cake for so long, it was the first homemade recipe that i mastered. It's downfall it is loaded with sugar...and splenda RUINS it.
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
    Pink-eye Purple Hull peas, stewed cabbage, squash and cornbread for supper here.

    Want some? :smooched:

    The squash and cornbread sound great but I hate cabbage and have never heard of a pink-eye purple hull pea! It sounds like a crayon pea with an infections!

    They are like black-eye peas except the "eye" is pink and the pod is purple. To me, they have a lighter taste. I like the black-eye variety in the winter and these in the summer.

    As for the cabbage, all can say is you never tried mine :flowerforyou: (No recipe, learned to cook from my hillbilly grandmother with terms like "lump" of butter and "strickolean" which does explain a lot about the figures in my family :laugh: )

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