"Diet" Foods Non-Dieters Will Eat

jenbusick

Since I've started MFP, I have (of course) changed how I eat. But changing how my family eats is a whole 'nother jar of pickles. Anything that smacks of "diet" food, they want nothing to do with.

I have found some exceptions, though. I'd love to know what "diet" foods turned out to be hits with the non-"dieters" at other folks' homes, too. I'm not talking about the things you had to ease them into and alter their tastes over time; I'm talking about things you bought for the lo-cal and kept for the Yum! The Family Loves This! factor.

At our house, the things that work have been:

1. Deli flats! What a product! *I* bought these for myself because I could make a sandwich, even a sloppy one like tuna salad, and it's only 100 calories' worth of bread. Then I had a brainwave one night when we were having hamburgers -- my younger daughter always complains that she can't get her mouth around the hamburger AND the bun, so I put her burger on a deli flat. My spouse always complains that the bun is too much bread and he'd rather taste the meat, so I put HIS burger on a deli flat. They were both very pleased. Only my 10-year-old remains a holdout against the deli flats.

2. Butter lettuce. I first had some of this in a bagged "blend" salad mix -- I got a mouthful of some kind of lettuce that really knocked my socks off, and after some experimentation discovered that the Good Stuff was called "butter lettuce," and you can buy it all by itself. Same calories as all the other lettuces, but it tastes like... butter! MAN this stuff is good! Even my 10-year-old will eat a salad if I make it with butter lettuce.

3. Bolthouse dressings. Creamy dressings, fewer calories! Win/win! Somebody here on MFP mentioned these, which is when I went searching for them, and I am happy happy happy to be able to eat ranch dressing again.

What else is out there that's both good for you, and a crowd-pleaser with the non-weight-watching crowd?

husker_gal

I make scrambled eggs with salsa mixed in and a light sprinkling of skim mozarella cheese on top. My hubby has NO IDEA that it's actually low in calories and good for him! Double Plus bonus: it tastes awesome!

abra526

I have started substituting almost all my ground beef with ground turkey, and in recipes that call for milk, I started using almond milk. Neither my husband or my son have noticed a difference in any of the dishes.

jenbusick

I make scrambled eggs with salsa mixed in and a light sprinkling of skim mozarella cheese on top. My hubby has NO IDEA that it's actually low in calories and good for him! Double Plus bonus: it tastes awesome!

Eggs plus cheese plus veggies are ALWAYS a win in my book! And eggs, now that you mention it, have been a great way to wean my kids off the Pop-Tarts. They won't touch oatmeal, but they LOVE it if I cook eggs for them.

jenbusick

I have started substituting almost all my ground beef with ground turkey, and in recipes that call for milk, I started using almond milk. Neither my husband or my son have noticed a difference in any of the dishes.

We tried soy milk once, here, and it was so vile and awful that I've been afraid to try other milk substitutes. Maybe I'll give almond milk a try, though, if it's better than that soy crap.

skinnyhopes

Wheat thins instead of chips
Since there is usually cut up fruit, people grab it more

afteil

I love finding ways to make things that my family loves. One day I was making ravioli and it didnt come out the way i wanted it to, so i fried it. Then when i started losing weight, i made the same recipe but baked it in muffin tins instead and the family loves it just as much as the fried alternaties:) plus they are super easy lol

Baked wontons:)
1 package neufatchel(or less depending on how creamy you want things)
3 cups spinach (you can vary this too depending on if you are using fresh or frozen)
2 cups shredded or ground chicken
Large wonton wrappers
salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the spinach, chicken, and neufatchel. Line each muffin tin with a wonton wrapper, then scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the center. Fold the wonton wrapper over on itself to close the "package" and then bake for 15-20 min at 350 until the tops are golden brown. If you want to get both sides more crispy, try letting the top get brown then flipping them over so the bottom can get crispy too.

A great thing about these is that you can do them with any filling. I made a southwest one with corn, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, and goat cheese and it still works great:)

nowic

bump for later =D

husker_gal

I love Almond milk to drink but I don't care for cooking with it. Maybe I should try it again...I haven't tried in a while.

significance

I avoid "diet foods", especially when cooking for others. Just cook healthy normal food, with extra vegetables, in sensible servings. If there are non-dieters and dieters eating together, make sure there are filling - but not too tempting - optional extras available, like extra rice or bread to go with the main and the option of ice-cream to go with your fruit salad dessert.

jenbusick

I love finding ways to make things that my family loves. One day I was making ravioli and it didnt come out the way i wanted it to, so i fried it. Then when i started losing weight, i made the same recipe but baked it in muffin tins instead and the family loves it just as much as the fried alternaties:) plus they are super easy lol

Baked wontons:)
1 package neufatchel(or less depending on how creamy you want things)
3 cups spinach (you can vary this too depending on if you are using fresh or frozen)
2 cups shredded or ground chicken
Large wonton wrappers
salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the spinach, chicken, and neufatchel. Line each muffin tin with a wonton wrapper, then scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture in the center. Fold the wonton wrapper over on itself to close the "package" and then bake for 15-20 min at 350 until the tops are golden brown. If you want to get both sides more crispy, try letting the top get brown then flipping them over so the bottom can get crispy too.

A great thing about these is that you can do them with any filling. I made a southwest one with corn, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, and goat cheese and it still works great:)

Do you use a regular muffin tin or a mini-muffin tin? I bought a mini-muffin tin to use for a recipe involving wonton wrappers that the natives were unimpressed with, and now I have to find other uses for it :ohwell:

jenbusick

I avoid "diet foods", especially when cooking for others. Just cook healthy normal food, with extra vegetables, in sensible servings. If there are non-dieters and dieters eating together, make sure there are filling - but not too tempting - optional extras available, like extra rice or bread to go with the main and the option of ice-cream to go with your fruit salad dessert.

The thing is, these ARE "healthy normal foods" -- they're just foods that carry that "diet" taint (mainly because I bought them initially for "my diet"). These are foods that transcend their "diet" labeling, if you will

jenbusick

Wheat thins instead of chips
Since there is usually cut up fruit, people grab it more

Heh. "Instead of chips" would be a big deal around here. The natives love chips!

NikkisNewStart

I agree with the above poster... my first thought of response was "what is diet food?" We buy lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, almonds, olive oil, and tons of spices. I try to avoid processed stuff bc if it is processed and advertised as "healthy" it has probably tons of fake food ingredients added for fillers and flavors. No thanks... lol How does your family currently eat (ie specific snacks and meals) and possibly we can offer ways to make those same dishes healthier.

angp7711

yogurt parfaits. This is their favorite dessert. yogurt, berries, and Kashi Go lean Crunch
Veggie scrambled eggs are a hit in my house as well and I usually do half egg whites half whole eggs and because the eggs keep their yellow color that way nobody notices the fat that is missing

theplanahead

My family started substituting non-fat plain greek yogurt for sour cream (great for veggie dips) and add a dollup to vinaigrette salad dressings (shake it up well in a small separate container) to make it creamy and cling to the lettuce. It really amps up the salad and helps the dressing not just sink to the bottom. We even made mashed potatoes with about 3/4 cup plain yogurt and just a tablespoon of butter and those potatoes were awesome (we boiled about 6 medium potatoes). Even my 3 year old thought they were super. I love fresh mango salsa and found this awesome bean dip called Texas Caviar (I bought it already made, but here is a recipe http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/texas-caviar-i/Detail.aspx ) - unfortuately the carrier is still bad - chips are chips are chips - even if you add flax and other goodies - I've not tried them myself, but I heard good things about the Guiltless Gourmet brand. But Pita Chips are super yummy not quite as bad as chips - and I'll support you fully on the wraps idea - we tried the brand called Flat Out - and they are tasty and actually imroved my sandwich. We've also tried replacing Mayo on sandwiches with hummus - the red pepper variety is super tasty and adds just a hint of flavor and moisture so you don't miss a thing.

jenbusick

yogurt parfaits. This is their favorite dessert. yogurt, berries, and Kashi Go lean Crunch
Veggie scrambled eggs are a hit in my house as well and I usually do half egg whites half whole eggs and because the eggs keep their yellow color that way nobody notices the fat that is missing

I weep for yogurt. My kids won't touch the stuff (the ordinary stuff). They act like I'm trying to poison them. :grumble: Seems to me that for most people, yogurt is definitely on the "diet" foods non-dieters go for list!

jenbusick

My family started substituting non-fat plain greek yogurt for sour cream (great for veggie dips) and add a dollup to vinaigrette salad dressings (shake it up well in a small separate container) to make it creamy and cling to the lettuce. It really amps up the salad and helps the dressing not just sink to the bottom. We even made mashed potatoes with about 3/4 cup plain yogurt and just a tablespoon of butter and those potatoes were awesome (we boiled about 6 medium potatoes). Even my 3 year old thought they were super. I love fresh mango salsa and found this awesome bean dip called Texas Caviar (I bought it already made, but here is a recipe http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/texas-caviar-i/Detail.aspx ) - unfortuately the carrier is still bad - chips are chips are chips - even if you add flax and other goodies - I've not tried them myself, but I heard good things about the Guiltless Gourmet brand. But Pita Chips are super yummy not quite as bad as chips - and I'll support you fully on the wraps idea - we tried the brand called Flat Out - and they are tasty and actually imroved my sandwich. We've also tried replacing Mayo on sandwiches with hummus - the red pepper variety is super tasty and adds just a hint of flavor and moisture so you don't miss a thing.

I have just started experimenting with Greek yogurt; I don't know yet how it will go over with the natives.

afteil

Regular muffin tins. for the mini ones i think they would be too little to get the actual flavor of whatever was in it. So if you were doing something with mini muffin tins you would have to have a filling that was closer to a puree rather than having chunks of food in it so that you can get all the flavor. Which wouldnt be bad i dont think. What did you put in it?

jenbusick

I agree with the above poster... my first thought of response was "what is diet food?" We buy lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, almonds, olive oil, and tons of spices. I try to avoid processed stuff bc if it is processed and advertised as "healthy" it has probably tons of fake food ingredients added for fillers and flavors. No thanks... lol How does your family currently eat (ie specific snacks and meals) and possibly we can offer ways to make those same dishes healthier.

I think you've misunderstood what I was after.

beccaleathers

I don't have a name for them but we have started eating rice and veggies in a whole wheat wrap or taco shell

put rice or quinoa into the shell (which I fry in just a tablespoon of olive oil) like you would taco meat, and then place your choice of steamed or fried vegies on top of the rice. I love the great value stir fry bags. I also pour a little soy sauce or teriyaki if you want lower salt over it. Of course you could always add chicken if you have serious meat eaters in your family.

I love your topic here and liked your finds. I hope you get a lot more ideas ) Thanks!

Oh! I just remembered, my mom bought some chips while she was in FL and brought them home. I can't find them around here so I might order them from Amazon. They are Beanitos-Black-Bean-Chips. Healthy and a good source of fiber so you are full longer