Looking for healthy substitues for these foods

For bread, try the Ezekiel 4:9 by Food for Life. This is probably the healthiest bread you can buy and it's frozen so it keeps well. Just take out a few slices at a time and put them in the fridge beforehand and you're good to go.

I agree eat Ezekiel bread!! Maybe for the mac n cheese, substitute the pasta with quinoa.

Depending on where you live: I like Wheat Montana bread. The flax and fiber kind has seeds and such and a lot of protein for bread. It's only available in WY and MT as far as I know, but you mightbe able to order it online from their website.

Potatoes-I cut into chunks, spray with PAM, then put them in a bag with some fat free italian dressing and roast 'em til they're soft. You could also use salad dressing mixes, taco seasoning mix, etc. That doesn't add too many calories but lots of flavor. If I make a baked potato, which isn't too often, I use butter buds and instead of sour cream, I use my version of greek yogurt, which is just plain fat free yogurt that I've let the fluid drip out of. Put it in a coffee filter in a strained over a bowl for a few hours and it gets really thick. Lots less calories than sour cream. We use it on Mexican food too.

Instead of mashed potatoes, I chunk cauliflower, boil til soft then mash it in the food processor or with an immersion blender. Use just a little butter for flavor, salt, pepper and buttermilk. I hate cauliflower, but I LOVE it mashed like this-prefer it now over potatoes.

Mac and cheese-ugh-that's a toughie! No clue.

I have no idea what you mean by "healthy" bread. I didn't know normal bread wasn't healthy?

Re potatoes
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-potatoes

Spaghetti squash! For mac and cheese and also can be a hashbrown replacement. It is sooooo low calorie!!!

Mac and cheese: http://frshforce.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/healthier-mac-and-cheese-with-leeks-and-artichokes/

Sounds creepy, but is good, and makes a nice base to add crab or tuna to add some protein and make for more like a casserole. I`ve been adding crab lately - like 16oz lump or backfin or a combo. With tuna will add 2 drained cans water packed albacore, shiitake mushrooms, and celery.

For mac and cheese- add cauliflower. Here is a recipe. http://www.yumsugar.com/Michelle-Obama-Cauliflower-Mac-Cheese-Recipe-23243043

For potatoes I like to wedge potatoes and put them in a ziplock and pour in Low Cal Italian Dressing and pour onto a baking sheet. My kids love them this way.

For bread I like Organic Sprouted Bread. Ezekiel is very similar.

Hope that helps.
Lisa

I have no idea what you mean by "healthy" bread. I didn't know normal bread wasn't healthy?

Re potatoes
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-potatoes

Oh now wasn't that potato information fun? Love it! OP, do you mean something more specific about the potato? You can have a baked potato, lite sour cream and half a TB of butter for under 300 calories. Carbs are up there, but they are very satiating carbs and just tasty! Othewise, i cut up a potato, toss it in olive oil and sprinkle with onion powder and garlic powder and bake in the oven. Don't deny yourself the delicious potato!

i HIGHLY recommend www.skinnytaste.com, it is amazing! She takes everyone's favorites and turns them into a healthier version. I have made many things from her website and I tell everyone about it.

Mac and cheese: I make this regular, but I've been known to "hide" vegetables in it. Butternut squash and carrots are both good if you want to keep the integrity of the color. Cook them, mash or puree them, and mix it in with the sauce. I'm also a fan of broccoli mixed in with it. Mixed vegetables and canned chicken mixed in make a complete meal, which isn't too bad on taste.

Potatoes: I roast mine with a little bit of oil and an herb blend. I don't salt them, because I don't add extra salt to much that I cook. The herb blend I've been using recently is Weber's Roasted Garlic and Herb. Everyone in the family seemed to enjoy it. I so my sweet potatoes the same way. I can't stand making them more sugary, so I add garlic and herbs to make it more savory and eat them.

Bread: Can't help you much there. I just eat the store bought stuff most of the time. I want to try a couple of recipes, but I don't bake often.

HMMM - may have to look into Shiratake noodles. Meybe even check out spagetti squash. How do I cook the squash???

You can do it a couple of ways. There was actually a whole thread about spaghetti squash on this forum yesterday or day before, so totally check it out.

The way I like to cook spaghetti squash is to cut it in half, place it cut side down in a pan with a little water in it, and bake it at 350 for 30 minutes or so. Some people have good luck with microwaving it -- remember to poke holes in it! -- or baking it whole. It's so easy, and so tasty, and so full of good fiber!

I think you just changed my life. I had never considered shiratake. I have seen them in the store, but never took a second glance at them. Oh man, I know what I am doing this weekend!
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Shiritake is awesome. I don't like it as a substitute in Italian style dishes, but in Alfredo or in Asian dishes, it's great. The smell of the water they pack it in takes some getting used to, but cook it once or twice and you'll be fine. We are fans of using shiritake instead of regular noodles in the Dragon Noodles recipe from Budget Bytes: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/08/spicy-noodles-204-recipe-102-serving.html

We add some broccoli to ours to amp up the veggies a little, but between the egg and the shiritake, there's plenty of protein. If you wanted, you could probably even omit the egg and still have a tasty dish. In fact, we're cooking this one this weekend

Someone mentioned use the Laughing Cow lite cheese. I tried it & never again....Laughing Cow good with crackers/raw vegs. only! Use whole wheat noodles and nutritional yeast (gives a nutty cheese flavor). Stay away from white bread, it's not good for you. Try Brownberry Whole Grains Oat Nut bread......it's so tasty I eat it plain!! :happy:

I have never avoided bread (except that it is really not my fave for the most part as a stand alone... OTOH, I have converted from white breads to wheat and actually prefer it.. And when we are talking like 130 cals to 50 cals per slice... Yeah, that is a pretty good exchange... As for the other things --- all things in moderation... If a cup is too much then eat 3/4 cup... Just do it in moderation.

I eat baked (microwaved) potatoes a couple times a week....I put a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on it.....yummy!

I eat Ezekial 4:9 bread when I want bread....I get the low sodium variety

Mac and Cheese.....I eat the real thing....maybe 1 time every 4 months and not much of it.