What unhealthy stuff have U managed to make healthy?

Imperfect_Angel
Imperfect_Angel Posts: 220 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So was just wondering what otherwise unhealthy stuff you've managed to make heathy? Include your guilt-free, feel good low calorie snacks on the list too. I'm sort of getting tired of my cucumber, radish, tomato salad that comes in at a whooping 50 calories! I need fresh ideas....

My unhealthy food compromised is ice-cream. I figured I can make one ingredient ice-cream with frozen fruits. Bananas & pineapples work well but I'm still experimenting. I'm also adding peanut butter/natural yogurt & essence just to make it more interesting.

What are your ideas?

Replies

  • WendyGr8
    WendyGr8 Posts: 20 Member
    I sue salsa in place of all sorts of other sauces/gravies/dressings it cuts a lot of fat & calories & really amps up the flavor. Plus, i have read that spicy foods increase metabolism - bonus!
  • Imperfect_Angel
    Imperfect_Angel Posts: 220 Member
    So y'all are ignoring my post? OK :-(
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
    I use horseradish sauce in place of mayo on turkey sandwiches. The turkey is so bland, as is mayo, so it really livens up the sandwich and is, like half the calories of mayo.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Well, I don't think of ANY food as unhealthy per se, especially not ice cream.:bigsmile: However, there are definitely lots of good swaps you can do to meet your goals. I've been using fire roasted tomatoes in a few recipes lately, really amps up the flavour without adding much for calories. And... I often use tzatziki instead of salad dressing.... And, ummm, I'm tapped. :ohwell: I won't talk about using cauliflower instead of pizza crust or mashed potatoes, because I don't go there. :sick: But, apparently it can be done and you'll find recipes on here to do it.
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    Just made an apple crisp healthy enough to eat for breakfast- trimmed about a thousand calories off the original recipe!

    I used 5 large apples and 1 pear (875g fruit total, but it doesn't matter- would have used more but my pan was overflowing!) I tossed the cut fruit with 1 tbsp each cornstarch and stevia. Topping is 1 cup rolled whole oats, 2 tbsp brown sugar, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla, and 2 tbsp Brummel & Brown light buttery yogurt spread, mixed together and sprinkled on top. (I also threw 0.5 scoop Vitol Vanilla Egg White Protein in the topping to experiment, but not needed in the recipe!) Bake at 325 for 20 min, then put foil over the top and bake another hour-ish (depends on size of apples!). IT WAS SO GOOD

    The whole recipe made 720g (weighed pie dish before cooking so I could subtract). Calories came out to 186 per 100g serving - pretty awesome! I had it for dessert tonight with 2 tbsp pumpkin ice cream on top, and I'm going to have it with some greek yogurt for breakfast tomorrow!
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Almost anything can be made healthy once you understand how ingredients work. Lite salad oil, olive oil, or grape seed oil has even few calories, for butter, making bread crumbs with the last few slices of whole wheat bread. Just a little EVOO, Italian seasoning and hard cheeses (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago) or a combination of them. Great to use for stuffing. I also use this with some chicken breast, put through the food processor to make stuffing. Add enough chicken broth to get to the right consistance. It is great on eggplant medallions and roasted. Guilt free guilty pleasure. Works out to about 60 calories per medallion, and 2 are very filling. Substitute shrimp for a change up. This is great on oysters baked with stuffing on half shell.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    Chicken tacos on corn tortillas

    no cheese, no sour cream, no avocado

    thats if you want low calories.... aint nuttin wrong with cheese, cream, or avocado


    Or a hamburger wedged between two giant portabellas in place of a bun....



    0% greek yogurt with protein powder mixed in... the powder makes it taste good and it has 45 grams of protein in a 260 calorie serving.... that about as good as it gets for protein
  • Mongognom
    Mongognom Posts: 123
    http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/09/healthy-pizza-with-a-cauliflower-crust/

    Cauliflower crust pizza. Now I love Cauliflower and this tasted fine, a little to much work, but a decent recipe.
  • tjsoccermom
    tjsoccermom Posts: 500 Member
    Just made an apple crisp healthy enough to eat for breakfast- trimmed about a thousand calories off the original recipe!

    I used 5 large apples and 1 pear (875g fruit total, but it doesn't matter- would have used more but my pan was overflowing!) I tossed the cut fruit with 1 tbsp each cornstarch and stevia. Topping is 1 cup rolled whole oats, 2 tbsp brown sugar, stevia, cinnamon, vanilla, and 2 tbsp Brummel & Brown light buttery yogurt spread, mixed together and sprinkled on top. (I also threw 0.5 scoop Vitol Vanilla Egg White Protein in the topping to experiment, but not needed in the recipe!) Bake at 325 for 20 min, then put foil over the top and bake another hour-ish (depends on size of apples!). IT WAS SO GOOD

    The whole recipe made 720g (weighed pie dish before cooking so I could subtract). Calories came out to 186 per 100g serving - pretty awesome! I had it for dessert tonight with 2 tbsp pumpkin ice cream on top, and I'm going to have it with some greek yogurt for breakfast tomorrow!

    That sounds delish, I'm going to give it a try, thanks for posting!
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    I do the ice cream thing all the time if I have a ripe banana...I mash it up and sprinkle some cinnamon and mix in a dollop of peanut butter and freeze for a while. I can say however, that a portioned out 1/2 cup of almond dream ice cream has the same calories so I only do that now if I am out if almond dream ice cream.

    I have gone gluten/diary free mostly at the suggestion of a doctor. I am allowed goats cheese in small amounts. I have swapped out any bread that was still in my diet with corn tortilla, I eat a ton of carrots and hummus, and I actually look forward to pizza night again because our pizza joint does a GF crust (not any healthier than regular crust) but I load on the veggie toppings...lots of spinach, mushrooms, onions, garlic, broccoli etc and get no cheese...no cheese cuts the calories to oblivion...I do sprinkle the tiniest bit of soy parmesan on the creation. The GF pizza is only 10 inches but with no cheese I can eat the whole thing for less than 600 calories
  • elsyoommen
    elsyoommen Posts: 155 Member
    I have made my crepes healthy. Now they do not contain any sugar or flour. Now I make it with eggs, egg whites, oat bran, greek yogurt, milk, and a tiny pinch of salt. I eat this rolled around some fruit, greek yogurt, and nuts. It has now become a good source of fibre, protein and other great stuff. It's my breakfast and also the go-to snack for myself or my kids.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    nothing really. most 'substitutes' are pure rubbish.

    the one thing I sub out constantly is full fat greek yogurt for sour cream- I rarely can tell the difference. Haven't tried it for like taco night- but I do that about once every 3 months or so its just not that serious.

    My unhealthy food compromised is ice-cream. I figured I can make one ingredient ice-cream with frozen fruits
    that's not ice cream. that frozen fruit mashed up.

    ice cream is ice cream- people mashing up bananas and other things calling it ice cream. sigh. it's not. just eat the ice cream. My greek yogurt for breakfast is as many if not more calories than my ice cream.

    just eat the ice cream. it's delicious.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I eat healthier ice cream, like Breyer's, instead of the more calorie dense ones. I make protein pancakes when I crave pancakes, so I know they'll fill me up a long time for the calories (regular ones leave me starving an hour later).

    I eat low fat yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese and cheese to save on calories (because the full fat stuff doesn't really fill me up longer for some reason). Other than that, I pretty much eat the same stuff, just less of it.
  • RivenV
    RivenV Posts: 1,667 Member
    nothing really. most 'substitutes' are pure rubbish.

    the one thing I sub out constantly is full fat greek yogurt for sour cream- I rarely can tell the difference. Haven't tried it for like taco night- but I do that about once every 3 months or so its just not that serious.

    My unhealthy food compromised is ice-cream. I figured I can make one ingredient ice-cream with frozen fruits
    that's not ice cream. that frozen fruit mashed up.

    ice cream is ice cream- people mashing up bananas and other things calling it ice cream. sigh. it's not. just eat the ice cream. My greek yogurt for breakfast is as many if not more calories than my ice cream.

    just eat the ice cream. it's delicious.

    Yep. You can keep your frozen blended fruit.

    I'm going to have gelato and continue to lose weight.
    SeaSaltCaramel3.jpg
    Had this last night. It was delicious.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I eat healthier ice cream, like Breyer's, instead of the more calorie dense ones. I make protein pancakes when I crave pancakes, so I know they'll fill me up a long time for the calories (regular ones leave me starving an hour later).

    I eat low fat yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese and cheese to save on calories (because the full fat stuff doesn't really fill me up longer for some reason). Other than that, I pretty much eat the same stuff, just less of it.

    You know- my friend SWORE full fat yogurt was orgasmic... but meh- I could be happy with full fat or low fat... might switch back just to save so I can eat more steak LOl
    Yep. You can keep your frozen blended fruit.

    I'm going to have gelato and continue to lose weight.

    yup. I like frozen fruit- but I don't want it for dessert- I want ice cream. or brownie. or both. Or fruit with my ice cream (not fruity ice cream flavors- like actual fruit- that makes me happy)

    :D

    mhmmmm gelato. nom nom nom
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Pizza comes to mind first. It's amazing how much better homemade pizza can taste, while still being so much lower in calories. And it's such a versatile meal.
  • Jplante312
    Jplante312 Posts: 41 Member
    I use Hummus now instead of mayo for sandwiches.

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