Looking for healthier versions of foods we love

I cut out refined sugars, processed foods, legumes, sodas, potatoes and I severely restrict breads also. My doing this I have lots more calories to play with. It also means I can eat more good foods, such as Steak, Pork, BACON and my current fave ground buffalo.

Yesterday for example I made my own version of PF Chang's lettuce wraps but I used Napa cabbage instead of lettuce, mostly because I have lots of it in the house, and used a little hoisin for favoring. I steamed them also to make a hot meal. 6 steamed cabbages rolls was 199 calories, tasted as good of not better than the PF Changs version.

For fish, I love encrusting my fish with seasonal nuts. Recently I made a halibut steak and encrusted it with crushed pecans and panfried it in a little olive oil, and served it with steamed broccoli, the whole meal was less than 400 calories.

This morning, I enjoyed a 3 egg omlette with ham, spinach and mushroom, again guilt free. My suggestion, is to swap out your protein portions for grass fed meats and high omega 3 fish, and they are naturally lower calorie. Also if you increase your protion and cut your carbs, you will feel naturally fuller for longer.

Hope it helps.

Lou

My husband and I have been loving oven 'fried' fish and chicken, and we recently started putting the breadcrumbs on one side of the meat only. Not only does it cut a good chunk of calories, you don't have the mushy side.

Skinnytaste.com baked chicken parm is amazing, and they are a great resource in general.

I totally understand the feeling. You can still make chicken, fish and salad but with a variety of twists while still eating clean. Here's a great site for awesome healthier versions of foods we all love.


http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/dinner-tonight/

Here's my favorite recipe that I now do once a month from the site. The only thing I add as my own twist is season the chicken with Mrs. Dash to give it more flavor. And you can always change this to fish with a clean sauce on the side....Enjoy!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese Sauce
Serves 8


INGREDIENTS:
•1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch (1 oz) chunks
•3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
•2 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
•1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
•Olive oil cooking spray
•5 tbsp whole-wheat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
•2 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
•3 1/2 cups corn flakes cereal, finely crushed in a food processor (TRY: Erewhon 100% Whole Grain Corn Flakes Cereal)
•3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
•1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
•2 tbsp minced scallions
•1/4 tsp sea salt
•1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 400F. Place chicken in a large resealable bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 2 tbsp lemon juice and hot sauce. Pour into bag with chicken. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

2.Place a wire rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and mist with cooking spray. In a separate large resealable bag, combine flour and cayenne and shake to combine. Place cereal in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off any excess, and transfer to bag with flour. Shake until chicken is well coated. Transfer to remaining marinade to a small bowl. Working in batches, remove chicken from bag, dip in marinade, then roll in cereal. Transfer to rack and mist chicken with cooking spray. Bake for about 22 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

3.Meanwhile, prepare yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, remaining 1 tsp lemon juice, blue cheese, scallions, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (MAKE AHEAD: Yogurt sauce can be prepared up to a day in advance; cover and refrigerate.)

Nutrient per serving (3 buffalo chicken tenders and 2 tbsp dip): Calories: 162, Total Fat: 3 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 8 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 24 g, Sodium: 236 mg, Cholesterol: 55 mg

I understand what you mean, it's hard to eat healthy all the time, sometimes you just want to splurge right? The first reply makes the most sense to me, just eat the good stuff in smaller portion sizes. This is what I do generally speaking. But I have been known to lighten up really calorie dense recipes so I can eat them more often without having to work my butt off for them. Try the emilybites.com website. She comes up with recipes for really tasty treat-type meals in smaller portions, or lighter calorie options. Her lasagna cupcake recipe is one I make in larger batches and eat for lunches quite often, but there's lots of other good stuff on there.

FAKEAWAY KFC chicken! Yummy made for the first time last night was beautiful !!

I used chicken breasts ( x3 ) but you can use chicken / legs thighs - I just dont like the legs lol !!

Simmer your chicken in a pot of water with 2 garlic bulbs and a sprig on thyme for approx 20 minutes

Take out of the water and pat dry

Now make your mix! In a bowl add 100g of plain couscous, add one chicken stock cube, 1tsp of cumin, 1tsp of cayenne pepper, 1tsp of celery salt and 1/4 tsp of mustard powder.

Pour on enough boiling water to just about cover the couscous, give it a stir and then cover the bowl with a plate.

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees to preheat.

In about 5 minutes take off the cover and the couscous will have soaked up all the water. Mix a beaten egg into the couscous.

Line a tray with foil and spray with fry lite

Now apply the eggy couscous mixture to your chicken. This is a messy fiddly job but worth it.

Place the chicken onto the tray, once all pieces are covered place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 mins.

Tada ! Enjoy!!

I served mine with corn on the cob and slimming world chips , but any healthy alternative , sweet potato etc would be great too !!

This sounds yummy ! Thanks

We make homemade spaghetti with tomato puree, tomato paste, lots of peppers, mushrooms, and onions, and ground turkey. We use less pasta, and it is whole wheat. Tastes like regular spaghetti also have made the same sauce and use spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

There are always ways to make healthier versions of the things you love. I just had a yummy grilled cheese made with 45 calorie bread and light cheddar, with a couple ounces of precooked chicken. Another favorite of ours is pot roast. a little lean beef, and lots of potatoes, carrots, and onions. Easy to prep, then forget for 3 hrs in the oven. Tasty, and not really that unhealthy.

I have a spurge day once a week where the hubby and i will go out to eat whereever, and I can eat whatever. But a lot of times, I end up getting steamed veggies and lean meats over anything else cause I just prefer them now

try skinnytaste.com - loads of great "healthy" versions of real food - they taste good too!:smooched: