Using real food to cook?

meowthania
meowthania Posts: 76
edited October 1 in Recipes
Hello all,

Looking through a lot of the recipes and whatnot posted here, I can't help but notice that the recipes are "good" for you because of the calories, but...my focus is more on using whole foods, real food.
I don't believe in "diet" or "light" and I don't believe in using artificial sweeteners. I'm a brown sugar and whole milk kind of gal.

Can people share some of their favourite recipes whether it be baking / cooking using whole eggs / full fat dairy products, real butter etc.?

I know a lot of people would view this as unhealthy habits, but I prefer to put things in my body that are less processed.

I don't have a problem substituting apple sauce for oils for baking, and I use olive oil more than anything else.


Thanks! :smile:

Replies

  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    You can add your own.......whole foods are great, although I substititute sugar with artificial sweetener.......good luck and my favorite recipies contains 2 ingredients.......chicken + lemon in the slow cooker :)
  • akgrl1020
    akgrl1020 Posts: 179
    I like to use recipes from the Cook This, Not That series. They use real food, no diet anything. Very flavorful recipes that my whole family has enjoyed! We really love the Black Bean and Chicken Nachoes and the Margarita Chicken. Yum!
  • tonismith15
    tonismith15 Posts: 11 Member
    It is healthy, in moderation. I agree with you about using "whole" foods. I think you can make "healthy" desserts by substituting things like whole wheat flour, applesauce for certain ingredients, honey, molasis and things like that.

    http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/common-ingredient-substitutions/detail.aspx
    This will give you some substitutions you can use.

    http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,applesauce_instead_of_oil,FF.html
    recipes using applesauce instead of oil

    The internet is chock full of stuff. Don't feel alone. Whole foods are better for you, ask any nutiotionist or food scientist. GOod luck in your quest!
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
    I am right there with you, i'll be posting recipes on my blog from time to time if you want to be friends.
  • SophRW
    SophRW Posts: 93 Member
    Most of my cooking comes from Moosewood's low-fat cook book. It uses all real food for a balanced and healty diet. I highly recommend checking it out! I've posted some of their recipes on my blog at sophiessweeties.onsugar.com. Check out the tamale pie, it's absolutely my favorite of Moosewood's recipes =)
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    I believe in using whole foods too, though I include skimmed milk in that category. However, skimmed milk is something to avoid giving to young children, because they need the fat to grow their brain cells.

    Portion control is key. Sometimes we can only have a sliver of a baked treat. Minimizing frying is also key to weight loss, but baking, broiling and BBQ'ing are tasty alternatives. That way you get to keep the butter for the real treats.

    Also, you do need to watch the fat content in dairy. Astro yoghurt with 6% fat is SOOO good, but if made with skimmed milk, you still get the wholeness of the yoghurt.

    One gadget which I have found useful are spray bottles for olive oil and vinegar to dress your salads. There you can have all the taste but with fewer calories than if you poured on the oil directly.
  • jbdowns35
    jbdowns35 Posts: 352
    Ever notice eating whole foods means you can eat alot more in your day without going over your calories? I try to stay away from processed. Whole, 'REAL' foods taste better & are better for you.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    I'm right there with you on the whole foods thing! Not too many recipes though because I'm a "throw things together" kind of cook.
  • raynalisa
    raynalisa Posts: 56 Member
    There are plenty of "light" foods that do not use artificial ingredients.

    Stevia is a no calorie sweetner that tastes great and is completely natural. You can grow Stevia in your herb garden. You can find it in the organic section of alot of grocery stores in both liquid and powder form. Honey is also a great natural sweetener. It is better than white or brown sugar and has less of an impact on your blood sugar as well.

    There is no need to use whole milk either. Reduced fat milk is simply milk with the fat removed, nothing artificial about that. Almond milk, Coconut milk, rice milk, soy and even hemp milk are all healthy lower fat and calorie replacements for whole milk. If you like yogurt there are quite a few brands that make 0% fat plain Greek yogurt which is wonderful on its own. You can add your own fruit, it can be substituted for sour cream in dips, it's delicious stirred into cream soups at the end of cooking too. It is a very versatile food.

    Brummel and Brown spread is a great replacement for butter. While some of the ingredients may seems artificial, most of them are actually quite natural. Oils like Olive oil have "healthy" fats and are great to use.

    When using eggs you can use half whole eggs and half egg whites in alot of recipes to help reduce fat.

    You can most definitely reduce calories and fat while using whole foods that are natural and delicious!
  • meowthania
    meowthania Posts: 76
    This is probably one of my favourite go-to recipes.
    it's also divine just topped with cinnamon if you don't have any strawberries. I fed this to my realtor - he swore it was better than anything he'd had at Starbucks. I subbed out half whole wheat flour, half brown sugar, half apple sauce instead of oil.

    Oatmeal Strawberry Bread By: Kat



    Prep Time: 15 Min
    Cook Time: 50 Min
    Ready In: 3 Hrs 5 Min

    Original Recipe Yield 2 - 3x7 inch loaves
    Ingredients
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    2 cups white sugar
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
    4 eggs
    1 1/4 pounds fresh strawberries, sliced
    1/4 cup rolled oats
    Directions
    1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 7x3 inch loaf pans.
    2.Stir together the flour, 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and eggs; stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in strawberries. Pour into the prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of rolled oats.
    3.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the strawberry bread in the pans for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
    Nutritional Information
    Amount Per Serving Calories: 285 | Total Fat: 15.1g | Cholesterol: 35mg
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    Use the same recipes but sub the lighter versions with the full fat version.
  • meowthania
    meowthania Posts: 76
    I find that some of the artificial sweeteners leave a weird "Texture" if you can call it that in my mouth, so I'd much rather not use them. I'm currently HOOKED on almond milk - I use the unsweetened kind for everything!

    Thanks for all the helpful replies - I will definitely check out the recommended cook books, and yogurt recommendations!

    I grew up on europe, and the concept of "diet" or reduced fat anything was certainly not something we had ever considered or encountered. My weight problems didn't start until we moved to north america - where a lot of the foods were more processed. I grew up pulling carrots out of our own soil, and using whole milk from my aunt's farm.

    I'll post up a few more of my favourite recipes once I get a chance...need to go do some work :)
  • ItsTerriC
    ItsTerriC Posts: 436 Member
    Try my husband's soup. It's listed under Billy's Mexican Zucchini Soup. It has lots of fresh veggies, real cheese, milk and butter and is about 135 calories per serving. It's easily adaptable to your taste, although he loves it just the way it is.


    Edit - I just looked and it isn't showing up in the database yet. I will try to make time tonight to add the recipe on your post.
  • banjobaby
    banjobaby Posts: 46 Member
    i didn't read all of the replies so i am not sure if anyone mentioned this but i prefer to cook and eat with "real" food as well. my go to for recipe ideas is clean eating magazine/cook book. they do promote using low fat dairy but i suppose you can always use the full fat versions if you wanted. the magazine has a website with many recipes you can try. check it out! :smile:
  • froggy15
    froggy15 Posts: 154 Member
    This is probably one of my favourite go-to recipes.
    it's also divine just topped with cinnamon if you don't have any strawberries. I fed this to my realtor - he swore it was better than anything he'd had at Starbucks. I subbed out half whole wheat flour, half brown sugar, half apple sauce instead of oil.

    Oatmeal Strawberry Bread By: Kat



    Prep Time: 15 Min
    Cook Time: 50 Min
    Ready In: 3 Hrs 5 Min

    Original Recipe Yield 2 - 3x7 inch loaves
    Ingredients
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    2 cups white sugar
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
    4 eggs
    1 1/4 pounds fresh strawberries, sliced
    1/4 cup rolled oats
    Directions
    1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 7x3 inch loaf pans.
    2.Stir together the flour, 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and eggs; stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in strawberries. Pour into the prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of rolled oats.
    3.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the strawberry bread in the pans for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
    Nutritional Information
    Amount Per Serving Calories: 285 | Total Fat: 15.1g | Cholesterol: 35mg

    This sounds good! Is the fat and calories based on the original recipe or your substitutions of brown sugar and applesauce?
  • meowthania
    meowthania Posts: 76
    This is probably one of my favourite go-to recipes.
    it's also divine just topped with cinnamon if you don't have any strawberries. I fed this to my realtor - he swore it was better than anything he'd had at Starbucks. I subbed out half whole wheat flour, half brown sugar, half apple sauce instead of oil.

    Oatmeal Strawberry Bread By: Kat



    Prep Time: 15 Min
    Cook Time: 50 Min
    Ready In: 3 Hrs 5 Min

    Original Recipe Yield 2 - 3x7 inch loaves
    Ingredients
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    2 cups white sugar
    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
    4 eggs
    1 1/4 pounds fresh strawberries, sliced
    1/4 cup rolled oats
    Directions
    1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 7x3 inch loaf pans.
    2.Stir together the flour, 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and eggs; stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in strawberries. Pour into the prepared loaf pans, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of rolled oats.
    3.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the strawberry bread in the pans for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.
    Nutritional Information
    Amount Per Serving Calories: 285 | Total Fat: 15.1g | Cholesterol: 35mg

    This sounds good! Is the fat and calories based on the original recipe or your substitutions of brown sugar and applesauce?

    the fat and calories is based on the original - so it's a pretty light calorie with substitutions!

    I've uploaded it in my recipes - under Strawberry Oat Bread, uploaded to the MFP database. Enjoy!

    comes out with modifications to approx 222 calories / 8 grams of fat / 35g carbs / 19 grams of sugar.
  • raynalisa
    raynalisa Posts: 56 Member
    Have you tried the unsweetened chocolate almond milk? Sooooo good!
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
    Wholemeal scone

    Got this from a web site/ blog, i don't remember it's name, but it's become my favorite treat. Not too sweet but awesome, especially when still warm.

    Pre-heat oven to 200c (180c fan) 400F?

    175gm (6oz) strong stoneground wholemeal flour (any wholemeal flour will work)
    1 teaspoon of baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
    1/8 teaspoon of salt
    1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
    40gm (1.5oz) soft brown sugar

    All the above gets combined into a mixing bowl.

    Rub in 40gm (1.5oz) of real butter chopped in to small cubes, work until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

    add 40gm (1.5oz) of raisins

    pour in 100gm (3.5oz) of plain natural yogurt and mix with a flat knife to combine the wet and dry.

    Lift out the mixture onto a floured board and form gently into a rough brick shape.

    Cut into 6 or 8 triangles.

    Place each triangle on a greased baking tray with room for them to expand. Wash the tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar crystals.

    Bake for 18 min's, let them cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
    I love eating whole foods too! I managed to lost about 15 pounds earlier this year by just using portion control. Almost everything was homemade and I didn't eliminate anything from my diet, I just ate everything in moderation/portion sizes-and gave myself 2 cheat meals per week and made sure to work out hard. I'm talking some yummy stuff, too-alfredo sauce made with heavy cream, homemade flour tortillas, etc. Unfortunately I stopped measuring my foods, started eating out too much again, and I stopped working out and gained most of it back, so here I am again. Ugh.
  • rankailie
    rankailie Posts: 144
    This is one of my favorite recipes

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/moroccan-spiced-chickpea-soup-recipe/index.html

    Moroccan Chickpea Stew

    3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    1 large sweet onion
    6 to 8 garlic cloves (to taste)
    1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
    1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
    1 can chopped tomatoes or tomatoes with onion & garlic
    3 cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed - you can also use dry, just make sure you cook them thoroughly
    1 quart vegetable broth

    In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and pressed garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and add the cinnamon, cumin and paprika. Mix the spices in well and saute for another 2 or 3 minutes.

    Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and broth and stir well. Bring to a simmer and then lower the heat a bit and cook for 45 minutes.

    Remove from heat and with a potato masher, mash the chickpeas to your preferred consistency.

    Goes great by itself or with some brown rice. You can also add some fresh spinach to your bowl and pour the hot soup over it. Leftovers can be easily frozen and defrosted for later, its even better after being reheated!


    Servings: 6
    Per serving: 276 calories | 42g carbs | 11g Fat | 13g Protein | 14g fiber
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    It's a lot more satisfying eating the real thing...
    Just because something is low calorie or low fat does not mean you get to just eat more of it.
  • jtbaddison
    jtbaddison Posts: 134 Member
    bump
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