Looking for some yummy substitutions for foods I miss.

Search recipe section for flatout pizza. That is really tasty.
Try this -- http://www.emilybites.com/2011/07/lasagna-cupcakes.html. My all time favorite recipe ever I think.
And
This -- http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1428

Not exactly what your favorites are but all are really good.

I make pizza's with tortillas versus the heavy regular pizza dough - use part skill cheese and lots of healthy toppings. You can also find Pizza sause without sugar - read the labels.

Lasagna - I also love - here for me it is portion control - take a square on your plate, then fill the rest of the plate with lots of veggies. You should be able to keep within a calorie alotments.

Enchiladas - find whole wheat tortillas - use healthy fillings - especially fish or shrimp - these are awesome. Again, you can make enchilada sause yourself to minimize calories. Just go light on cheese - shredded cheese goes pretty far and still gives you the satisfying taste.

made some yummy eggplant rolls a few nights ago. stuffed with fat free ricotta and spinach with marinara on top. tasty.

I crave nachos with cheese, salsa, and anything else to put on top. But I have started to sub rice cakes for the nacho chips. You can use the mini ones, and portion out your cheese, add nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream, and it does the trick for me.

I have also used the large rice cakes as a tostada base and added my stuff from there. It doesn't taste the same, but I basically live for the melted cheddar anyway.

Can you get the PIzza Express pizzas from your supermarket? They're only about 500 cals and a reasonable size/fix?

Check out Skinnytaste.com which has some great recipes.

You can still go out. If you are going out, ask for a to-go box when you order your food. That way you can put half your food in the to-go box and still enjoy the rest of your food with your family. Make sure to eat a salad, soup, or something healthy but filling with it.

Like you I also love creamy cheesy deliciousness. There's lots of ways to make it lower cal...instead of using cream to make a sauce, use milk...you may need to put some thickener in, but it tastes just the same. I also tend to use stronger cheeses so that you don't need as much in a recipe (parmesean does wonders in small amounts). Another thing I tend to do is if I'm having a really really rich sauce, I'll have it over meat and veggies, rather than pasta. Pasta is really where all the cals come from, and I'm not the biggest fan anyway, so I eat a lot more rice/quinoa/potatoes.

My weakness is cheese as well! Here are some substitutions that I've enjoyed when I'm craving something cheesy and delicious, but without the excess of fat and calories! I hope they will help you out!

Pizza Substitute: CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST

For months, I was experimenting with homemade pizza crusts and then I discovered cauliflower pizza crusts. I know it doesn't sound appetizing at all, but it blew the other crusts I'd made using flour (and the usual crust ingredients) out of the water for a fraction of the calories. It doesn't taste exactly like the crusts you'd get at Pizza Hut or Dominoes, but I promise it isn't bad at all. If I hadn't known it was made with cauliflower, I wouldn't have known what was in it! I followed this recipe here: http://www.eat-drink-smile.com/2011/04/cauliflower-crust-pizza.html -- just make sure you watch how much cheese you load on top and I'd recommend using part-skim mozzarella.

Mac and Cheese Substitute: QUINOA MAC AND CHEESE

I just made this for the first time tonight and I was pretty pleased with the results. I followed this recipe here: http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html, using 2 cups of reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese and I added a bunch of broccoli to it for extra nutrition. It's not exactly the same as regular mac and cheese, but it was still satisfying and you get the added bonus of all of quinoa's nutrition benefits. I ate 1/8th of what I made for under 300 calories.

something I have for lunch alot is 2 rice cakes topped with a slice of american cheese, zapped for 20 seconds or so. I switch it
around at times, using different types of cheese and adding a few mini pepperoni's, maybe a couple sliced black olives, a few little pieces of pineapple, you get the idea. It works for me and holds me til dinner time. It's not always the same but I like this, and it has a crunch to it, so I'm content.

I also use dreamfields pasta which is less digestible carbs, that helps me with my blood sugar as I'm diabetic. I bought a little scale and when I do have pasta, even this pasta which tastes great by the way, I measure out the 2 oz which is a serving size of dry pasta, and I only make ONE serving, as opposed to a whole pan of the stuff back in the old days. Mac and cheese is a weakness so I don't tempt myself.

Also use the Latortilla factory lowcarb whole wheat tortillas, and they don't raise my blood sugar. I've found that the LC Mission tortilla's affect me the same way as any other tortilla, but these by latortilla factory work for me. Again, unless I'm expecting company or have room in my freezer for leftovers, I'll make 2 enchilada's and measure my cheese and stuff, so I know what I'm getting, and prepare for it. Like you, I have a high flavor point, so it's better not to have extra sitting around to tempt me. Love that stuff.

I found a wonderful sub for mashed potatoes!

I dislike cauliflower yet somehow love this anyway. It's awesome!

http://www.sproutandpea.com/2010/12/creamy-mashed-cauliflower/


I don't put the shallots in at all (after experimenting, I found they added too much "burn" for me) and I only use 1 clove of garlic and no cheese.



From the website:

1 head of cauliflower (florets only – no stems)
1 small, 6 oz container of greek yogurt
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 small shallot chopped
1 chopped scallion for garnish
Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste (I like to use garlic pepper and Adobo)

In a medium pot, bring water to boil (I like to add some garlic pepper and Adobo to the water). Add cauliflower florets to the boiling water and let cook for about 8 minutes or until soft. Remove and drain. In a food processor, combine the cauliflower with the greek yogurt, butter, garlic and shallots and blend until a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper or Adobo or seasonings of your choice and blend once more. Transfer to a bowl and while hot, mix in the parmigiano reggiano and top with scallions for garnish.