Simple and Tasty Food Substitutions

Whenever we speak about the topic of food, it's almost a sure thing that someone will bring up the topic of their favorite food or foods. Unfortunately, due to the seemingly continual rise of excess processing, additives and preservatives being a common part of so many of the foods we eat, choosing a favorite isn't always the healthiest choice, is it?

Thankfully, there are many ingenious ways to "reproduce" your favorite (not-so-healthy) foods in ways that are good for you! That's what I'd like to discuss today. Plus, I want to give you some great recipes along the way!

First though, I would like to go over my 3 basic "ground rules" when it comes to choosing the foods you eat. Follow these and you really can't go too wrong:

RULE #1 - Whenever possible, make it yourself. If you are serious about losing fat, you also must get serious about eating healthy, natural "real" foods as much as possible. Go and get the fresh ingredients you need, spend some quality time with your kitchen and start cooking.

RULE #2 - Never eat from a box or a bag. My only exception to this rule is pre-washed lettuce and other greens that are packed in plastic bags. Remember, if it's able to stay on a grocery shelf for weeks, months or even years, how many preservatives are in it, right? Look at the ingredients list; if you can't pronounce it, do you really want to eat it?

RULE #3 - Shop the perimeter of the store. You've heard this again and again. The best, freshest, most nutritious foods are located around the perimeter of the supermarket. So that's where you need to shop, period.

Remember these 3 simple rules, and half the battle is already won! Now, let's talk about some simple and tasty food substitutions.

I want to share three ways that I use natural, healthy ingredients in my cooking, in place of things that would normally be considered "less than healthy." Also, I'm including a couple of great simple recipes that you can try right away and prove that eating our favorite foods doesn't have to mean eating foods that aren't healthy (or tasty).

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit: Don't worry, I'm not going to finish the rhyme (you know the rest). Beans are one of the staples in my kitchen at all times. They are a great substitute for fat-laden ground meats, providing a terrific source of protein along the way. The other thing that beans can give you is the ability to cook and bake without gluten. Gluten is a naturally occurring protein which is usually found in wheat, barley, rye and other carbohydrates. Gluten itself is not necessarily bad for you, but many people do have difficulty digesting gluten (ie. those with celiac disease). By using ground bean flour in place of traditional wheat flour when baking, it is possible to make something "gluten-free." Now, I want to share a great recipe with you for gluten-free brownies with black beans:

Black Bean (gluten-free) Brownies

Ingredients:

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)

3 eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

Directions: Mix ingredients together in a blender/food processor until pureed. Pour into a greased 8x8 cake pan. Stir in some chocolate chips and nuts, or leave plain. Bake at 350 F for approximately 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

An Apple a Day Keeps Fatty Oils Away: You may already be aware that a great substitute for fatty oils in your baking is good old, unsweetened applesauce! Simply peel and core some apples of your choice (I use Empires or Macs myself), place them in a pot on medium-low heat, covered, and let them cook down until they are nice and mushy. I use a potato masher to finish them off. Typically the substitution ratio is 1:1 from oil to applesauce. If you're trying this for the first time, I would recommend that you experiment with it a few times before going full-on to the 1:1 sub. So if your recipe calls for a cup of oil, try using half a cup oil and half a cup applesauce. Remember that using the applesauce will affect the texture and taste (making it softer and sweeter), so try a few combinations to see what works and what tastes the best for you.

Mimic the Texture, Maximize the Nutrition: One of my favorite dishes is shepherd's pie. I love the combination of lean ground meat (I use lean ground turkey, chicken or bison) with tender vegetables, and that wonderful "gravy" that comes naturally when it's baked. However, the abundance of fluffy white mashed potatoes on top always bothered me a little because they represent what I call "empty calories." I mean, there isn't really a lot of quality nutrition in mashed potatoes (and they are usually high in fat too). So I wanted to try to find a good substitute that would provide some extra nutrients. My search ended when I found a recipe for shepherd's pie using mashed cauliflower for the topping! Here's the recipe. Try it and I bet you'll be surprised how good it tastes:

Lean Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:

Topping:

10 oz fresh cauliflower florets, steamed and mashed

2 tbsp low fat sour cream

2 tbsp low fat cream cheese

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg, beaten

4 oz fat free cheddar (optional)

Filling:

Non-stick cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey, chicken or bison

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

10 oz low fat chicken broth

2 tbsp corn starch

1 can peas and carrots

1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli

1 turnip, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Steam cauliflower, drain and mash slightly. Add all topping ingredients and mash or whip with electric mixer until fluffy. Set aside. In large fry pan, coat with cooking spray, add onions and garlic and sautee until tender. Add ground meat and cook until browned. Add all seasonings and prepared vegetables. In a separate bowl or cup, mix corn starch into chicken broth and stir until dissolved. Pour into meat mixture and heat through, stirring until thickened. Coat square or rectangle baking dish with cooking spray and pour meat mixture into baking dish, spreading evenly over the bottom. Spoon topping onto this, sprinkle with paprika if desired and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

BONUS - Get Some Extra Good from Your Cooking Liquid: What does this mean? Let me explain. You see, pretty much every morning, I enjoy a serving of delicious and nutritious steel cut oatmeal for breakfast. When cooking the oats, typically you would use water, right? Well, I wanted to find something better, and I did. Coconut milk! That's right. Instead of just using plain old water (which really adds nothing extra to the oatmeal), I started using a can of coconut milk. The oatmeal ends up with a fantastic, coco-nutty flavor, and this also adds some essential fats to it which we all need to keep our bodies functioning properly.

I hope you will try these or other simple and tasty food substitutions the next time you make a meal.

My Name is Dale Bateman. For over 10 years, I've been helping ordinary people (like you and me) achieve their fat loss goals with my common sense approach to health and wellness. I truly believe that long term fat loss can only be mastered by incorporating what I call my three components of fat loss. These are Fitness, Nutrition and Motivation. Without all three components, you are setting yourself up for failure. Each week, my blog features a brand new, original post dealing with one of these three components. Also, you can sign up for my free weekly newsletter and free 5 week e-course, "5 S.T.E.P.S. to Losing Your First 5 Pounds."
So if you're looking for common sense strategies for losing fat and achieving optimal health and wellness, please visit my blog today: http://losethefatforlife.com
Thank you.
Dale Bateman

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