We all need food to keep going. Some of us crave salty and some sweet, but we don't have to limit ourselves completely and can still enjoy the things we love and still feel happy and satisfied. Here are my favorite substitutions to keep you satisfied and healthy:
1. Plain Greek yogurt, hummus or avocado in place of mayonnaise or other unhealthy spreads on sandwiches. You will still have a creamy moistness but without the added saturated fat and cholesterol. Add a little spice to the spread of your choice to really kick up your metabolism.
2. Applesauce, Greek yogurt (any flavor) or pureed banana make a great substitution for butter or oil in baked goods (1:1 ratio). Start with half of the substitution of your choice and half of the oil or butter called for in the recipe and graduate to a full swap if you like the texture. Lower fat baked goods will have a gummier texture but will still have all of the flavor! Also, adding a scoop or two of protein powder to breakfast pastries (breads, muffins, scones, etc) adds an added dose of protein which is especially important in the morning!
3. Plain Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise or sour cream in dips, for potato/egg/chicken salad, for tacos, for baked potatoes, etc. My husband is a taco fanatic and was anti-Greek yogurt until we were out of sour cream one night and he had no choice but to try it. Now he likes it!
4. Canola or olive oil instead of vegetable or corn oil will not exactly decrease calories but they will decrease bad saturated and trans fats while increasing good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Yes, there is such a thing as good fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter are all examples)! Canola and olive oil are healthier, more heart friendly options.
5. Pureed squash (I prefer butternut but any squash type will do) in place of half of the cheese sauce in mac and cheese. You will still get a cheesy, creamy sauce but with half the fat and cholesterol and a boost in nutrients to boot! Also, pureeing half of the soup will create a thicker soup, as will adding pureed potato or cashew cream. Same creamy texture, more health benefits!
6. Evaporated milk in place of heavy cream for soups, creamy sauces or baked goods. You will still have a creamy and smooth end product but with much less fat. You obviously cannot use this substitution for whipped cream or ganache, but it works well for almost everything else!
7. Dark or bittersweet chocolate in place of semi-sweet or milk chocolate in baked goods. Dark chocolate (at least 65% cocoa) adds flavonoids/antioxidants. This way, I have more control over the total amount of sugar in the final product. Also, using whole wheat or almond flour in place of refined flour boosts the nutritional value. Start by swapping out half of the white flour for half wheat or almond and gradually increase from there if you like the result.
These are my favorite swaps and the ones I use the most often. I am a big baker and prefer a pastry to something salty for breakfast any day. I had to find a healthier way to keep enjoying the things I love!
Bonus tip: add a few cupfuls of spinach to smoothies. You won't even notie it's thre but you'll get extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients. (Spinach is high in Vitamins A, K and C, fiber and potassium). Also, spinach is a strong antioxidant and helps combat all of those free radicals. I also add leafy greens to mac and cheeses and other pasta dishes for an extra serving of veggies, because why not?!
Let me know if there any substitutions you use that I did not mention. I love cooking/baking/experimenting and love to try new things. Also, be sure to let me know if you try any and how they come out.
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Stretching after a workout brings me to the topic of foam rolling. Not everyone does it, but everyone really should! It is a great way to lengthen, loosen and massage muscles. Just like stretching post-exercise, I always roll my quads, hamstrings, glutes, IT bands and calves. It really helps to get any knots or adhesions that have formed eliminated. I also like to do extensions with the foam roller, lying with the foam roller perpendicular to my upper back and rolling it up and down my spine. I also align it vertically with my spine and lay with my head hanging off of one end and arms splayed out to the sides. These last two really help to open up the shoulders and help with posture. When muscles are overly tight, they do not function properly which could affect gait, muscle mechanics, posture, etc. Getting these muscles as close to normal as possible will help prevent future injury.
I would then do this stretch rolling the foam roller along the backs of my thighs, glutes, on my side lateral legs/IT Bands from knee to hip, and face down on my quads, slowly rolling my body along the roller. The slower you go, the more benefit, albeit more painful too! The picture shown here is for the calves, rolling the roller from knees to ankles.
