Ingredient substitutions: switch for healthier recipes

Posted by Dez on July 6, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Filed under: Articles, Food & Drink, Recipes
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To reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol
If your recipe calls for: Try substituting:
Bacon Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked goods Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil

Note: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don’t substitute oil for butter or shortening, and don’t substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine.
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking Cooking spray or nonstick pans
Creamed soups Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents
Eggs Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg
Evaporated milk Evaporated skim milk
Full-fat cream cheese Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth
Full-fat sour cream Fat-free plain yogurt, or fat-free or low-fat sour cream
Ground beef Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
Mayonnaise Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise
Oil-based marinades Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth
Salad dressing Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars
Whole milk Reduced-fat or fat-free milk

Sodium

To reduce the amount of sodium
If your recipe calls for: Try substituting:
Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use finely chopped garlic, celery or onions
Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions
Soy sauce Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
Table salt Herbs, spices, fruit juices or salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends

Sugar

To reduce the amount of sugar
If your recipe calls for: Try substituting:
Fruit canned in heavy syrup Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit
Fruit-flavored yogurt Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices
Syrup Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup

Other nutrients

To increase the amount of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fiber
If your recipe calls for: Try substituting:
All-purpose (plain) flour Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour
Dry bread crumbs Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal
Enriched pasta Whole-wheat pasta
Iceberg lettuce Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress
Meat as the main ingredient Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews
White bread Whole-wheat bread
White rice Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley
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Plug Your Nose

Posted by Dez on June 23, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Filed under: Daily
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My legs feel like jelly. My face is glistening with sweat. And I’m sure I smell. However, I worked out today. Force ably by my fourteen year old sister, who kicked my ass in Dance Dance Revolution. I was ready to quit after two medium paced songs. She however, made me play four of them, one which was fast. I am so out of shape it’s not even funny. However, as I was holding up my pants (I must be losing weight or something because a couple weeks ago these pants fit normally) I had fun. Even now as my pulse is finally slowing down. I feel so much better. I feel good. I suppose I need to come out here more often, and buy a treadmill.

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Dead Diet

Posted by Sarah on at 7:54 am
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So, some of you may know the crap that my family has gone through the past few months. To add some more icing to an already well-iced cake, my eight week old cousin, Charlotte, passed away.

I literally dropped everything, including exams, to be with my family in Sydney. My stress levels are through the roof, and my diet has essentially been abandoned for the past few days I’ve been back in Sydney.

Hopefully within the next few days i’ll be able to bring myself back into it.

Hope everyone else’s diet adventures are a little more successful than mine lately!

Current standings: -8kg (approximately). Current weight, 72kg

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Get On Up

Posted by Dez on June 20, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Filed under: Daily
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Come on, get on up, and move your body. Shake your groove thang!

Ashley, love the new icon feature you have up.

So what is everyone up to?

I myself don’t have anything to report.

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The 6 worst pieces of weight-loss advice

Posted by Ashley on June 13, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Filed under: Articles
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There’s a world of weight-loss advice out there, and it’s hard to know what to trust. Here, we’ve collected six pieces of weight-loss advice you don’t want to follow, with tips on what to do instead.

Healthy, long-lasting weight loss is hard. Don’t make it any harder by following bad advice. We’ve scoured magazines and the Internet for the six worst pieces of weight-loss advice we could find – and given you practical alternatives.

Bad weight-loss advice #1: Eat five meals a day
Why it doesn’t work: Assuming 1,800 calories a day, this means each meal would have to be 360 calories, about the amount in just one of our Morning Glory Muffins. But for most of us, eating this way means feeling not quite full all day long – a recipe for disaster when snacks show up in the office or your kids leave food on their plates. Plus, it means eating out of sync with other people.

What’s better: Eat three larger meals, leaving yourself room for a couple of 150-calorie snacks. Schedule your snacks based on when your cravings usually strike, and make sure to include the odd treat to keep your taste buds happy.

Bad weight-loss advice #2: Don’t eat after 7 p.m.
Why it doesn’t work: Assuming you’re eating reasonable quantities of healthy foods throughout the day, there’s no reason you can’t have an evening snack, even if it’s something sugary or salty. There’s no evidence that ingesting calories later in the day makes you gain weight. Plus, if you’re among those who go to the gym right after work, when else are you supposed to eat?

What’s better: Plan your eating schedule according to your lifestyle. If you work out or chase after kids in the evening, you may need more fuel at that time of day; if you spend your post-work hours communing with your couch, make lunch bigger and have a light dinner. But if you’re prone to overeating at night, to curb mindless eating try brushing your teeth when you decide you’re done for the day.

(more…)

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Beat Me

Posted by Dez on at 7:53 pm
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Someone beat me.
I’ve been severely slacking. I did push ups and some sit ups one lousy day. I have the motivation so why can’t I get off my lazy ass and do it? I did walk down to the post office today, however this was demolished when I ate some delicious cookies that Jenn sent us. Maybe I need to take some before photos and keep them as a reference.

However I do have some good news to say. I’ve managed to cut my diet soda drinking by half. I’m working on getting it all out. I managed to cut out most of my junk food intake. However, I’m still a ramen-holic. The sodium might kill me. Someone BEAT ME INTO SHAPE!

Does anyone have any good simple recipes to share?

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