I had such a great time again in my segment on the Charlotte Today show today (click the link below to check out the video clip from the show)!
Eating nutrient-packed foods that naturally make you feel and look amazing doesn’t have to feel like deprivation from all delicious foods you love! All foods can absolutely fit into a healthy lifestyle, but chances are if you ate things like pizza or cookies ALL the time – you wouldn’t feel so good.
That’s why I’m a HUGE fan of healthified swaps. They’re a way to eat and enjoy things you love…but still look and feel like your happiest & healthiest self.
I walked Colleen and Eugene through 4 hidden healthified ingredient swaps to common foods people like, but that might not be in line with their health goals to eat them very often.
With these ingredient swaps, you’ll be switching out certain ingredients in those foods for more nutritious ones – without sacrificing flavor of course!
Here’s a recap of what we chatted about on air, and the recipes to go along with it:
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PIZZA
It’s easy to get creative with healthy options for what you put ON your pizza, but what about what goes underneath it? Traditional crust is made with processed white flour, and is missing anything that even resembled a nutrient. That’s why it’s the perfect opportunity to swap it out for something else 🙂
There are TONS of healthified pizza crust ideas out there using vegetables – like using eggplant, portobello mushroom, sweet potato, carrots, zucchini, butternut squash, – even beets!
Butttt all of those are time commitments…and when you’re busy, diving into a recipe doesn’t sound appealing.
Enter Trader Joe’s {pre-made} Cauliflower Pizza Crust!
It’s gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, and only contains 7 non-GMO ingredients: cauliflower, corn flour, water, cornstarch, potato starch, olive oil, salt. Cauliflower is a member of the cancer-fighting cruciferous crew of vegetables, it’s anti-inflammatory, is a great source of dietary fiber for digestive health, and is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C to boost your overall health and natural detoxification.
Find it at your local Trader Joe’s in the freezer section today and start enjoying more nutrient-packed pizza today!
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QUESO DIP
The Tostitos brand of Salsa Con Queso dip used to be my FAVORITE dip. That was until I started learning more about ingredients and being a food label detective! I flipped the jar over and was disgusted with the laundry list of harmful ingredients it contains which include:
- MSG (linked to obesity, neurological and brain damage, liver toxicity, asthma, and behavioral problems in children)
- Trans fats (linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer)
- Artificial colors (linked to nervous system damage, depression, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, fatigue, allergies, brain damage, seizures, nausea, tumors, and many other types of cancers)
Plus, the dairy (milk/cheese) used to make it didn’t come from organic sources, so the cows were most likely treated with synthetic, genetically engineered growth hormones, antibiotics, and fed a diet of GMO grains which promote inflammation in cows and humans.
So let’s get rid of those harmful ingredients and make some major healthified ingredient swaps! We’re even going to make this spicy, cheesy dip go VEGAN! By combining cashews + nutritional yeast together, it creates an amazing cheesy flavor (like in this recipe too, and this one). You can find nutritional yeast in the baking section of the grocery store, or online. Below is the recipe:
- 1 cup raw cashews*
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- Dash cayenne pepper (or more for spicy)
- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (drain AND SAVE liquid!)
- Add all ingredients EXCEPT diced tomatoes (including liquid from diced tomatoes) to high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a serving dish, add diced tomatoes, and stir to combine.
- Best served warm!
- *if not using a high speed blender like Vitamix or Blendtec, pre-soak your raw cashews in water overnight in the fridge to soften, then strain out water.
- Serve with organic tortilla chips or fresh sliced veggies (carrots and celery are the best!)
- Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker
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CORNBREAD
Cornbread is traditionally made with cornmeal for a base (obviously, right?). But with corn being the primary, star ingredient of this delicious side dish, you’re not really getting much for nutrients.
That’s why it’s a great food to incorporate some healthified swaps!
In this recipe, I’ve swapped out the cornmeal, eggs, and butter for ingredients to inject more health benefits and make it fair-game for vegans too. One of the swaps is using millet. It has more protein, fiber, and nutrients than corn to make it a smarter choice.
Millet is a grain-like seed, similar to quinoa in its shape, that is gluten-free and has a nutty flavor (making it perfect in “corn”bread). It has a very high B-vitamin content, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, not to mention being a healthy source of essential fats in the body. You can find it by the rice in the grocery store, or online.
Another ingredient in this recipe that looks like it doesn’t belong is zucchini. Using it in here is key to keeping everything moist and soft, while still allowing some classic cornbread crumble action.
As you read through the list of ingredients, you’ll see even more superfoods that help boost its healthified swap reputation. Below is the recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups millet, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
- 1/4 cup white chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup peeled and diced zucchini, pear, or apple
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 10-inch skillet with coconut oil.
- Drain the soaked millet and rinse well in a mesh strainer and transfer it to a large food processor.
- Add in the chia seeds, water, zucchini or pear or apple pieces, coconut sugar, salt, baking soda, and coconut oil.
- Process about 2 to 3 minutes until smooth (you might need to stop and scrap down the sides a couple times.
- Add in the vinegar and process again briefly to incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the greased skillet and bake about 30 to 35 minutes, until the center feels firm when gently touched
- Allow the bread to cool a little and serve warm with some grassfed butter or ghee on top!
- Store any leftover bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Recipe adapted from Detoxinista
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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
I couldn’t have a segment on healthified ingredient swaps for foods people love without including COOKIES!
So many people I talk to tell me they love having a sweet treat after their meals, especially after dinner. Most cookies have their fair share of sugar, ingredients we can’t pronounce and don’t have in our kitchens to cook with, and preservatives to keep them fresh on shelves for months. Not exactly in line with most people’s health goals and will probably do more damage than good to your overall health.
Let’s fix that! In my recipe below, I’ve swapped out the processed sugar, refined flour, and ingredients you can’t pronounce with healthified swaps that will work with you vs. against you…plus they are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth!
The flour has been swapped out with nuts and seeds – for good ol’ healthy fats and protein, and the sugar has been swapped out for chewy Medjool dates. The chocolate chips I used do contain sugar though! I also swapped the egg for a chia or flax egg to make it vegan friendly.
Dates are higher in natural sugars than many other fruits which make them the perfect refined sugar swap. The sugars dates contain are easily processed and utilized by the body for energy. Dates are also super easy to digest, help reduce LDL cholesterol, and boost bone health. Below is the recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups raw nuts and/or seeds*
- 10 Medjool dates, pits removed
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water
- Dash cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips**
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir together the flax or chia seeds and water, and let sit until it gels.
- Add the dates and nuts and/or seeds to the food process, and process about 30 seconds - until it starts to come together.
- Add the salt, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, flax or chia gel, and vinegar, and process again until the batter is relatively smooth, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add in the chocolate chips and briefly pulse to combine.
- Spoon the batter onto a lined baking sheet, and use your hands to gently flatten the cookie dough. (Tip: Get a very small amount of water on your hands with water to prevent sticking!)
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until they are slightly golden. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge (up to a week) or freezer for best shelf life.
- *You can use all of the same type of nut or seed, or combination of a couple. I tend to use 1 cup walnuts, ½ cup cashews
- **Do contain sugar, could use unsweetened shredded coconut instead for some chew but no added sugar
- Make them minty and add antioxidants by adding 1 teaspoon matcha powder + 1 drop peppermint essential oil
