Ways To Make Your Favourite Naughty Food Healthy by Guest Blogger Brittnay Sharman
Today I have another guest post, this time written by the lovely Brittnay Sharman. Brittnay is an Australian who lived in London for two years. She managed to squeeze in 21 trips to Europe & Africa in that time . She is passionate about her health and her family. You will find her healthy and delicious recipes on The Nut Butter Hub
Ways to Make Your Favourite Naughty Food Healthy
Junk food is great right? It’s scrummy and tasty and moreish, but it’s not always so great for our health. The likes of cheesy pizza, crispy fries and ice cream make it difficult to avoid. Just need to arm yourself with a little bit of knowledge to understand how to tweak your favourites so you can still enjoy them. Here are some healthier alternatives our favourite comfort food.
Don’t Step Away from The French Fries
The next time you want fries try baking them instead of deep frying them litres of oil. When at home try tossing your sweet potato wedges in a bag with olive oil and semolina. This coating with ensure you get a crispy oven chip every time. You can also try using a healthy oil like coconut to help reduce your cholesterol levels.
Healthy Fried Rice, That Still Tastes like Rice
Rice can be good in moderation however, if you find that when you cook it there is enough for the whole village (and you managed it eat it all) it might be time to find an alternative.
All you need to do is roughly chop your cauliflower and throw in a food processor for a minute. You will find that the texture is very similar to rice. Use this ‘faux’ rice can be used in any dish where you would have normally used white rice and it tastes just the same. One of our favourites is cauliflower fried rice, the family didn’t even blink an eyelid when I served this one up!
Add Some Smoky Flavours
Smoking food is a simple way of packing loads of flavour into your food. It also adds a great depth to your dishes. You can hot or cold smoke your food to give different depth of flavour. Hot smoking both cooks and flavours your food whereas cold smoking only flavours it
I’m sure we’ve all heard of smoking meat and fish however, using your gas smoker you can also smoke fruit & vegetables. This can open up the world to a new level of tastes! What about smoked garlic or smoked aubergines? You can use different woods to give different smoke flavours or even soak the wood in your wine. You can also add spices and herbs to your smoker to infuse new flavours
Use Healthy Natural Sweeteners
One of the main culprits for making your food unhealthy is sugar. Well, there are lots of things which are naturally, which you can use to replace sugar.
You can use honey, dates, agave or coconut sugar as a replacement for sugar in recipes. Dried fruits like sultanas are a great way of making cereals a bit sweeter and palatable. Bananas are great for making pancakes with, they add a sweetness that is absolutely delicious
Make Your Own Chocolate Bars
If you find you a get a hankering for chocolate, try making it yourself. There is a huge difference between cocoa and cacao, so just by making the conscious decision to use better ingredients will improve your healthy. Cacao powder is packed with nutrients and taste just as good as cocoa. We love making our own truffles, it only takes a few simple ingredients such as coconut oil, cacao powder and sea salt.
Can’t Give Up Mac and Cheese?
Processed pasta is not a good thing to eat on a regular basis. Get rid of boxed mac and cheese and make some at home. You can make a velvety cheese-based sauce with added butternut squash. This sweet taste on mac and cheese is sure to be satisfying.
Take it a step further and replace your high carb noodles with a plant-based pasta made out of chickpeas or legumes. The texture may be a little grainier than regular pasta but it tastes almost the same.
Educating yourself is crucial when it comes to eating well. Rather than denying yourself or overindulging, just a few tweaks here and there won’t have you missing out on anything. Turn these idea and behaviours in habits to ensure you lead the healthiest lifestyle possible (well still enjoying it)!
The Spoonie Mummy 