How to Make almost any recipe clean!
I seriously love the Gracious Pantry, Tiffany has thought of it all and its super exciting! So here are some of her tips and mine mixed together to help you with those recipes you struggle with finding substitutes for!
Ever wonder how to make a not-so-clean recipe, clean?
No, you don’t scrub it with a brush. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that (really bad) joke!
I firmly believe that most recipes can be converted to a clean eating plan with a little experimentation and some elbow grease. So if you’d like to take a crack at it with one of your favorite recipes, here are some basic guidelines for making those healthy and clean substitutions.
Here is a great pdf file that really tells you how to convert any recipe to a clean eating recipe! ARTICLE
THAT AWFUL WHITE STUFFSugar is pretty easy to substitute if you have a kitchen scale. Simply weigh the amount of sugar called for in a recipe, and then use that same weight in any natural liquid sweetener like honey, agave or brown rice syrup. (Don’t try to substitute by volume. 1 cup of sugar does NOT equal 1 cup of honey.) Check out the gracious pantry's free downloadable chart for sugar substitutes (pdf.) for substituting different types of sugars.
Why is sugar so aweful? Because it provides you with no nutritional value and your body literally craves it. So the more sugar you eat the more your body will crave it! You actually go through withdrawl when you cut out sugar from your body. Some other alternatives to sugar in your coffee and tea are honey and agave nectar! The best part is that agave nectar is very sweet, so you only need a tiny bit to achieve the same sweetness that you would get from table sugar.
THINK BROWN SUGAR IS A HEALTHIER OPTION? THINK AGAIN! Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added. Need to find a good substitute? Follow the directions above for weighing. Once you have the weight, use 3/4 agave and approximately 1/16 molasses to get a flavor that is shockingly close to the real stuff. You can use honey here too, but it won’t have the same flavor. Agave is better when you are trying to achieve the flavor of brown sugar. So for example, use 1 cup agave and 1 tbsp. molasses.
WHAT ABOUT OIL?In cooking or “frying” – if your recipe calls for more oil than you’d like to use, start with 1 tbsp. olive or safflower oil and replace the rest with plenty of chicken broth and a non-stick pot or pan.
When I cook I almost always use chicken broth. I buy it in bulk at Costco and I go through it like crazy, but it adds tons of flavor without the calories!
In baking - use 3/4 cup apple sauce (no sugar added), and 1/4 cup fruit purée (like pumpkin or banana) for each cup of oil. But be sure to add extra spices and extracts, as there is then little or no fat to enhance the flavor of what you are baking. Typically, 1 extra tsp. of extract or spices will do nicely. Watch your baking times closely as low-fat/non fat items turn from raw to dry very quickly when in the oven.
THE OTHER WHITE STUFFWhite flour is not only used for baking, but also for thickening sauces and other culinary uses. If the texture of your recipe depends on the flour (like in baking), then stick to whole wheat pastry flour. If not, experiment with the myriad of whole grain flours found in your local health food store. It’ll be a very tasty adventure!
LITTLE GLOBES OF PROTEIN
As much as I love eggs, I know lots of folks can’t eat them. I found a fabulous source for all kinds of ways to replace eggs, either the whole egg or just the whites or yolks. Check it out here.
WHAT ABOUT GLUTEN?
This is such an involved subject that it would take me a whole other blog to cover it. So instead, I’ll send you to the expert: The Gluten Free Goddess. Her tips are excellent.
Here are also some simple substitutes in your daily meals that will really help you get started:
- Activia Yogurt or yogurt with fruit on the bottom, try plain greek yogurt and add a handful of berries and a drizzle of honey or agave nectar.
- Peanut Butter, try all natural peanut butter instead. When you look at the ingredients the only thing listed should be peanuts and maybe salt.
- Eggs, instead of scrambled eggs do scrambled egg whites. You can buy them in a carton just like you would egg beaters and they are 100% natural and pure egg whites. There are no additives to add flavor or color!
- White Bread can be substituted with Ezekiel break or whole wheat tortilla wraps. White bread literally turns to sugar in your body and provides you with no nutritional value. It is best to stick to bread that has as little ingredients as possible and is has whole wheat! Read your LABELS!
- Ranch dressing on your veggie tray can be substituted with low fat roasted red pepper hummus that can be found at Cosco.
If you want to get more amazing tips and recipes you def have to check out her blog at www.thegraciouspantry.com
For more help with meal planning and starting your journey to eating clean please message me at mmitro@hotmail.com.
Labels: Clean Eating Subsititutes, Ingredient Substitutes
