Topic of the Week: Recipe Swap! Give Your Favorite Meals a South Beach Diet Makeover
What’s for dinner tonight? If you find yourself trying to come up with new, creative ideas for each meal, you’re in luck. This week we’ll be swapping recipe ideas! Have you discovered a healthier way to make thin-crust pizza or a juicy cheeseburger? Or, maybe you can’t live without comfort foods and your go-to South Beach Diet-friendly recipe is for Spicy Macaroni and Cheese. Whatever your healthy swap or recipe is, share your food and recipes here in the Boards.
Meanwhile, there’s still time to have Marie Almon, South Beach Diet nutrition director, assess your food diary! She’ll be checking all submitted diaries and providing feedback, along with tips and advice, on Monday, March 8. To get Marie’s input, simply e-mail us one day of your food diary to editors@southbeachdiet.com!
Our guest speaker this week is Marilyn Jess, a registered and licensed dietitian with more than 20 years experience in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Marilyn received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human nutrition from San Diego State University. She also earned a certificate in professional training skills from Sonoma State University, with expertise in teaching adults. Her areas of professional experience include employee education for adults, nutrition management, developmental disabilities, and long-term care. She is a freelance writer who has authored several nutrition newsletters and run workshops on public-speaking skills.
Please feel free to submit your questions to Marilyn!
Thanks, Linda!
Can healthy food actually taste good? You bet it can. Really enjoying your food is something that makes a healthy lifestyle worth the energy and effort. As SBD members know, change can be challenging. Small steps are easier. If swapping an ingredient or changing a preparation step brings tasty results, these small steps make an even bigger difference. Why not adapt your favorite recipes and eat healthy?
Here are some tips to make your healthy food something you look forward to enjoying.
Super Six Pack
No, not the brewed kind. In some cases, adding more vegetables to your meals may be all you need to give the meal a makeover. Recently a new SBD member asked how she could get herself and her family to eat more vegetables. I suggested that she keep on hand at least six kinds of frozen, unseasoned vegetables, that she and her family like to eat. These are quick to microwave, can be seasoned different ways, or mixed together. They can also be added to your soup, stir-fry, and casserole recipes to make them healthier. An ‘all Phases’ Six Pack, for example, could include French Style green beans, chopped spinach, broccoli cuts, bell pepper strips, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
Season FOR Taste
As you give favorite recipes a makeover they may need more or different seasonings to bring out the flavor of the better-for-you ingredients you are using now. What a perfect time to upgrade your seasonings—extra virgin olive oil for bold flavor and good-quality dried herbs and spices. You’ll use less, and the taste is superior. You may have your own favorites, such as curry or herb blends, that you find yourself using more now, and that’s great. Seasonings that are useful in many recipes include cinnamon, Italian seasoning, Kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and garlic powder.
Add flavor and tenderize--rubs, marinades, and sauces
As you learn how to prepare lean protein foods, you’ll notice that high heat can produce a less tender steak, chop, etc. A marinade or spice rub helps tenderize and add a different flavor. Sauces made with low fat milk or fat free evaporated milk add richness, without the saturated fat. Pureed, seasoned cooked vegetables or beans can do triple duty--they help thicken soups and sauces, can be used as a sauce, and as a flavor booster.
Your creativity and the bounty of SBD friendly foods are a perfect match. The possibilities are endless. Just like a salon makeover makes you feel refreshed, renewed and ready, recipe makeovers can turn old favorites into new favorites. Make your food delicious and healthy. In this case, you can have it all!
hello, I am here. Nothing to say right now but looking forward to reading the questions and answers.
Sophie
It seems alot of folks don't like vegetables, though many find here that their tastes change and they end up liking them. The thing that has helped me is roasting veggies. Linda suggested that when I first started SB. I do lots of roasting and BBQ'ing of veggies.
Here is a nice recipe I picked up lately :
Roasted Vegetables and Garbanzos
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, strings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder or granulated onion
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups home-cooked (not canned) garbanzos, well drained - optional
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Combine vegetables in large bowl.
3. Add seasonings and mix well. Drizzle with oil and toss well to coat.
4. Arrange mixture single layer on shallow baking pan. Be sure to not crowd the vegetables or they won't brown nicely.
5. Bake at 375°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
6. Stir in garbanzos. Return to oven for 10 minutes to heat through. (Be sure to use garbanzos that you have cooked. If you try to use canned garbanzos in this recipe, they will come out dry and tasteless.)
Serve hot.
Marilyn- Any more tips on how to fall in love with veggies ?
Laurie
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