For some reason McDonalds is a huge motivator for eight year old little girls. I love to give my daughter a nice treat every once in a while. We're not a family that eats out more than once a week and usually it's something other than fast food. But, this time, my daughter wanted a Happy Meal and I was happy to take her. I've been doing very well with my eating lately, so I planned on making something at home.
A few months ago, I would have been ordering a Big Mac for myself and even upgraded the fries to the bigger size. But not now. I'm not killing my progress for one drive through meal. But, as I sat in line, drooling over my not so distant memories, I began to wonder if I could make a healthy version of these items at home.
I've been making copy cat recipes from my favorite restaurant for years. I've just never tried to make them healthy. Usually the goal is to make them taste exactly like I would get in the restaurant. But, now I have a different motive, losing some fat. There's no reason I couldn't substitute low fat cheese for the full fat version. I've done it with other recipes, there shouldn't be a reason I can't do it with top secret recipes.
I realize turkey sausage doesn't always taste the same as real sausage and using evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream might not produce the exact same results, but it might give me a dish that takes care of the craving and keeps me focused on my healthy new lifestyle.
I've put together a list of things you can do to change up your favorite restaurant recipes to help them fit into a healthier lifestyle.
The Low Fat Alternative - Replace the cheese with a low fat alternative. Even heavy cream can be replaced with evaporated skim milk. I'm sure you realize mayonnaise comes in both low fat and no fat versions and make a great substitute. You can even try some of the off the shelf egg substitutes for the real deal.
Turkey Everything - It does seem like every kind of meat imaginable has a turkey based alternative these days. I don't know if anyone loves bacon as much as I do, but I've made the switch to turkey bacon. It's not exactly the same, but the payoff in my waistline is worth the sacrifice. Sausage, patties, bacon, ham and more is all available and make great replacements.
Low Fat Oil Spray - Do some experimenting with different cooking methods. Sometimes a crispy coating can be achieved with some cooking spray and baking instead of deep frying. Stir fry doesn't have to soak in several tablespoons or oil to take good. A few quick shots of spray and you're good with a tenth of the fat.
Sugar Free - Try going sugar free in your house. It's not easy because sugar or corn syrup has found it's way into most items in your cupboard. But, you can make a huge shift by replacing your granulated sugar with something like Splenda. You can even measure it exactly the same way you measure real sugar.
Low fat cheese on the top of your copy cat Pizza Hut pizza isn't going to taste exactly the same. It's not. But, if staying in shape is important to you, it's worth a few minor modifications. If you follow the rest of the recipe correctly, you'll end up with a good substitute.
Ready to try some of these ideas out on your favorite top secret recipes? I've got plenty of them listed at my website and I know these substitutes work very well with most of them. All but the must discerning taste buds will be jumping for joy.
A few months ago, I would have been ordering a Big Mac for myself and even upgraded the fries to the bigger size. But not now. I'm not killing my progress for one drive through meal. But, as I sat in line, drooling over my not so distant memories, I began to wonder if I could make a healthy version of these items at home.
I've been making copy cat recipes from my favorite restaurant for years. I've just never tried to make them healthy. Usually the goal is to make them taste exactly like I would get in the restaurant. But, now I have a different motive, losing some fat. There's no reason I couldn't substitute low fat cheese for the full fat version. I've done it with other recipes, there shouldn't be a reason I can't do it with top secret recipes.
I realize turkey sausage doesn't always taste the same as real sausage and using evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream might not produce the exact same results, but it might give me a dish that takes care of the craving and keeps me focused on my healthy new lifestyle.
I've put together a list of things you can do to change up your favorite restaurant recipes to help them fit into a healthier lifestyle.
The Low Fat Alternative - Replace the cheese with a low fat alternative. Even heavy cream can be replaced with evaporated skim milk. I'm sure you realize mayonnaise comes in both low fat and no fat versions and make a great substitute. You can even try some of the off the shelf egg substitutes for the real deal.
Turkey Everything - It does seem like every kind of meat imaginable has a turkey based alternative these days. I don't know if anyone loves bacon as much as I do, but I've made the switch to turkey bacon. It's not exactly the same, but the payoff in my waistline is worth the sacrifice. Sausage, patties, bacon, ham and more is all available and make great replacements.
Low Fat Oil Spray - Do some experimenting with different cooking methods. Sometimes a crispy coating can be achieved with some cooking spray and baking instead of deep frying. Stir fry doesn't have to soak in several tablespoons or oil to take good. A few quick shots of spray and you're good with a tenth of the fat.
Sugar Free - Try going sugar free in your house. It's not easy because sugar or corn syrup has found it's way into most items in your cupboard. But, you can make a huge shift by replacing your granulated sugar with something like Splenda. You can even measure it exactly the same way you measure real sugar.
Low fat cheese on the top of your copy cat Pizza Hut pizza isn't going to taste exactly the same. It's not. But, if staying in shape is important to you, it's worth a few minor modifications. If you follow the rest of the recipe correctly, you'll end up with a good substitute.
Ready to try some of these ideas out on your favorite top secret recipes? I've got plenty of them listed at my website and I know these substitutes work very well with most of them. All but the must discerning taste buds will be jumping for joy.
About the Author:
Chef Pablo loves cooking. Whether it's his favorite restaurant recipes or authentic Mexican foods from his days growing up in San Diego, he's always excited to teach others how to please their guests in the kitchen with The Cheesecake Factory recipes, Outback Steakhouse, The Olive Garden, The Cheesecake Factory or Red Lobster.
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