The Switch-up

I am a seriously picky eater, which often makes healthy eating difficult for me. Over time I have been making substitutions and forcing myself to eat things that I don't really like in order to eat a healthier, more balanced diet. I have found that small substitutions can really make a big difference, so I am going to share a few examples of easy and yummy substitution ideas.

1. I love burritos. There are a few tricks that I have found really help make one of my favorite meals a win-win situation. I first decided that I would start buying the smaller tortillas. This first step is built in portion control. Just don't justify over-eating by saying that you can have more because of the smaller portion...that's the point. I also switched out flour for whole wheat. Swap your fatty beef for lean beef, ground turkey breast (check the package because it might have the skin ground in, which adds lots of fat), or chicken breast. Swap those refried beans for black beans (I throw mine in the food processor with some salsa!) because refried beans have tons of fat, while black beans are full of protein and fiber! And the last swap that you may not have thought of is brown rice with some lime juice instead of Spanish or Mexican style white rice. Don't forget to use low fat or fat free options when grabbing the sour cream and cheese.

2. Sandwiches just aren't the same without mayo. Which is probably a good thing considering it is almost pure fat, even if it is delicious. There are so many other things to throw on sandwiches,  wraps, or burgers that are healthier. Mustard is always a good choice since it is almost calorie free, but if your looking to mix things up, then try a little guacamole on your turkey with Swiss. Making chicken or tuna salad? Mix some Greek yogurt with a little Dijon mustard.

3. Chocolate milk, hold the syrup. I hate drinking milk, but there are times when I just really want a  big glass of ice cold chocolate milk. Even though we buy either almond or skim milk, it turns into a not-so-good treat when you dump a ton of sugary syrup in there to make it chocolaty. What's a better swap? I have recently started making my own chocolate milk by mixing unsweetened cocoa powder, a dash of salt, and a little Splenda into my milk. I know what you're thinking...gross. It isn't! It is possibly better than Hershey's Syrup, and I live in Pennsylvania! That would be considered slanderous here if I weren't using Hershey's Cocoa Powder, although any brand will work just fine. And a tip to mixing it all in, is to put the dry ingredients into the bottom of the cup, then add just a little hot tap water and stir it together before adding the cold milk.

My next switch-up is going to be the cauliflower pizza crust I keeping seeing all over the place. I bet it is going to be super yummy! Maybe I will even let you know how it goes. Let me know what other great switch-up ideas you have!

Michelle's Super Simple Chicken Salad-- NO mayonnaise!

I have found that the best way for me to eat healthy meals is to make them ahead of time. If I leave my lunch or dinner up to chance and my fridge, then I probably end up eating something I shouldn't at a time when I am really hungry. It is ludicrous to think that driving or walking a few blocks from my house to wait in a line to get food is faster than making something myself, but I (and maybe you too) have justified many a poor decisions by saying that I am too hungry to wait long enough to cook something to eat. That is why I am trying to make my lunches at the beginning of the week. Sunday night I will make lunch and possibly snacks that need to be prepared in order to keep me on track. I made chicken salad this week, and I am going to share the recipe below!

Michelle's Super Simple Chicken Salad

10oz can cooked chicken breast meat
3 1/2 tbs plain Greek yogurt
2 1/2 tsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard
3-4 tbs chopped raw unsalted almonds
3-4 tbs finely chopped or matchstick carrots
3-4 tbs dried cranberries
dash of salt and pepper

Directions: drain and finely shred chicken, then mix all ingredients together. It's that simple!!

I love this because it is super simple, easy, and quick to whip up! I didn't cook the chicken myself, but it is most certainly an option, and I would do it that way any time I am already planning to cook a chicken dish that would allow me to cook all the chicken at once and pull some out. It is super yummy, and there is NO mayonnaise!! And if you think you don't like Greek yogurt, don't worry because you seriously cannot taste it! I am not the hugest Greek yogurt fan, although I am working toward it, but I seriously couldn't even tell.

Today I ate my chicken salad on a single piece of whole wheat bread, but it is also delicious on crackers, a tortilla, Granny Smith apple slices, or leaf lettuce! For other mix-ins, you could put boiled egg, grapes, celery, green pepper, onion, Granny Smith apple pieces, walnuts, pecans, or pineapple tidbits! I made mine with my favorites, which just also happened to be what I already had on hand!



Take the recipe, and make it your own! And if you are anything like me, make it ahead of time!!