One of the things I do that helps keep me on track with eating healthfully and never feeling deprived is a little “creative substitution.”
Last week I was craving a meal my mom used to fix when I was young. It was one of those easy dinners she’d throw together when my dad was out of town because it wasn’t something he would be excited about eating. Actually, I don’t think many people would be excited about eating this (except me and maybe my siblings!) but here it is:
Hot dogs, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes with some buttered breadcrumbs sprinkled on top.
I know, it sounds a little crazy, but for some reason I thought about it and it was exactly what I wanted. Now, those of you who know me know there’s no way I’m going to eat a hotdog—not even at a Rockies game! Hotdogs contain questionable meat with antibiotics, hormones, nitrates, nitrites, and corn syrup. No thanks. And although mashed potatoes taste good, potatoes are high on the glycemic index and quickly turn to sugar in the body.
So I created a healthier version.
I found 100% grass-fed hot dogs made without hormones, antibiotics, nitrates or sugar. (I used Teton Waters brand). They tasted great! Instead of mashed potatoes I made mashed cauliflower (cauliflower chopped and cooked in one cup of chicken broth with garlic, sea salt, and pepper—then mixed in a food processor and topped with organic butter or ghee). Delicious! Sauerkraut is made with cabbage, a cruciferous, cancer-fighting vegetable, and it’s fermented-- which makes it a natural probiotic that’s great for the gut and the immune system. I heated the sauerkraut in a little olive oil, sautéed some finely chopped pecans in ghee to sprinkle on the top, and voila’! I had the meal I was craving—just as tasty as I remembered, but much healthier!
You can get creative and find healthier substitutions for almost anything you’re craving! Sometimes you just want the real thing. But if you want to eat a little healthier and not feel deprived…creative substitution works every time!
