Looking for an easier way to to control your weight? Whole grains could be a game changer, according to findings from a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Simply swapping refined grains (white bread, white rice, and pretzels, etc.) for 100% whole grains encourages the body to burn calories and boost your metabolism. Jackpot!
More Whole Grains: A Step in the Right Direction
Here’s what’s so exciting about this study.
The group of men and women in the study who replaced refined grains with whole grains took up fewer calories from the food they ate, and burned more calories without exercising more. Those losses amounted to about 100 calories a day compared to the group who ate refined grains.
A consistent intake of whole grains could help head off unhealthy weight gain that tends to occur with age. While weight control isn’t a precise science, swapping 100% whole grains for the refined kind could add up to a “savings” of 36,500 calories a year, or the equivalent of about 10 pounds – as long as you don’t increase calorie intake or decrease physical activity. Balanced diets rich in whole grains also help reduce the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, too, which is nothing to sneeze at!
How to Get More Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice, contain the entire grain kernel. Whole grains are naturally high in fiber, phytonutrients (beneficial plant compounds) and other nutrients.
Experts suggest making half of the grains you eat whole grains, for a minimum of three servings of whole grains daily. A portion is 1-ounce slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked grain, or about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal.
OK, so you’re not totally on board with whole grains, but it may be easier, and more delicious, than you think to get the whole grains you need. Here’s how to work more whole grains into your eating plan:
• Have oatmeal (I make oats with dairy milk for the calcium, vitamin D, and protein it provides) or a whole grain ready-to-eat cereal such as plain Cheerios or the store brand equivalent with milk and fruit for breakfast, or as a snack.
• Add 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal to your favorite fruit smoothie recipe.
• Substitute 3/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour for all-purpose white flour in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.
• Swap white bread for 100% whole grain bread. Make sure you see the words whole wheat, oatmeal, or whole oats as one of the first terms in the ingredient list.
• Experiment with whole grains such as farro, freekeh, quinoa, millet, teff, and whole grain barley as side dishes. Make extra whole grains and add to soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.
• Switch to whole grain cornmeal when making muffins, cornbread, and polenta.
• Make your own trail mix using 1/2 cup whole grain cereal, dried fruit, and nuts.
• Enjoy whole grain crackers instead of highly refined white versions, and whole wheat English muffins instead of a plain bagel.
• Munch on popcorn instead of pretzels or snack chips. Popcorn is a whole grain!
• On pizza night, opt for prepared whole wheat crust or whole wheat pizza dough.
Eating a more plant-based diet doesn’t mean ditching dessert. Indulge in this Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter “Ice Cream.” It’s satisfying, heart-healthy, vegan, and it’s even gluten-free!
Frozen bananas and peanut butter make this “ice cream” vegan, gluten-free, and delicious!
Is Ice Cream Bad for You?
I’m not a big believer in “good and bad foods” because it takes away from the importance of an overall healthy eating pattern. Healthy eating patterns can include all types of foods.
I didn’t set out to make this ice cream vegan or gluten-free; it just happened that way! I just looking for a dessert that would satisfy me as much as real ice cream. While ice cream has more fat and added sugar than this homemade creamy chocolate peanut butter concoction, I still eat it. Choosing this vegan alternative provides a delicious way to include more plant foods.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Nice Cream
Bananas are the silent ingredient in this healthy frozen delight, and they make it unnecessary to add dairy products and sugary sweeteners. The ripest bananas are the sweetest and make the creamiest “nice cream.”
Bananas also offer fiber and potassium, and are responsible for the smooth, rich texture of this creamy chocolate peanut butter treat. One portion of “nice cream” also supplies a serving of fruit.
I keep chunks of frozen banana in the freezer to use on a moment’s notice. You can also freeze chopped bananas for at least two hours before making this, or other recipes, such as smoothies. You can also buy bags of sliced, frozen bananas to have on hand.
Keep frozen bananas on hand to make “ice cream” fast.
The Health Benefits of Cocoa Powder
You’ve probably heard that dark chocolate is good for you. Milk and dark chocolate are a mixture of ingredients, including sugar, and cocoa butter, the fat that is removed from cocoa beans during processing. Cocoa powder is the dried solids that result from that processing and it is ground up, packaged, and found in grocery stores.
Unsweetened cocoa powder contains flavonoids, which are plant-based compounds. An eating plan rich in flavonoids is linked to less inflammation in the body, proper blood flow, and reducing blood pressure. Cocoa powder that is not “Dutch-process” is richer in flavonoids.
I use unsweetened cocoa powder in my “ice cream” because it delivers deep chocolate flavor without any added sugar. You can also add cocoa powder to savory dishes, such as chili, to amp up flavor and nutrition.
Cocoa powder provides intense chocolate flavor without the fat.
Why Peanut Butter is Good For You
“Is peanut butter bad for you?” is a question that I get a lot. My answer: only if you are allergic to peanuts!
Peanut butter is a source of several nutrients, including protein, heart-healthy fats, and potassium. Just two tablespoons of peanut butter provides an excellent source of manganese (not to be confused with magnesium!). Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to make energy, protect cells from damage, and support a healthy immune system, among other functions.
Natural peanut butter is often free of added sugar. If you’re want to limit sugar, check the package to be sure the peanut butter doesn’t contain added sugars. Learn how to make homemade peanut butter with no added sugar from Sally Kuzemchak over at Real Mom Nutrition. (Hint: It’s easy!)
My mother taught me a lot about food, including how to work with what you have on hand to make nutritious meals. She lived through many years when money was tight, and her creativity, coupled with a refusal to waste food, served her well for feeding a family of five. My mom’s how-to-make-do in the kitchen attitude has stuck with me, shaping how I cook, which, of course, includes ingredient substitutions!
Making quiche is a great way to use up vegetables, cheese, and eggs.
It’s easy and delicious to make ingredient swaps
When I came across an Ellie Krieger recipe in the Washington Post for Roasted Salmon with Artichoke Topping, I wanted to make it for dinner. Problem was, I only had half of the ingredients in the house, and I wasn’t going to the store at 6 PM to get the rest. So, channeling my mother’s flexibility with food, I changed Ellie’s recipe by:
• Using canned, drained artichoke hearts instead of the frozen kind.
• Whipping cottage cheese in the food processor to stand in for ricotta cheese.
• Swapping in half as much dried parsley for fresh.
• Using sundried tomato pesto instead of plain sundried tomatoes.
• Substituting regular salt instead for sea salt.
• Relying on minced, prepared garlic instead of fresh
The result? Scrumptious! It goes to show that the best recipes, like Ellie’s, will turn out just fine, even when tweaked quite a bit.
My version of Ellie Krieger’s Roasted Salmon with Artichoke Topping. Almost the same, but not quite.
You don’t always need a recipe to cook
Improvisation in the kitchen comes naturally to me, but I have to admit that I had doubts about messing with Ellie’s recipe because I was sure that she had worked hard to get it just right. However, as Jacques Pepin explains in this video, even if I had used the same ingredients, my results could have turned out differently than Ellie’s.
Pepin says a recipe is merely a point of departure, and that ingredients and preparation can, and must, change to fit each particular situation. As a recipe developer, that’s music to my ears. I want my recipes to “work” so badly for my readers that I get panicky about home cooks getting the same results as I do, but I guess I shouldn’t worry so much. Changing up ingredients offers the opportunity to make food that suits your tastes.
It seems as if my mother was on the same page as Pepin, in her everyday-cook sort of way. As a mom with a full-time job, she managed to have a home cooked dinner on the table for us every week night. I’m not sure she thought too hard about how a recipe would turn out; she seemed to know that her results would be OK, even with alterations. And that’s all that matters.
My mother taught me a lot about making do in the kitchen.
Common ingredient substitutions to make do in the kitchen
Being willing to improvise, and knowing how, helps you to be a better, more efficient food manager (which saves money), and helps you get food on the table without fussing. These days, it’s likely you are improvising more than ever.
Use what you have on hand to make delicious, easy meals.
Coming up short on ingredients shouldn’t deter you from making most recipes, especially baked goods. Here are the ingredient substitutions I use to make do in the kitchen, which also include healthy swaps and vegan ingredient substitutions.
• Baking powder: Here’s what to use in place of baking powder, and these are equal to a 1 teaspoon substitution: ¼ teaspoon baking soda mixed with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/2 cup plain yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking soda and reduce the liquid in what you’re baking by 1/2 cup.
• Brown sugar (1 cup): 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons molasses or dark corn syrup
• Butter: Use equal amounts of plain canned pumpkin; or make this butter to vegetable oil conversion by using ¾ as much vegetable oil, such as canola, as butter in the recipe.
• Buttermilk: (1 cup): Pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar in a cup measure and fill the rest of the cup with milk; or use 1 cup plain yogurt thinned out with 1 tablespoon milk.
• Cream (for a creamy soup): Puree cooked garbanzo beans, lentils, or any cooked legume and add to soup; or add mashed potatoes to soup for extra creaminess.
• Egg (1): These work best in recipes that don’t require eggs as a leavener: ½ medium mashed banana; or ½ cup applesauce as a replacement or other pureed fruit, such as prunes; or 1 tablespoon ground flax seed or chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water (allow to rest for at least 1 minute before using). See this post for other egg substitutes.
Learnhow to use the fluid from canned garbanzo beans in place of eggs!
•Flour, all-purpose (for thickening soups and sauces only, 1 tablespoon): 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• Flour (all-purpose, 1 cup): Use 1 cup rolled oats or 1 ½ cups oat flour. To make oat flour, place uncooked oats in a food processor and process into a fine, flour-like texture.
• Honey: Equal amount of maple syrup; or 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar plus ¼ cup water; or molasses; or agave syrup.
• Lemon juice substitutions: Try lime, orange, or grapefruit juice, or plain or flavored vinegars, depending on the recipe.
• Mayonnaise: Equal amount of mashed ripe avocado or hummus. Plain Greek yogurt is also a healthy substitute for mayonnaise.
• Meat or poultry: Beans, lentils, edamame, textured vegetable protein, tofu, or tempeh. Use an equal amount of chopped, sautéed mushrooms or cooked beans, to extend meat or poultry in dishes such as chili, burgers, lasagna, and pizza.
Read all about how to make less meat feed more people!
• Milk (1 cup): These milk substitutes can be used in baking: ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water; OR nonfat dry milk prepared according to package; OR an equal amount of plain yogurt or sour cream; OR 1 cup of water plus 1 ½ teaspoons melted butter.
• Nuts: Equal amount of dried fruit, such as raisins; or sunflower, chia, or hemp seeds.
• Pizza crust: Tortilla, English muffin, sandwich wrap, pita bread, Naan, bagel, deli flats.
• Riccotta cheese: Equal amount of pureed plain cottage cheese.
• Rice: Equal amount of farro, freekeh, barley, millet, quinoa, or oatmeal.
• Sour cream replacement in baking, dips, and side dishes: Equal amount of plain regular or plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt also makes a healthy substitute for mayonnaise.
• Sugar (granulated): ¾ cup honey for every cup of sugar in baked goods; mashed bananas, applesauce, and other fruit purees add natural sweetness to muffins, pancakes, and quick breads.
• Sugar (powdered): Place granulated sugar in a food processor and process until the sugar has a fine texture.
• Tomato sauce: Combine equal amounts of tomato paste and water.
• Chocolate hazelnut spread: Melt ½ cup dark chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl. Stir in 1 cup smooth peanut butter until well combined. Cool.
• Vegetable oil substitutes in baking: Use equal amounts of applesauce as a replacement, or plain canned pumpkin puree, or other pureed fruit; or 1¼ as much butter as called for in the recipe.
Using beans in chili cuts down on the meat in this hearty dish.
Chili is the perfect meal for cooler days, and you can put it together fast with canned goods, such as beans and tomatoes. Easy beef and bean chili is is lighter on beef than most recipes, packed with vegetables, and features a secret ingredient that boosts flavor and nutrition without overpowering the dish.
It’s a good idea to make a double batch of this easy, nutritious dish, especially when you have lots of mouths to feed. Freeze what you don’t use for later.
Why canned beans are good for you
Canned beans are a godsend. Beans supply protein, fiber, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. And, as part of a balanced diet, beans can help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood that lead to clogged arteries and heart disease.
In addition, beans are rich in prebiotics that feed the good bacteria in your gut, which benefits your health in several ways. Most of your immune system is located in your gut, which is why it’s helpful to eat foods that promote the beneficial bacteria that help prevent you from getting sick.
It’s OK to used canned beans, which are already cooked!
I choose canned beans for the sake of convenience and because I usually forget to buy dried beans and soak them! Rinse canned beans to reduce their sodium content by as much as 40%.
How to make vegetarian chili
This recipe is flexible. Skip the meat and add more beans and tomatoes to make a vegetarian chili, or use different types of beans, such as white kidney beans and garbanzo beans.
Also, I’m a wimp, so I keep the heat to a minimum. You can add chili powder, jalapeño peppers, more cumin, or any other spice you like. It’s your choice!
Unsweetened cocoa powder intensifies the flavors in chili and other savory dishes.
How to Use Cocoa Powder in Chili
You may be used to cocoa powder in brownies, cake, and smoothies. While cocoa powder is often associated with desserts, I also use it in this chili recipe. Unsweetened cocoa powder upgrades easy beef and bean chili by intensifying the flavor, and you won’t even know it’s there.
Cocoa powder is also good for you.
Cocoa contains antioxidants called flavonoids. While it’s unclear exactly how flavonoids benefit health, they may help to lower blood pressure, which protects the heart and the brain.
Buy unsweetened cocoa powder that hasn’t been treated with alkaline, which reduces flavonoid content. Avoid Dutch-process cocoa, which has lower flavonoid levels.
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!