Substitution Obsession

I have to admit, I have become and little crazy and over excited about trying lots of fun substitutions to make recipes more healthy!

I started with substituting egg whites for whole eggs (did you know the egg white has 90% of the protein of the egg and only like 15 calories...at least that's what I read!)

I have completely switched to replacing oil in recipes with unsweetened applesauce. I just use an equal amount (ie replace 1 cup oil with 1 cup applesauce) and have never even noticed a difference!

My newest favorite is ground flaxseed (sometimes called Flaxseed Meal) to replace eggs! Flaxseed is full of fiber and heart healthy Omega-3s (I even read an article that said preliminary studies show getting more Omega-3 fatty acids may help with depression and anxiety...you never know! :)! For one egg, simply mix 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water in a small bowl and let sit for one to two minutes. Add to recipe as you would an egg! Again, I have never noticed a difference!

Here are my two favorite recipes - full of substitutions! The Zucchini bread I just tried for the first time this morning before preschool - YUMMY!! I was especially excited to find that even cutting the sugar more than in half really didn't change how delicious it was! Even Adam and the kids gave it 2 thumbs up!

Mom’s Zucchini Bread

Original recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour - Substituted 3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs - Substituted Ground Flaxseed for all 3 eggs!

1 cup vegetable oil - Substituted 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 1/4 cups white sugar - Reduced to 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini - Increased to 4 cups

1 cup chopped walnuts/chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

NUTRITION: If I figured right, my substitutions took this from 230 calories per serving, to about 112 calories per serving (24 servings)! Plus, 3 grams of fiber per serving! :)

Betsie’s Blender Wheat Pancakes

(The wondeful Betsie Sayers shared this recipe with me! It is a favorite at our house!)

Blend on High 4-5 min (I like mine a little crunchy so I only blend for 1-2 min)

1 cup milk

1 cup uncooked whole wheat

Add and blend on low

2 eggs (I substitute Flaxseed Meal for both)

1/4 cup oil (I substitute unsweetened applesauce)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp Honey

Pour onto well greased griddle. Small sizes are easier to turn. I cook mine slowly on a low heat

*These are fantastic frozen and reheated in the toaster! I make 4-5 batches on the weekend and then just pull out a few when we want them for breakfast!

Thanks again Betsie! Hope you don't mind that I shared this recipe for you! :)

NUTRITION: Again, this is just my calculations, but I figured the size I make my pancakes (about 20 per batch) to be around 40-45 calories a piece. Haven't tried figuring the fiber.

HOPE YOU TRY AND ENJOY AS MUCH AS WE DO!!