A Healthy Version of Your Favorite UNhealthy Food
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85312)
United States
December 22, 2009 6:39pm CST
I'm currently making some turkey sausage for my dinner tonight. I love turkey sausage. Because sausage itself is yummy. It's just too bad that sausage could kill me from just reading how many fat grams are in it. So I've turned my heart towards turkey sausage, and occasionally turkey bacon. Of course not in excessive quantities. I could eat them every day, but then it wouldn't do my heart much good.
My dad loves a good salad. He also loves Ranch dressing. Any weight one keeps off from a salad will be put on once regular Ranch salad dressing (check out the fat grams some time) is added to said salad. I finally found a light Ranch dressing that I think tastes just as good as the original. My dad however thinks any light Ranch dressing tastes like crud.
Any of you try to find a healthy version of one of your favorite unhealthy foods?
6 people like this
19 responses
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Ambie Pam, we have a meat grinder and make our own sausage from cuts like pork tenderloin. Our sausage is healthy and we control the ingredients. It all started with my Mom's polish sausage recipe now we are branching into breakfast sausages and other things.
If we go back to the old ways where we make our own food we learn it taste better, is healthier and is cheaper.
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (85312)
• United States
23 Dec 09
You're exactly right. But people stopped passing on all that knowledge. My great grandmother and grandmother canned their own food and grew their gardens, but my mom never learned any of that, and now I feel like I have so much to learn it's almost impossible. I think anyone who knows how to do what you are talking about it pretty stinkin' (pardon that word) cool. : )
3 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Mom only made polish sausage. The rest of the recipes I am finding on the internet and going to specialty shops. My next goal is to make my homemade bread higher in fiber and healthier...then I will tackle pastas.
We are also making healthy muffins. My husband makes awesome muffins with carrots and raisins, they weigh a ton but are high in fiber and very low in fat!
2 people like this
@snafushe (791)
• Canada
23 Dec 09
Spaghetti! We have spaghetti noodles made out of zucchini, which has been skinned really thin, and then you have it with a tomato sauce. It's actually really good! Another healthy version of a meal I like are tofu burgers, and you have them in pitas instead of buns. It's way less carbs! A healthy alternative for breakfast would be puffed rice, with sucanat raw sugar, and soy milk. I grew up eating health food. It seems weird to me to eat at Mcdonalds or A&W. I had never tried white sugar until I was 13 years old!
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Thank you for mentioning the turkey sausage and turkey bacon, I have never tried it but will next time I go shopping. I do buy the light dressings though, some times I find them drab, in flavor, but most of the time you can't really tell the difference. I have heart disease and know that I should keep as much fat out of my diet as I can, but like you father, hate to give up the good stuff. I will try the bacon and sausage though.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Thankfully I really don't eat much sausage, but have to admit when I do I love good old fashioned Italian sausages...groans...yes loaded with fat, but since I don't have it much, what the heck, right? As far as turning something that might not be too healthy into something healthier...yes, I've done that with some of the French recipes I cook, say for instance sauce Morney which is kind of a glorified white sauce, but the original recipe calls for egg yolks, cream and and shredded swiss cheese..talk about cholesterol heaven...so instead of the cream I just add regular milk or skim milk, and omit the egg yolks...for the life of me can't tell the difference
2 people like this
Bon appetit!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Healthy choice ice cream....I am not kidding...it tastes like what we used to make homemade on the farm when I was growing up....and it is so much better for you...there are a few other things also that are good but diet....like some of the weight watchers desserts....they are yummy!
2 people like this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
23 Dec 09
I'm with your dad on that one. I can't stand the light Ranch dressing, although my family can't tell the difference. I usually make my own with the mix. I use less mayo than what they call for (dressing will be thinner), and I also use mayo that's made from olive oil. It still has the fat, but it's a healthier fat that what is in the bottled dressing.
I haven't tried that turkey bacon, since I don't buy it very often. But I love the various turkey sausages, the sage, country and Italian styles. I've also swapped to using ground turkey instead of hamburger in many recipes. It's not only healthier, but you really can't tell the different in many of them. Have you tried a ground turkey burger with guacamole yet?
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
31 Dec 09
I don't really have any unhealthy Food as I to love my Salads and things like that
In the winter I am more into Stews and Vegetables
I am not to keen on things like sausages chips (fries) bacon or anything like that
It is also very rare that I have a dressing on my Salad lol
Yes I know I am strange but that is me lol
@Shaun72 (15959)
• Palatka, Florida
23 Dec 09
I love bacon myself. I don't eat it all the time but it has a great taste. I have never tried turkey bacon but it is a healthy lifestyle and good for you heart to change. I think I have tried turkey sauage years ago. I love ranch dressing but I eat light Ranch salad dressing.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
23 Dec 09
Ambie...everyone jumped out of the closet today...I have 3 pages of discussions..and dont have time to answer. I will try....but it's crazy....know I am blessed to have you acknowledge me as a friend....myLot is very slow with everyone on the bandwagon...so will respond later. Please take care, you are often thought about...with all my blessings for a special time...and big HUGZ, with respect to your back....HUG and cheers!
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85312)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Everyone went crazy when they read that today people would earn twice the amount for posting today. I think they forgot though that responding to people's discussions will make them just as much money if not more than starting a bunch of their own discussions at once. I have about 300 discussions from mylotters in my inbox. I'm trying to get to them all tonight, but I don't think I'm gonna!
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
23 Dec 09
On Monday, I finally got off the Island, and did my Christmas shopping...and I usually buy ground turkey for sausage rolls, quiches, even home-made tacos or pizza! GET THIS.....GROUND TURKEY---$7.99 a pound (454gm)...GROUND CHICKEN---$1.99 a pound (454)gm....that's $6.00 a pound difference, and there is very, very little difference in nutritional value...and fat content!
Regarding RANCH, or other dressings...have you tried the powdered mixes as you can use what you want..low-fat yogurt, sour cream..and add a touch of lemon, worchestershire or "your choice" for flavour. I quite like them, as I can manipulate the flavour.
The very best to you .. and your's this holiday season...and my favourite Irish blessing...May you BEST day in 2009...be your WORST day in 2010. A big Holiday HUG and Cheers!
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
23 Dec 09
I use ground Turkey all the time, in Spaghetti, Lasagne, Meatball stew, anything that calls for ground beef. I love it, been doing this for years. I'm not too fond of Turkey bacon though, seems kind of tough or something but maybe it's the way I cook it. I also just eat Turkey burgers. I love Salad so I just eat to my hearts content with whatever dressing I like, but only a little of it. Sometimes I just like Balsamic vinegar on my salad, yummy.
2 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Oh yes, there are so many things that are unhealthy for us that even things that are healthy can be unhealthy if we continue to put all the added stuff on top of it. I love salad but get chicken, cheese, bacon, etc on the salad depending on where I get it from. If it's store bought then It's just the salad, maybe a bit of cheese and that's it.
2 people like this
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
23 Dec 09
I have to but haven't done it yet. I ned to lose weight as I have a cardiac problem so will just have t do it from January. Just have to make up my mind and do it. A friend here on Mylot has lost over 50lbs and I think that that is amazing. She used to have the 100 calorie sweet snacks to help her cravings. I am going to try. I have messed around all year just talking and no action
1 person likes this
@celebratelifeh (1142)
• China
23 Dec 09
i prefer the home made food since i can control every step to make sure that's healthy enough. but sometimes we have to eat outside and do not know wether the matrial the restraunt used is healthy and clean enough or not . good tips about healthy food shared.thanks.
2 people like this
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
23 Dec 09
One of my favorite is the bacon. I like bacon on pizza, bacon sandwich and then of course for breakfast. I too have turned to Turkey bacon. If you don't over cook it is pretty good stuff. Also I cook all my other meat in the oven. I add a little water to the pan and this makes the fat cook in the water.
Keep smiling.
@GardenGerty (157486)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Now I had heard that the turkey version of bacon is actually less healthy as it has lots of sodium to try to make it taste like real bacon. I will put salsa on a salad instead of dressing. I think the best thing for me to lighten up is chili, and I do use ground turkey in it, and more beans and tomatoes to help reduce the fat. Another thing we do is to use skinless chicken in almost every chicken dish we make.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85312)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Really? I have not purchased turkey bacon in forever (although this morning I almost did), but now I'm not going to at all. I didn't know that. But yet, turkey chili is good! Another good example. I was on a turkey chili craze about two months ago. Every night for dinner I made turkey chili with no beans.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
23 Dec 09
I saw that on Dr. oz, the audience had to pick things they though were more deadly, and they had to choose between regular bacon I can't remember if it was leaner or what and turkey bacon and the turkey bacon was actually worse.
sometimes I eat brown rice instead of white rice.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
23 Dec 09
hi a mbiepam I love sausage too but as you say most of its too high in fat, I love hillshire farms lower fat sausages I am not too fond of turkey bacon as it still has a lot of salt in it that I am not supposed to have. I have high blood pressure. I love hidden valley low fat ranch its just as good as the fat version.also i use Bartellis spaghetti plus as it has added protein and omega 3 and 6 and tastes just great with bartelli tomato sauce with basil and garlic i always add more garlic to it too and its so good and it does not raise my blood sugar like ordinary spaghetti does.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
24 Dec 09
i DO PRETTY GOOD WHEN I'M JUST COOKING FOR MYSELF BUT MY KIDS DON'T LIKE MY TEA OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT I COOK that i use sweetner in such as tea & anything that has sugar. They are just spoiled brats, lol. I will have to admit i have tried to sneak the sweetner in but my son can tell it every time so i have quit trying that. He doesn't care that his mom is fat.lol
