If you haven’t seen old YouTube clips of me, you might be surprised! I definitely lost a lot of weight over the year.
One passion of mine that I bring to our kids cooking classes is my newfound love of HEALTHIER versions of foods, without sacrificing flavor.
It’s a key part of our virtual lessons in the Kids Can Cook Inner Circle
So try out just 1 of these substitutions! I think you’ll find it gets you 80% there in terms of flavor…and your kids might not even notice.
1 ) Low-Fat Mayo instead of regular
When we make our Healthy In-n-out Burger with “secret sauce”…that sauce is just made out of mayo and ketchup with a bit of pickle brine and chopped onions. Low-fat mayo is a great substitution, and about ⅓ of the calories and then you can use it for your hamburger sauce, or to make a healthy cabbage slaw!
2) Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
I used to HATE non-fat Chobani greek yogurt…but then I learned HOW to use it. First of all, never eat it plain..it’s terrible.
However, it’s still super high in protein and low in calories.
Instead you’ll have to sweeten it, but now YOU have control over how much sugar it has versus getting a yogurt loaded to the brim with as much sugar as a Snicker bar.
I like using Stevia or a sugar substitute, but you can also use natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or agave. Play around and even use a combo of natural and sugar-free sweeteners to add just the right amount of sweetness to balance the tanginess.
With greek yogurt that’s sweetened, you can make a parfait, add it to smoothies and even put it in pancakes or waffles for kids! More protein also ensures your kids feel satiated.
3) Almond milk instead of regular milk
1 cup of almond milk has 30 calories, versus 100 calories in 2% skim milk! I buy it in bulk at Costco and swap it out if I’m eating some cereal or making a smoothie. You can barely tell the difference.
4) Low-fat mozzarella cheese
I’ve been trying out pizzas with fat-free and reduced-fat mozzarella and the flavors are pretty good! It’s not the same…but it’s about 80% there. Plus I can load these pizzas up with turkey pepperoni or BBQ chicken and they taste great!
If you want your kids to learn to make HEALTHY versions of their favorites foods, try out a FREE 60-minute LIVE healthy dinner cooking class taught by our awesome Chef Teachers on Zoom: go to www.liftenrichment.com to claim your free lesson
Get Cooking,
Chef Eric Horwitz
