Find the Healthy Foodie Within

May 18, 2017
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Become a connoisseur of nourishing bites.

It’s safe to say that the “foodie” phenomenon has swept the country. Food trucks and festivals are popping up everywhere. The ease of accessibility to recipes, tips, and tricks has set the bar high for homemade offerings at in-home festivities. While this passion for the enjoyment of food is fantastic, it’s not always synonymous with nutrition. Fortunately, there are many ways to unite your inner foodie with your inner nutritionist for absolutely satisfying (and healthy) nibbles.

Swap the Nutrition In

When you’re first entering the exciting world of cooking, you might be a bit nervous to veer from strictly following the recipe. Don’t be! Just like you might request a variation to a meal in a restaurant, you can do the same with your chef’s hat on. You’ll be pleased to know that you can swap out ingredients in your favorite recipes to ramp up the nutritional content. I bet you’ll be surprised to see that you even enjoy them better this way!

Here are a few of my favorite swaps.

• Margarine or vegetable cooking oil: Swap in a 1:1 ratio of butter, coconut, avocado, or macadamia nut oil.
• Sugar: Swap 1 teaspoon Flora-Key for every 2 teaspoons of sugar.
• 1 cup whole of skin milk: Swap 2 heaping tablespoons of Fat Flush Whey Protein mixed with 1 cup purified water.
• Hot pepper sauce: Swap with cayenne pepper.
• Salt: Swap with sea salt. For those on lower-sodium diets, use Selina Sea Salt’s Makai Pure Deep Sea Salt, which contains the lowest sodium and highest potassium levels of any comparable salt on the market.
• 1 ounce or square unsweetened baking chocolate: 3 tablespoons cacao or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
• Whole grain flour for baking: Swap in a 1:1 ratio with tigernut flour—one of my faves!
• Breading and frying: Poach in broth, water, or wine, and then bake in a covered dish to retain moisture.

Matches Made in Heaven

Spices can take almost any dish to the next level and really give them that “fancy” feel. You can easily add a metabolism-boosting, lymph-moving element to your culinary creations with the right blend of spices.

• Amp up any Asian dish with 1⁄8 cup ground ginger, 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon chopped onion.

• Try out Tex-Mex with ½ cup chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons cumin and coriander, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.

You can also cater spices to what protein and/or veggie is on the menu that night using this list:

Fish: Dill, fennel, ginger
Beef: Cumin, garlic, cloves
Lamb: Ceylon cinnamon, garlic, cloves
Poultry: Mustard, garlic, cayenne pepper
Eggs: Parsley, cumin, mustard
Soups: Bay leaf, parsley, dill
Cabbage: Anise, ginger, apple cider vinegar
Cucumber: Dill, apple cider vinegar, parsley
Greens: Garlic, apple cider vinegar, dill
Squash: Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, ginger

Also, do get creative!! There are many Fat Flush friendly herbs and spices to play around with. My newly released NEW Fat Flush Foods—one of the companion books to the NEW Fat Flush Plan—includes a fantastic list that details all the good that each one does for your body. It makes a great gift for any foodie in your life, including yourself!

Get Going (and Eating)

I’d like to leave you with a recipe featured from the NEW Fat Flush Cookbook. This taco dish is reminiscent of your favorite taco truck, but of course has that Fat Flush friendly twist that makes it all the better.

Marinated Fish in Jicama Soft Taco Shells
—All Phases, Makes 4 Servings
Marinade and Fish:
• 1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• Zest of 1 large or 2 small limes (reserve juice)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ pounds white fish like sole or bass fillets

Jicama Soft Tortillas and Fillings:
• 1 cup tomato, diced
• ½ cup scallions, sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 medium jicamas

Step 1:
• Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender and process until a paste is formed.
• Add the paste to a bowl, coat the fish in the paste, and let the fish marinate for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Remove the fish from the bowl and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Step 2:
• Gently toss the tomato, scallions, jalapeño, avocado, and cilantro together in a bowl and drizzle with the reserved lime juice.

Step 3:
• Peel the jicamas and carefully slice into thin rounds with a mandolin or sharp kitchen knife.
• Place the jicama rounds in a steamer basket over boiling water for about 3 minutes or until they become flexible.

Step 4:
• Fold each jicama round in half. Fill with the fish, add the topping mix, and enjoy!

From one healthy foodie to another, “eating is a need, enjoying is an art.”

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

1 Comment

  1. Liz

    Some great suggestions here! The fish tacos sound delicious. My local supermarket sells jicama rounds. I’m going to try this!.

    Reply

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