Healthier Foods

[nattyg18]

I'd love to make my favourite foods healthier. does anyone have any suggestions to improve lasgne, Pizza, and Spag Bol. Thanks =]

[ruthiebabie]

For the mince based meals try using turkey mince - much lower in fat. If you make sure you use plenty of seasoning (garlic, mixed herbs etc) you won't be able to tell the difference when its cooked down.

You could make your own white sauce for the lasagne using a lower fat cheese which would help.

For the pizza again make your own base using a dough mix as you can then make it nice and thin. Load it high with veggies and low fat mozzarella.

[funnygirl]

If you cannot abide turkey mince, use half beef mince and mix with soya mince. Believe you me, you won't notice the difference!!

[leelapops]

You've all made me very hungry! Try cramming your spag bol sauce with veggies, if you aren't keen on particular textures, you can grate veg in, so you get all the benefits without the lumps!

Vege mince is a good idea (apparently if it is in a sauce you can't tell the difference!), and even making your own pasta and pizza sauce with tomatoes and lotas of grated or finely chopped veg will up the healthy bit :)

[icequeenk]

Someone suggested to me recently to use mashed potato as a base for pizza, I've not tried it but you never know lol.

Use wholewheat pasta when you can, use olive oil and drain off any juice that comes out the meat when you brown it as it contains a lot of fat that comes out of the meat.

Lasagne, use skimmed milk to make your sauce, and lower fat cheese. You can't use low fat spread for your roux though, it doesn't thicken the sauce as well.

I don't like the vege mince personally, it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you make spag bol but with chilli you don' t notice it at all. Enjoy with brown rice.

Hope that helps a little I've not gone on too long.

K

[Scarlett]

Lasagne: Use powdered cheese sauce from Holland and Barrett which is dairy-free. Use meat-free mince too! Either vegeat or quorn. Or you could make a veggie one instead! Also have less layers of pasta and more veg filling.

Pizza use half-fat cheese and again, as many veg as you can. Avoid meaty bits. Make the base thin. Serve with a big salad so you put less pizza on your plate!

Spag bol- wheat free spag if you can get it. Add veg to the mince to bulk it out- peas, mushrooms, whatever you like. Use less mince- either turkey or again, quorn etc.

[Scarlett]

Also don't add salt if you can help it! Add seasoning instead- pepper, herbs. garlic, paprika etc

[nattyg18]

Thanks so much, i'll try some of your suggested allternatives. You've been really helpful. =]