For most Americans, eating healthy doesn’t seem to be an option. College students are especially susceptible to eating a crappy diet with busy schedules and ready-to-eat meals waiting in the freezer, most students will vie for the easier option- which is often seen as cheaper as well. The dreaded “freshman fifteen” accounts for the pounds that many students will gain their first year away from home as they now have to cook and budget their selves for the first time. However, eating healthy doesn’t have to be necessarily any more expensive. My favorite trick is to simply “swap” out ingredients for a healthier choice. That way you can still have the food you love (Hello, fresh cut fries!) without the guilt. Here are some of my favorite and easiest “swaps”.
Swap butter for canola or olive oil.This is a no brainer. Olive oil is about 20 calories a tablespoon versus butter at 90-110.
Swap mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower.-This is an easy one and you can even swap only half or however much you want, that way you are sneaking in some veggies into your potatoes. Just mash them up like you would the potatoes (with a masher or in the food processor, add 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, and ¼ cup of milk for every 3 or 4 potatoes. Add the cauliflower in when you’re ready to mash. If you’re new to cooking, you need to boil the potatoes first- about 20 minutes.
Swap out some of your bread for lightly baked veggie. -This sounds like a hard one, but it’s not really. Cauliflower bread sticks are an easy one. Mash up the cauliflower like you would potatoes for mashed potatoes. Add an egg to help it stick together. Pat it out and roll it flat onto wax paper on a baking sheet. Make sure to lightly spray the paper with cooking spray ( I use canola oil). Add some light garlic on the top with some parsley and some cheese- try parmesan or mozzarella. Bake about 15-20 minutes and then dip in marinara sauce. Yum! Pizza sticks without all of the carbs. You saved enough calories for desert!
Use sweet fruit as a sweetener in your tea, etc.Try throwing a couple frozen strawberries or your choice of fruit into your tea or water for some extra flavor instead of reaching for a soda or sugary drink.Drop a couple mint leaves or pieces of fruit into your ice cube tray with water before freezing- then you can add a little flavor to an iced drink.
If you’re baking, try cutting the amount of sugar you use in half, and instead use a tablespoon or two of applesauce. Apples are naturally sweet and it will add a nice texture to your sweets. This is especially good in cookies or cakes. If you are using applesauce, you won’t need as many eggs- I would recommend subtracting one egg from the recipe if you are using any applesauce. Vegans can use applesauce in baking instead of eggs- it makes your mixture stick together just as well as with eggs and adds some extra yummy apple taste.
Swap French Fries or Chips for CarrotsCut carrots (not baby carrots) into thin slices like a potato chip. If you’re doing fries, grate them from the side a little thicker. Lightly flavor with some sea salt, curry powder, or honey depending on if you want sweet or salty chips. Spread them out in a THIN layer evenly on aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Lightly coat them with olive oil. Cook at 425 for 25 minutes for crunchy chips or fry them lightly on either side about 3 minutes for fries.
For desert swap ice cream for frozen yogurtYou can save about 50-100 calories a serving, and it tastes just as good. Jazz it up with some sliced fruit or some nuts.