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HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES

I am continually looking for healthy alternatives, recipes and resources that will help us stay (at least somewhat) fit. My idea of "healthy alternatives" centers around . . .
 -less processed foods and ingredients; foods that are as fresh as possible.
 -inclusion of foods that are nutrient dense (often referred to as "super" foods these days) — bright green, red and yellow veggies, whole grains, olive oil, fish, poultry, nuts & seeds, fruits, dried beans.
-reliance on healthy cooking methods and techniques.
-moderation.
 On this page I will share some of my favorite resources and links to recipes I've posted on our Home page.

FAVORITE SOURCE FOR RECIPES & INFO: 
http://www.eatingwell.com

BEST FIND YET - Prepare Your Own Recipe Nutrition Label: http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
Type in recipe ingredients (or cut & paste from your recipe) and number of servings, hit “Analyze Recipe” . . . and, like magic, a nutrition label for your recipe appears! This is online – nothing to download. I have tried a number of others; most require multiple steps, are tedious to use and the results do not seem to be in line with other similar recipes. This one is easy, seems to be accurate and it is now my go-to recipe analyzer!

HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF THE INFO ON A NUTRITION LABEL? 
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

·        WHAT’S THE RIGHT AMOUNT?
o   Recommended daily CALORIE intake. (Access table by clicking on CALORIE.)
o   DRI (daily recommended intake) for VITAMINS, MINERALS & MACRONUTRIENTS (Access table by clicking on DRI.)
o   Fiber – 25 to 30g. Check out eHow Health for ideas on how to increase fiber in the diet.

·        HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
o   Cholestorol  -- The American Heart Association recommends less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day through food for people with no heart disease risk factors, and recommends less than 200 mg per day through food for people who have any heart disease risk factors. 
o    Sodium  – In its most recent recommendation the American Heart Association lowered the recommended amount of sodium  to 1500mg per day. 
     
·  FOR MORE INFO. The National National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) in an attempt to educate the public about nutrition, physical activity and weight control and to treat of elevated cholesterol has released it’s  new "Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes" (TLC) Guidelines. They offer great explanations concerning the terminology used on nutrition labels and offer lots of helpful examples. (Access table by clicking on TLC Guidelines.)

LINKS TO RECIPES ON OUR HOME PAGE -- click on recipe name to access
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagel Chips
Cranberry Jigglers
Double Dark Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies (dairy, wheat & soy free)
Eggplant & Red Pepper Dip
Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic
Oat Energy Balls
Olive Crostini
Olives, Roquefort 
Rosemary Toasted Nut Blend
Salad Bread
Yogurt for just 2 in a 3-qt Instant Pot
Drinks
Chai Almond Smoothie
Cauliflower, Oven Roasted
Chocolate Breakfast Shake
Cucumber Water
Kale-and-Blueberry Salad w/ Buttermilk Dressing
Latte, Golden Milk (turmeric)
Meadow Tea (Amish Mint Tea)
Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
Purple Power Smoothie
Salads -- Sides & Main Dish
Asian Salad, Crunchy w/ edamame & ramen noodles
Black Bean & Corn Salad
Black Bean Fiesta in a Jar w/ Lime Cilantro Dressing
Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Pecans & Cranberries 
 Butternut Squash - how to roast for puree
Cauliflower, Riced
 Chicken & Wild Rice Salad
Cucumber & Veggie Kimchi, Fresh
Fruit Salad, Winter
Grapefruit-Avocado Salad
Green Bean, Ham (substitute Turkey) & Potato Salad, Marinated 
Pasta Salad, Garden
Peach & Chicken Salad
Pork & Apple Autumn Salad
Quinoa Salad w/ Cranberries & Walnuts
Quinoa Salad, Santa Fe-style 
Spinach & Rice (Green Rice)
Spinach Salad, Korean 
Spinach & Salmon Salad
Spinach & Strawberry Salad
Tomato, Cucumber & Avocado Salad
Tomatoes, Marinated 
Tortilla Chips, Baked
Veggie Salad, Marinated 
Waldorf Salad w/ Dates
Waterneon & Toasted Pecan Salad
Soup
Bean Stew over Creamy Polenta
Beet Borscht
Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Broc-Cheese Soup
Chicken & Kale Soup
Chicken Orzo Soup
Chicken Soup, Sicilian
Cream of Kale Soup
Eat & Lose Soup
Kale w/ Ham
Lentil & Vegetable-Barley Stoup
Split Pea Soup
White Bean & Swiss Chard Soup
Entrées
Asian Salad, Crunchy w/ edamame & ramen noodles
Black Bean Chip & Dip Burgers
Black Bean Fiesta in a Jar w/ Lime Cilantro Dressing
 Black-eyed Pea Stew over Polenta
Cauliflower "Steaks" w/ Cauliflower "Rice"
Cabbage, Stuffed
Cauliflower Soup, Roasted
Chicken, Confetti  on a pepper, corn & bean base
Chicken Enchiladas, a healthier version 
Chicken, Lemon
Chicken, "Magic"
Chicken, Mexican w/ Corn-Bean Salsa
Chicken (Pepper Chicken)  over Spaghetti Squash
Chicken Skewers w/ Tzatzkiki & Veggies
Chicken Strips, Parmesan-Crusted
Chicken Stir-Fry
Chicken West
Chickpea (roasted) Gyros w/ Tzatzika
Chinese Fried Quinoa w/ chicken
Egg, Poached, on Spinach
Jambalaya w/ Shrimp & Chicken
Lemon Linguine w/ Shrimp
Lentil Shepherd's Pie
Meatballs, Basic
Pea & Mushroom Ramen "Risotto"
Quinoa Patties w/ Cheese
Ramen Noodle Bowls
Rice & Bean Bowls
Rice (brown), Cheddar & Spinach Pie
Salad-in-a-Jar, Italian-style
Salmon, Panko-Crusted
Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Shrimp Scampi
Souffles, (gluten & dairy free)
Veggies & Sides
Asparagus & Pea Pasta, Springtime
Asparagus, Sesame-Grilled
Brussels Sprout-leaf Salad
Butternut Squash w/ Walnuts
Cabbage & Potatoes
Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet
Gazpacho
Okra Fries, Roasted
Okra, Oven-Fried
Quinoa Patties w/ Cheese
Quinoa w/ Veggies
Rice, Baked
Roasted Tomatoes 
Sauerkraut (Fermented Cabbage) by the quart
Spaghetti Squash, Scrumptious
Spaghetti Risotto
Spaghetti Squash
Tacos, Lettuce
Breads & Cereals
Almost No-Knead Crusty Multi-Seeded Wheat & Grain Bread
Bagel Chips
Banana Bread
Cinnamon-Craisin English Muffin Bread
Granola
Granola, Nutty Pumpkin
Lavash. Middle Eastern cracker-bread
Oat & Apple Muffin Bites, GLUTEN-FREE
Oat Muffins, Saucy 
Oatmeal, Overnight (Muesli)
Pancakes, whole grains w/ oat, nut & cinnamon
Pitas that Puff
Pumpkin Crusty Bread, Artisan - almost no-knead
Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
Pumpkin Seed Flatbread
Socca - Gluten-free Flatbread
Wild Rice Bread
Yam Rolls
Zoodles—Zucchini Noodles
Desserts (although most are not totally guilt-free, these do meet some of our criteria for “healthy alternatives”)
Almond Orange Cake
Applesauce, Healthy Fall Parfait version w/ pomegranates & yogurt
 Banana "Kinda-like" Ice Cream
Coconut Whipped Cream
Chocolate Covered Dates
 Chocolate Mousse, Healthy (made w/ avocado)
Custard made w/ honey
Date "Caramel: bars with Oats & Walnuts - gluten & refined sugar free 
Fruit, Nut & Seed Roll (no added sugars)
Honey Almond Cake (gluten free w/ natural sweetening)
 Peanut & Jelly Power Bars
Pears, Honeyed & Baked with Walnuts
Prunes, Stewed
Prune Whip
Sunflower Seed Cookies

Also check out the MIXES & MORE tab at the top of the page for other recipes.

INTERESTING ONLINE RESOURCES:
Low-Calorie, Lower Fat Alternative Foods 
Healthy Eating Plan
Recipe Modification — I found an extremely helpful chart from  Ohio State University Extension  - Healthy Recipe Modification Tip Sheet.
  Other helpful sites . . 
  Recipe Modification Ideas for Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet
  Start Right, Eat Right Recipe Modification chart