Tips on modifying recipes?

[NeonJungle]

Hi, all, I've heard about using apple sauce in recipes as opposed to vegetable oil, and I tried it one time, and the "product" (cause it was so awful I can't even call it a cake) turned out nasty. It was heavy and flat and didn't taste very good.

What tips do you have on changing recipes to be healthier (like using applesauce or splenda instead of sugar) but that still taste good? My DH has become the biggest fan of healthy food as of late (though we both know artificial sweeteners aren't the visual aide of health), after he began watching what he ate and he lost 25 pounds.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated! :)

[Michelle S.]

I add diced zucchini, mushrooms, and onion to lean ground meat when I make burgers. Keeps it moist, lowers the calories, and really ups the veggie factor.

[Ginger]

Harper, a subject I love...ask the family. When using the applesauce substitute, I try to use 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil or butter. That usually works pretty well to cut the calories w/o losing taste or texture. I have one applecake recipe that I always do that.

Michelle, it sounds like you make your own gourmet burgers. Yummy.

[NeonJungle]

Linda!! So many thanks for the idea!
~harper

[artistaii]

Harper,

Try using egg beaters in place of eggs - they work really well!!

Liz

[LoriInND]

I add diced zucchini, mushrooms, and onion to lean ground meat when I make burgers. Keeps it moist, lowers the calories, and really ups the veggie factor.

This is similar to what Michelle posted. In one of the recipes we tried from MenuMailer, there were shredded carrots in the lean ground meat. She also calls for adding oatmeal to ground meat recipes pretty often.

[NeonJungle]

Great ideas, y'all! Lori, I'll have to try MenuMailer. I've heard so much great stuff about it.

[LoriInND]

This is from www.dakotaflax.com...

"If a recipe calls for 1/3 cup of oil, replace with 1 cup of ground flax seed - a 3:1 substitution ratio. As an alternative, the flour specified in a recipe can be reduced by 25% and replaced with ground flax seed."

Has anyone used flaxseed in recipes this way? I still just grind it up and put it on my yogurt in the morning.

[Ginger]

i haven't used it that way lori, but the one way i can get my family to eat it is to put it in choc chip cookies. they think the cookies have walnuts and don't complain about fllax seed. i also grind the ch. chips - you can cut back to about 1/2 and still get the same taste bcz the choc spreads throughout the cookie. shh. don't tell them, but i also add at least 1/2 wheat flour and reduce the sugars. they notice the wheat flour change, but they tolerate it at 50%.

[LoriInND]

Ginger - DS and I made cookies with some flax substituted for flour and they were awesome ! :)

[Ginger]

thanks for trying it out and sharing the results lori! :)