Feeling at a loss without bread, pasta and chips in your life?
These amazing healthy swaps are our new favourite indulgences. You can stick to your healthy eating plan without missing out on tasty treats like chips and mash.
1 Cheat chips
Carrots, parsnip and butternut squash all make great alternatives to the mighty spud.
Crispy Baked Carrot Chips
Via Tofu for Two
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 4 large carrots, scrubbed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
- a dash of olive oil to coat
- Sea salt flakes to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Cut the carrot into thin chips-size sticks, then toss them with the thyme, chilli flakes and the olive oil. There’s no need to use much oil, just enough to coat the carrots.
3. Spread the carrot sticks on a baking sheet in one layer, and sprinkled them with the salt. Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 45 minutes, tossing them halfway through, until slightly charred and crispy.
2 Use your noodle
Using a Spiralizer or julienne peeler you can make pasta or noodles out of vegetables to go with your favourite sauce. Courgette and butternut squash make the best vegetable pasta alternatives.
Courgetti (pasta made with courgette!) with Cashew and Basil pesto
Serves 2
Image via The Coco Collective
Recipe via Madeleine Shaw
Ingredients
- 3 courgettes
- 1 clove of garlic
- a pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup of cashew nuts
- 2 cups of basil leaves
- ½ cup of olive oil
Directions:
1. Place the courgette in a spiralizer or use a knife or julienne peeler to create your courgetti. Place this in a bowl.
2. To make the pesto; blend the garlic, salt, nuts and basil in a food processor, slowly add in the olive oil until fully incorporated.
3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and stir-fry the courgetti for a couple of minutes to heat and gently cook.
4. Divide the courgetti between two bowls and top with the pesto. Top with baked cod or salmon fillet for an even heartier meal.
3 I can’t believe it’s not potato mash
Butternut Squash Mash
Hate peeling the cumbersome squash? All you’ve got to do is cut it in half and scoop out the seeds for this brilliant recipe.
Serves 4
Via Rachel Cooks
- 1 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise and de-seeded
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/2 cup almond milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with foil. Rub the squash halves with oil and sprinkle with spices and salt. Place the halves flesh side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to one hour or until tender.
2. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and put in a large bowl. Add the almond milk and use a potato masher (or blender) to achieve mash-like consistency.
4 Moreish Crisps that are so healthy you can have more and MORE
Colourful crisps that are tasty and good for you? SOLD.
Beetroot and Carrot Crisps
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 225g carrots, peeled
- 3-4 medium beetroot, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
- Optional: Herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, or spices such as cumin
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Slice the carrots and beetroot as thinly as possible and pat the slices dry with paper towels.
3. Place them in a bowl (1 for each), add 1 tablespoon oil to each bowl, lightly sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper (and any optional herbs/spices), and toss them until they are all coated with oil.
4. Lay the slices on a lined baking tray. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan in the middle of the cooking time. It’s best to do one baking sheet at a time. If you do two at once, rotate them midway through, so they each get a chance to be on the upper tier. Check the slices periodically and remove any that are finished early, which can happen, especially if some are thinner or smaller than others. A few may take longer than 25 minutes.
5 “Rice” that’s Nice AND Healthy
Grated cauliflower is a great alternative to rice and cous cous. You can even make a lighter risotto with cauliflower. Check out the full potential of this wonder veg here.
Cauliflower tabbouleh
Serves 4
Via Oh She Glows
Ingredients:
- 1 large cauliflower, leaves removed
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 2-4 spring onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. If using a food processor, place cauliflower florets into the machine and blitz. If using a box grater, quarter the cauliflower and grate each piece until just the stem is left. Discard leftover stem pieces.
2. Dry fry the grated cauliflower in a non-stick frying pan to lightly cook. Season with a little salt and pepper. Allow to cool and place into a large bowl
2. Stir the tomatoes, the parsley, the mint, the celery and the spring onions into the bowl along with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Toss together and serve.
