I have company coming over at the end of January. They aren't the type that support you if you're trying to eat good and almost give you a hard time if you are. I am also really bad at having unhealthy food in the house and not eating it. Can you share any secrets of getting through situations like that?
Does anyone have any good entree recipes that don't seem healthy but are? I also need to make my husband a healthy b'day cake...anyone have any really good recipes for that?
I don't have any recipes for healthy cake - I actually hate cake - but when I'm trying to make food for a mixed crowd, I tend to make things that you can customize.
What about some homemade pizza - you can make a few different types, use lots of veggies, some lean meats and low-fat or fat-free mozzarella. Similarly, burritos or tacos sometimes work out - get some tortillas and then spread out ingredients - those who don't necessarily want to be healthy don't have to be, but you can make yours up with cooked peppers and onions, some chicken, and salsa.
Thanks, Janal. Those are some great ideas. I'll have to try one or a few of those - they should definitely help and not look too obvious that I'm dieting. Have a nice weekend.
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Originally Posted by janal14
I don't have any recipes for healthy cake - I actually hate cake - but when I'm trying to make food for a mixed crowd, I tend to make things that you can customize.
What about some homemade pizza - you can make a few different types, use lots of veggies, some lean meats and low-fat or fat-free mozzarella. Similarly, burritos or tacos sometimes work out - get some tortillas and then spread out ingredients - those who don't necessarily want to be healthy don't have to be, but you can make yours up with cooked peppers and onions, some chicken, and salsa.
Last time my husband begged me to make cupcakes I went out and got low sugar frosting AND I got reduced sugar cake mix.
A trick I learned is to buy a can of white beans- and mash them up really well, even put it in your food processor if you like- then mix that with the cake batter instead of egg and oil, add a bit of water if you like, and then bake, this will create a cake that I believe it 1/3 the calories of normal cake and tastes REALLY GOOD! I've had it before it's so moist and gooey no one will know it's healthy!
I agree with making the low fat pizzas- get all the ingrediants and get the Boboli pizza crusts and make a few pizzas- my family and I do that now- in addition to being HELLA cheaper- a whole pizza probably has like 1000 calories vs the 2000+ calories a pizza hut pizza has I also use the whole wheat crusts- I personally like them.
Go to myrecipes.com and look under healthy foods- all their cooking light and healthy recipes look so good- I've made a ton of them myself- today I'm making "mama's chicken soup" that is very healthy and looks so GOOD
I like the idea of pizzas, tex-mex type foods, but you can also make salads. Make something interesting that people can't resist. I mean salads can be really amazing dishes. For example:
- Chicken salads with marinated chicken (make it spicy, toss with a variety of dark leaf lettuces, homemade salsa, use an interesting dressing) Healthy, filling, and easy.
- Fajitas are really easy and fun and you can easily team that up with tacos and other tex-mex classics. Use meat, mushrooms, whatever you want! Cheese or no cheese, doesn't matter. You can even make your own baja sauce or something to spice it up.
- You could do a variety of casseroles that are healthy, look on the web for thousands of ideas lol.
- You could do burgers, even veggie ones, which can be really healthy. Instead of fries you can do salads or baked fresh potato slices, or other roasted veggies...
As for a cake, I would make something you know your hubby likes and it is cake so it doesn't have to be healthy. You can always choose something that is lower in fat and what not though, there are ways to skim down the calories without taking away from the cake experience.
Thanks Jacquie and Beerab - excellent ideas! I can't wait to try some of these Who woulda thunk white beans would taste good in cake. I've heard of apple sauce but not white beans. I may try that one. (My husband requested a healthy cake for the 2 of us and an unhealthy one for the rest of the fam). At least he's supportive and makes eating healthier a little easier.
Ugh!! Well I would just find things YOU LOVE TO EAT THAT ARE HEALTHY.....you have to love them, or it won't work! And really stock up on them, do your program, and let them eat whatever junk they want.
Even without houseguests, we will always be tested in this way, as we live in a junk-food culture. You need to learn to not be swayed with the choices other people are making.
DO NOT allow them to "give you a hard time." That's BS!! They're the ones who should be given a hard time, if they are not supporting somebody trying to make more positive lifestyle choices.
My Christmas houseguests were not mean at all, but they liked their snickety-snacks. I got by OK always having a lot of on-program soup or salad with every meal, that way if everybody was having pizza, I could have a cup of minestrone, a big salad, and then maybe half a slice.
I ate breakfast before they woke up -- so it didn't matter if they went to the bakery down the street and brought back a big pink box of ****, I already ate.
You could do vegetarian lasagna--heavy on the veggies and light on the bad stuff. Do a nice salad with a low-cal dressing. Cake? I am not sure on but if you Google it, you will find it.
I almost always try to entertain with a "bar" of some kind...chili bar (a lighter turkey chili with a variety of toppings), "make your own pizza" bar, baked potato bar...I can make my dinner with lighter ingredients, my guests can make theirs with whatever they want, the vegetarians can leave out the meat, etc. It really works well for entertaining in a group.
For breakfasts, you can distribute little bowls and let people fill them with scramble or omelette fillings, and again, you can fill YOUR little bowl with veggies and use egg beaters for your omelette if you're so inclined.
Thanks, Twice, Mandalinn, Thighs be Gone and K8-EEE. A buffet or make your self "bar" sounds like a good plan. I also thought about making burgers and slipping in some turkey burgers one day I like the idea of a veggie lasagna too - something I could definitely handle. I appreciate all the good ideas!
health trust me- no one will taste it! Just make sure you mash it up really good- stick it in your food processor till it's a total mush- that works faster than hand mashing- my coworker made brownies this way- and omg they were so MOIST and we were amazed when she said what was in them- the fact it was like 1/3 of the calories made it even better- and no one will know any better!
Who knows maybe your guests will leave your house a few pounds lighter lol
Salsa is great too, and what I do is put out not only the traditional tortilla chips for the rest of the folks, but I buy pita bread, split them in half, spray with pam and sprinkle on some herbs and a bit of garlic salt, and bake them in the oven for a few minutes, then break them up and put them along with the salsa. They're fat free, so I "Pig out" on the salsa and pita chips and no one is aware that I'm dieting.
The pita bread is also excellent for say the taco bar....just use those instead and fill them up with the lower-fat/calorie items.
I will second (3rd? 4th?) the pizza idea. I did the pizza thing just last week when we had friends over. I made pizza crust in the bread machine, and then form mini pizzas in non stick pie pans. I put out tomato sauce and cheese, and all kinds of toppings. Everyone could make their pizza as healthy (or not) as the wanted. Add a salad or veggies and dip. Everyone thought it was a great idea. It's hard to please a crowd no matter what you make, and this way people choose what they like and you can stick to your goals. For dessert I made cream puffs. The shells are pretty light as it is, then filled with light pudding and just drizzled with chocolate. They were small, so again, people could choose how many to eat.
Company coming over for the weekend. Help!
I also use the whole wheat crusts- I personally like them. 
