Alternatives to Traditional Recipes

Old Food, New Spin

Previously well-known for our super-sized meal portions, the United States has been picking up the slack on health and fitness. Thanks to an ever-increasing public interest in personal wellness, yoga and spin class enrollment are off the charts, kale is making a long-awaited appearance as a grocery staple, and more and more individuals are exploring gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets. Sure, it can seem hard to give up your favorite comfort foods, but here’s the good news — you don’t have to! Take care of your body and your tastebuds by whipping up these delicious and healthy alternatives to traditional recipes.  

Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food classic. For a healthier twist, swap out traditional macaroni noodles for gluten free brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta or legume pasta. In addition to being gluten free, these options also offer more fiber than traditional pasta noodles, making them good for your heart and your digestive system. If you want to take it to the next level, give vegan cheese a whirl! Boil cauliflower, carrots and onions and stick them in the blender until they’re smooth. Some cashews, water, lemon juice and seasoning and you’re good to go! The secret here is nutritional yeast: it adds a flavorful punch to your meal while delivering lots of vitamins and minerals.

But what about your sweet tooth? Don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to put a healthy spin on your favorite post-dinner indulgences. Many desserts heavily feature eggs; for a nutritious vegan and gluten free substitute, mix ground raw flaxseed with some water. This thickens up many batters nicely, especially in brownies, muffins and cookies. Steer away from heavily-processed white sugar and use the good stuff — natural cane sugar. Natural cocoa powder lends richness to chocolatey treats; add a little cacao powder for a little extra bitterness and a whole lot of antioxidants and magnesium.
For more healthy, gluten free, vegetarian or vegan twists on old favorites, give Handheld Catering a call at (408)692-4782. Let us handle the cooking so you can focus on having a great time over a delicious meal. Because who says healthy food can’t be indulgent too?

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