180 Nutrition: Australians spend $6.5 billion a year at fast food restaurants. Although everyone likes to grab a slice of pizza or some fried chicken every once in a while, we all know that eating deep fried, or highly processed foods are bad for our health, waistlines, and energy levels. It is possible to give yourself the satisfaction of these tasty dishes without all the preservatives, saturated fat, and additives by cooking healthier versions of them at home.
Pizza Piled High with Veggies
Most delivery pizza has thick crust, loads of grease, and a pitiful number of toppings. You can amp up the nutrition and reduce calories on homemade pizza by using less bread and way more veg. Another bonus for your health when making pizza at home is portion sizes. We tend to order the biggest pizza available and overeat when a smaller size would have been more than enough. Your local grocer will have many options for premade crusts that are thin. Gluten free choices made from alternative flours are also an option. Once you’ve got a healthy crust to work with, you can load up your pizzas with fresh, nutrient dense vegetables. One of the greatest things about making your own pizza is you can go wild with toppings. Brussel sprouts, leeks, broccoli, and zucchini are all unusual but delicious pizza toppings. Of course, you can also just load up on more typical choices like spinach, tomato, peppers, onion, and mushrooms. If you have kids at home they will love getting to build their own pizza. It’s fun and healthy for the whole family.
Burgers that Don’t Bust Your Calorie Bank
Burgers are probably the most common fast food available but fast food chain burgers are lackluster and unhealthy. Bring your burger game up a notch by making healthier versions at home. Ground beef can be pretty fatty so if you want a classic burger opt for a leaner ground such as 5 or 10% fat. If you really want to make your at home burgers healthy, opt for the vegetarian variety. Veggie burger patties are surprisingly easy to make and when you throw in some protein powder to the mix, you will be left with a tasty, healthy, and well balanced burger. Of course top your burger with plenty of fresh veggies like dark leaf lettuce and avocado. Whole wheat or GF buns will make you never want to eat a drive through burger again.
Tasty Taco Tuesday Any Day
Tacos are the perfect food. You take a bunch of savory and delicious ingredients and roll the inside a perfectly hand sized tortilla and eat to your heart’s content. Unfortunately tacos are not exactly known for their nutritional prowess. One simple way to make tacos healthier is to go meatless. Avocados, beans, and cheese bring plenty of protein to the plate and when topped with some chopped fresh spinach and homemade pico de gallo, the meat will never be missed. Another delicious and healthy alternative for tacos is seafood. Shrimp and fish are both excellent choices as a base for tacos. Smaller shrimp tend to make for easier taco eating. If you want to go with fish, choose a flaky white fish. In either case, top with shredded cabbage, cilantro, and fresh lime juice to enjoy a healthy and delectable dinner at home.
Our busy lives make at home cooking seem like just another item on our ever growing to-do list that we can simply avoid by running through the drive through. Try these healthy, quick, and easy alternatives and enjoy the benefits of higher energy to run through your hectic life.
This article was written by Jane Munro a health enthusiast and freelance writer.
