# Healthy Eating Hacks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730 "2010-01-20T19:05:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/61 "2010-01-28T00:37:19Z")
This one is probably old hat by now, but it’s a go-to trick for me that Mom taught me in childhood. When you really want french fries, fried potatoes or potato chips do this instead: slice a potato as thin as possible (you can use thicker slices, but they won’t get as crispy) place in a single layer on a baking sheet that you have (very lightly) sprayed with cooking spray/oil, spray the top side with cooking spray/oil and stick them in a preheated oven (350-400 degrees F should work nicely) and bake them until, crispy (12-15 minutes depending on thickness). Sprinkle with salt and enjoy- it’s almost as good as the fried version. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/62 "2010-01-28T01:14:24Z")
Anyone have a good alfredo substitute? I’ve never made one, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to try. I’m worried that any recipe I try will end up being watery and plastic-y from the low-fat milk, low-fat cream cheese, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/63 "2010-01-28T06:54:04Z")
> [@MitzeKatze](#): > > This one is probably old hat by now, but it’s a go-to trick for me that Mom taught me in childhood. When you really want french fries, fried potatoes or potato chips do this instead: > slice a potato as thin as possible (you can use thicker slices, but they won’t get as crispy) place in a single layer on a baking sheet that you have (very lightly) sprayed with cooking spray/oil, spray the top side with cooking spray/oil and stick them in a preheated oven (350-400 degrees F should work nicely) and bake them until, crispy (12-15 minutes depending on thickness). Sprinkle with salt and enjoy- it’s almost as good as the fried version. 🙂 I am going to try that! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/64 "2010-01-28T13:18:30Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > - I put extra frozen veggies in just about everything I cook. Of course fresh are better, but in my kitchen it’s a case of any veggies is better than no veggies. 🙂 Actually (and I can dig for a cite if needs be), there’s a lot of evidence that not only are frozen veggies not _worse_ than fresh, they _may_ be better. Let’s take a look at some corn: Say you buy five ears of corn at the supermarket. They may have been in that bin you picked them out of for several days; they may have sat in the stock room for several days prior to _that_. They were almost _certainly_ harvested a couple of days before they ever hit the supermarket. They may well have been harvested before they were _really_ ripe, so they didn’t over-ripen/spoil during the whole process. The whole time between the time they were harvested/picked and the time you actually _ate_ them (and you may not eat them for several days _after_ you buy them), the nutrients have been slowly deteriorating. BUT if you buy a bag of _frozen_ corn, well, most of the big companies (Bird’s Eye, Green Giant) have packaging plants right next to the fields where the crops are grown. So the corn is harvested, stripped off the cob, bagged and flash-frozen, within hours. So, no deterioration of nutrients. Canned veggies are a little different, nutritionally, mostly because of the added sodium. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/65 "2010-01-28T20:12:02Z")
Well, that’s good to know - if not for frozen veggies, we’d hardly eat veggies at all around here. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/66 "2010-01-29T20:53:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > - I add about a 1/4 cup of low-salt cottage cheese to my breakfast cereal every morning to increase the protein. Wait . . . what? You mean you eat it alongside, or you mix it in? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/67 "2010-01-29T22:40:28Z")
> [@hobscrk777](#): > > Anyone have a good alfredo substitute? I’ve never made one, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to try. I’m worried that any recipe I try will end up being watery and plastic-y from the low-fat milk, low-fat cream cheese, etc. Someone upthread mentioned fat-free evaporated milk; that’s the key to a good low-fat alfredo. Mine isn’t super-low-fat, because I use regular cheese, but it’s healthier than anything bought in a store or restaurant. These are very rough directions, since I’ve never bothered to write it down before: Whisk two teaspoons of flour into a small amount of fat-free evaporated milk. Add this slurry and the rest of the can of milk to a pan, along with some chopped garlic (I like a lot, 3 or 4 cloves), a couple tablespoons of white wine (I like to use dry vermouth, because I always have it on hand for martinis), a little salt and pepper, and about a quarter cup of grated asiago, pecorino romano, or parmesan. Fresh-grated cheese works best, because it melts into the sauce better, but I’ve used pre-grated cheese in a pinch. It tastes as good, but you won’t get a smooth a consistency. Cook the sauce on medium heat, stirring frequently until it comes to a simmer and thickens. If it’s too thick, add some more wine. If it’s too thin, make another slurry of flour and wine, whisk it into the sauce, and let it simmer a bit more. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/68 "2010-01-29T23:33:00Z")
> [@The\_Weird\_One](#): > > Someone upthread mentioned fat-free evaporated milk; that’s the key to a good low-fat alfredo. Mine isn’t super-low-fat, because I use regular cheese, but it’s healthier than anything bought in a store or restaurant. These are very rough directions, since I’ve never bothered to write it down before: > > Whisk two teaspoons of flour into a small amount of fat-free evaporated milk. Add this slurry and the rest of the can of milk to a pan, along with some chopped garlic (I like a lot, 3 or 4 cloves), a couple tablespoons of white wine (I like to use dry vermouth, because I always have it on hand for martinis), a little salt and pepper, and about a quarter cup of grated asiago, pecorino romano, or parmesan. Fresh-grated cheese works best, because it melts into the sauce better, but I’ve used pre-grated cheese in a pinch. It tastes as good, but you won’t get a smooth a consistency. Cook the sauce on medium heat, stirring frequently until it comes to a simmer and thickens. If it’s too thick, add some more wine. If it’s too thin, make another slurry of flour and wine, whisk it into the sauce, and let it simmer a bit more. The nice thing about the cheeses you use is that, if you get good quality ones, they are _very_ flavorful, so you don’t need a _ton_ of cheese to get good flavor quality. I will say that if _I_ were going to make this recipe, I’d grate a little fresh nutmeg into it as well. No fat, no calories, just another little layer of taste. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/69 "2010-01-30T19:11:52Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > Wait . . . what? You mean you eat it alongside, or you mix it in? I just dump it on top of the cereal in my bowl and pour milk over the whole thing. I eat Life Multigrain cereal with no sugar (I don’t like sweet breakfasts usually), so it sort of blends in with the milk. Except with lumps. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/70 "2010-01-30T20:26:36Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I just dump it on top of the cereal in my bowl and pour milk over the whole thing. I eat Life Multigrain cereal with no sugar (I don’t like sweet breakfasts usually), so it sort of blends in with the milk. Except with lumps. 🙂 OK, may I say, as kindly and respectfully as possible. . .ewwwwwwwwwww. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/71 "2010-01-30T20:49:56Z")
Instead of offering, I’m requesting a healthy eating hack. I normally use Trader Joe’s organic tomato sauce, and add my own spices (cayenne, black pepper, Pasta Sprinkle from Penzey’s), herbs (snipped fresh basil), and sauteed veggies (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and garlic) to the mix. However, Muir Glen was on sale this week, so I got their no salt added tomato sauce. I added the same stuff I always do, but it tasted…off. I seldom add salt to dishes, and am always religious about getting low-salt broths and such whenever possible…but I added a touch of salt. It was decided better, and it was certainly the missing ingredient. I refused to add much, but the SO mentioned offhand it tasted a little “bland” after the meal, and he was right. I know it can’t be the quality of the sauce, as Muir Glen really has a great tomato-y flavor. We both are fairly sensitive to large amounts of salt - restaurant food always leaves us really thirsty later in the night. Basically, what do you add to get that similar flavor of salt, when it’s especially needed? Or should I just suck it up and add salt, since we’re young, don’t have high blood pressure, and generally keep our salt intake low to begin with? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/72 "2010-01-30T21:14:40Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > The nice thing about the cheeses you use is that, if you get good quality ones, they are _very_ flavorful, so you don’t need a _ton_ of cheese to get good flavor quality. I will say that if _I_ were going to make this recipe, I’d grate a little fresh nutmeg into it as well. No fat, no calories, just another little layer of taste. That’s a good idea, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/73 "2010-01-31T05:21:33Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > OK, may I say, as kindly and respectfully as possible. . .ewwwwwwwwwww. > > 😛 Eh, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/74 "2010-01-31T14:21:39Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Basically, what do you add to get that similar flavor of salt, when it’s especially needed? Or should I just suck it up and add salt, since we’re young, don’t have high blood pressure, and generally keep our salt intake low to begin with? The latter. Salt in processed foods - including a lot of food served in restaurants that use things like soup base or canned sauces - is the real issue. They manage to pack so much salt into a small amount of food that it’s truly scary. Cooking at home, from scratch? Don’t worry about adding salt. As you mentioned, it’s essential to get things to taste right. And unless you really have crazily insensitive taste buds, you’re not going to add so much salt that you are venturing into unhealthy territory. The food will taste WAY too salt to eat before you have enough to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/75 "2010-01-31T20:22:06Z")
More on salt - [Here’s](http://salon.com/food/nutrition/index.html?story=/food/francis_lam/2010/01/12/sorry_bloomberg_we_love_salt) a really good explanation about why you really don’t need to worry about adding salt to meals you cook yourself, and why you _do_ have to worry about it in processed foods. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/76 "2010-01-31T23:25:18Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Quartered small potatoes become gnocchi. Uh…quartered potatoes basically _are_ gnocchi. In that vein, my healthy eating hack is: instead of a bowl of pasta, eat a bowl of flour! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/77 "2010-02-01T05:37:16Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > More on salt - [Here’s](http://salon.com/food/nutrition/index.html?story=/food/francis_lam/2010/01/12/sorry_bloomberg_we_love_salt) a really good explanation about why you really don’t need to worry about adding salt to meals you cook yourself, and why you _do_ have to worry about it in processed foods. Hmm, that was a good article. You’re right, I’m not putting much in, nor anywhere close to where it’d be worrisome. It’s hard to remember that not _all_ salt is bad, especially if you rarely eat processed foods. Thanks **Athena** :). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/78 "2010-02-01T05:55:57Z")
> [@Lama\_Pacos](#): > > Uh…quartered potatoes basically _are_ gnocchi. In that vein, my healthy eating hack is: instead of a bowl of pasta, eat a bowl of flour! 😉 Sure except that 100 grams of potatoes has about 85 calories and 100 grams of gnocchi has about 250 because gnocchi is quartered potatoes plus free bonus high calorie flour and egg yolks. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/79 "2010-02-01T10:53:06Z")
As a general rule of thumb your dinner plate should be 50% vegetables, 25% meat/protein and 25% grain/potato. I grew up using meat and vegetables to flavour rice, which was the bulk of my meal, and have to make a conscious effort to change the ratio. I find the visual reminder very helpful. If you throw some raw spinach, kale or broccoli into your fruit smoothie, it will turn green but not taste like vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730/80 "2010-02-01T12:09:32Z")
> [@Kayeby](#): > > If you throw some raw spinach, kale or broccoli into your fruit smoothie, it will turn green but not taste like vegetables. Can’t wait to try this out simply because it doesn’t sound right. Should be fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/healthy-eating-hacks/525730.md?page=5)