BY SIERRA ROSALES
This month’s focus is on healthy modifications and some important food-oriented observance days in September as I illustrate how easy it is to adjust recipes to make them healthier.
Some key days are National Pepperoni Pizza day on Sept. 20 and National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18. Of course, Monongalia County Health Department’s WIC program emphasizes nutrition but we also want people to enjoy the food they eat.
Substitutions are available for virtually every recipe, including pizza and cheeseburgers. Making small improvements to your normal recipes is a fun challenge that you can do to any dish. Attempting to eat healthier doesn’t happen overnight. It happens gradually with small changes.
The easiest change you can make at home is switching your regular buns or regular crust to whole wheat. According to the Mayo Clinic, whole wheat grains provide nutrients like B vitamins, iron, folate, selenium, potassium and magnesium. At least a half of the grains that you consume should be whole wheat.
If you don’t like whole wheat or need more vegetables in your diet, you can try different bun and crust substitutes. Since anyone can easily buy whole wheat crust and buns at the store, I am highlighting recipes that are more complex. I also gave a few options this month. You could try them all or choose the ones that appeal to you the most.
For this pizza recipe, I substituted regular crust with one made from chickpeas and as well as a more familiar cauliflower crust. For the buns, I substituted grilled portabella mushroom, eggplant and sweet potato.
Another routine substitution is using lettuce as a bun. Lettuce is super low-calorie but doesn’t provide as much nutritional value as mushrooms, eggplants or sweet potatoes.
And instead of using beef for burgers, you can substitute ground turkey. It’s leaner, has fewer calories and less saturated fat than beef.
If you’re not a big fan of turkey, you could also try the burger recipe with ground chicken instead.
And remember, you can still eat healthy and have fun!
Ingredients marked with an asterisk (*) are available through MCHD WIC. Please contact us at 304-598-5181 for more information.
FUN BUNS
- Portabella mushroom *, eggplant * or sweet potato *
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Wash your vegetable of choice. Cut thick middle slices of your sweet potato or eggplant. If you are using mushrooms, cut the stems off, leaving just the cap. Dry off with a paper towel.
- Brush on olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. You can bake, grill or air-fry your vegetables at 400 degrees until they are crispy/browned. It should take about 30 minutes depending on how big/thick your buns are.
- Top with all your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!
CAULIFLOWER CRUST
- 1 head of cauliflower * or package of cauliflower rice
- 2 eggs *
- 1 cup of mozzarella
- cheese *
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon of onion salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Mince the head of cauliflower in a food processor or blender and then cook on high until all the moisture dissolves. Let the minced cauliflower cool to room temperature. If you’re using a pre-made package of cauliflower rice, skip this step.
- Dry off your cauliflower rice and add it to a bowl with the eggs, cheese and seasonings. Mix.
- Spray your pan with nonstick spray. Place the dough onto the pan and form a circle shape. Be sure to make a crust by shaping the edges up
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the crust, then top with your favorite pizza toppings. Pop it back into the oven until the cheese is gooey.
CHICKPEA CRUST
- 1 can of chickpeas *
- 2 tablespoon of flour
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 egg *
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- Nonstick pray
- Strain and dry off the chickpeas. In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas, flour, egg, olive oil and seasonings until it is a paste.
- Spray your sheet or pan with nonstick spray. Spread out your paste into a circle and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
