Healthify

I am on many different email lists for "health" sites. Some pretty good, some not so much. One email that I received last week made me a bit confused. It was from an "Eat Healthy" website with a cookie recipe. The title of the article was on "Healthifying" food. This recipe was called "Double Chocolate Cookies - Healthified". Sounded great. I took a look at the recipe and honestly wanted to call the website folks. It contained white flour, white sugar, etc. The only thing I could possibly see as better than any other ingredient was butter instead of shortening. What a waste of my time to even look at that email.

It is just another point and case that commercial America's idea of "healthy" is much different than what traditional "healthy" is. Once again, we can't trust a label. We need to be educated. We need to read labels, take extra steps. Now, if I were to healthify a cookie, it would have whole grains, non-refined sweeteners, cultured creams and pure chocolate. I am sure some mom out there made these cookies feeling like she was doing a great service to her kids. 

So, my healthy moms out there, I am offering you a service. I would love to help "healthify" your recipes if you have a favorite that is need of doctoring. Just send me an email with the recipe and I will see what I can do. I will give you options so you can go as healthy as you want.

I am going to start with my favorite salad recipe. I love the sweet vinaigrette salads. What is not to love -  you cover your greens with sugar. However, who wants to ruin good nutrition with sugar! I took my dressing recipe and made it sugar free. Don't even think for a minute that is like the "sugar free" claims you will see at the store. Commercially that just means you are putting in a synthetic sweetener in it's place. Not here. It means we are using natural sweeteners your body will appreciate. 

This is pretty much what the dressing contains other than a little salt a pepper. 

1/2 C. expeller pressed grape seed oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup real fruit jam of choice (used fig this time)
1/2 t. Celtic salt
1/4 t. pepper


Blend and chill. 


I love the St. Dalfour jams that come in all sorts of different flavors. Some of them are not organic but another good organic choice is Crofter's jam. They use White Grape Juice for the sweeteners. They make a perfect sweet taste for the dressing.


For the salad, I used baby spinach, baby romaine, apple slices, craisins, feta, baby thin sliced cucumbers and some candied almonds.


For the candied nuts, you can make these "healthified" as well. 


You can use 1 T. butter and 1 T. honey sauteed with nuts until made into toffee. Or another choice is you can whip egg whites and add a little honey. Toss over nuts for a light coat and dehydrate. Soak nuts overnight first and dehydrate for even better nutrition. 


Eat Healthy. Pure and simple.