Author: eatsmart

Chicken breast

Chicken thigh or tenderloins
– use in the same ways as chicken breastChicken drumstick or a whole
chicken – bake in the oven (whole or break in to smaller pieces for quicker
cooking).  Remove the skin and
shred.  Add to the recipe in the last
stages e.g. add to curry once everything else is cooked or add to stir-fry
once the veggies and sauce are ready to serveOr may be this is your
opportunity to trial a vegetarian alternative such as chickpeas in a curry,
tofu in a stir-fry, black beans in Mexican or felafels in a wrap

Minced meat/chicken

Use an alternative meat or
chicken e.g. if the recipe calls for beef mince, you may be able to buy
chicken, turkey, pork or veal minceBuy chicken thigh and pulse
it a few times in a food processor to break in to small pieces (this will not
be as even as minced chicken but may work well enough for the recipe you haveTry lentils instead – this
works well in a bolognaise or shepherd’s/cottage pie

Canned goods 

Use fresh instead!  For example, dice fresh tomatoes instead of
canned onesSoak dried beans (some may
also require boiling) instead of canned Use fresh or frozen corn
instead of cannedTry raw, fresh beetroot
grated or roast it yourself, or you can buy beetroots already cooked and
vacuum packed in the fruit & veg aisle

Frozen foods e.g. vegetables and fruit

Use fresh instead!  You may even like to chop extra and freeze
it yourself.  For example, if you only
need half a broccoli, chop the remaining half in to florets and freeze in a container
or ziplock bagUse an alternative type e.g.
if no frozen berries, try a new fruit in your smoothie instead e.g. frozen
pineapple and fresh banana

Pasta and Rice

Use potato instead e.g.
bolognaise sauce on baked potatoesUse couscous/quinoa/teff/faro
instead.  Use zucchini pasta
instead.  Add bread or a bread roll to
satisfy your fuelling needs

Flour

Try using alternative flours
if available e.g. quinoa, oat, gluten free, buckwheat (note: if you are
baking these flours will act differently to wheat flour in some recipes so be
adventurous and experiment!)Dry rolled oats in a food
processor will grind down to a flour. 
Add baking powder (1 tsp per cup of flour) and this will act similarly
to plain flour.  Add 1 tsp baking soda
(per cup of flour) as well and this will act like self raising flour.