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SparkPoints: (4,152)
Fitness Minutes: (4,076)
Posts: 149
12/9/09 5:03 P

For a long time I got most of my recipes from Recipezaar.com. Since I started trying to eat better, I found it a little too overwhelming to "dig" through all the recipes to find something that was legitimately healthy. I have since started having a 'recipe feed' sent to my Google Reader account. One of the sites that sends me recipes is EatingWell.com. EVERYTHING on the site is healthy, so long as you eat the suggested serving size. I have made so many recipes from there and everything is so delicious and healthy and fresh. LOVE IT. I usually make one of the entree recipes and add a big side of steamed vegetables. Very satisfying. I've started posting my weekly menus on my blog (listed below) with some of my recipe reviews.

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Posts: 1,475
12/8/09 1:04 P

As usual there is a balance.

I try very hard to make what I can from scratch - usually food from a can, tastes just like that, a can.

But some broths, stocks, and sauces in a can or box - some of them I just can't beat. And I've tried. And sometimes convenience wins out.

This is not an EVERY DAY occurrence - once every two weeks or month or so. There is a balance to everything.

Maybe one day I'll make everything from scratch but as ANDORETH1 said, I have many other things I could do with that time. So while I'm finding great replacements ready made - I'll stick to that for now.

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Posts: 93
12/7/09 6:45 P

I also am a little shocked at some of the recipes in terms of calories, fat, etc...but, the best part of this message board and website is how people can respond by putting in their suggestions as to how to make recipes healthier with substitutions. Not everyone is on a restricted diet, so all suggestions are welcome- even the ones "out of box or can"- some working moms and busy people don't have time to make everything from scratch. I would if I could- but even when I have the time I want something easy to throw together.

SparkPoints: (67,335)
Fitness Minutes: (49,148)
Posts: 9,163
12/5/09 3:39 A

Food should taste good

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Posts: 54
12/1/09 9:48 A

I am happy to see that many of you share my opinion about using "Quick" ingredients in recipes. Throwing together canned soup and pasta is not only boring, tasteless, and unappealing, but a sodium nightmare! I try to cook with all fresh ingredients, organic when possible. I am just cooking for my husband and myself, so I shop often. I use my crockpot at least once a week (usually two nights a week) and stir-fry often as well. And, yes, I do work full time and have many other commitments as well. I have my kitchen set up very efficiently and use lots of "gadgets" to speed meal prep. I LOVE my food processor and heavy duty mixer.

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Posts: 172
11/30/09 12:45 P

Not every recipe entered into the database is going to be what another considers healthy based on any one of a number of guildelines. For some salt is an issue, cholesteral must be more controlled for some, for others meat content is an issue, others have specific allergies etc. etc.

Since I cannot mold the world to my needs and desires, I feel it much more my responsibility to take the kindness that others have pro-offered (they didn't need to bother sharing the recipe) and tweak it to meet my needs. For me, this means getting rid of whatever mushroom component it may have and replacing it with something else. For others it might be using a salt substitute (or less salt) or olive oil instead of butter.

A recipe with 3 ingredients is not automatically invalid.. some of the most exciting cooking coming down the pike these days is geared around simplification and presenting purer flavors. And using a prepared sauce is very common in cooking (heck, even home-made bbq sauce recipes almost invariably include ketchup- a prepared sauce). Personally, I'd rather spend the time needed to make bbq sauce from scratch doing something else.

I'm just very glad to have this great resorce. Between allrecipes.com's "Healthy" recipe database and here, I'm eating tastier food than I have in a long time and haven't felt hungry but once or twice in the last month while consistantly losing weight. For me, that is a precious thing.

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SparkPoints: (6,605)
Fitness Minutes: (5,386)
Posts: 511
11/30/09 11:58 A

I am glad I am not the only one. I posted something similar on the other boards, but didn't get a response.

Not only the originality, but I have a problem with 8 ozs of chicken being used for 9 servings too. I know that portion control is a huge deal and everything, but please be reasonable with your recipes instead of trying to make the calorie count 'low' enough!! In order to make a lifestyle change to losse weight we need recipes that we will want to use again and again!!

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Posts: 281
11/20/09 11:24 A

I'm so glad all of you posted on this thread. I was worried that I was going to garner a lot of blog-bashing, but there seems to be an overwhelming majority of you who agree. Many of you are on sodium restricted diets, as I am. Let's work together and KEEP ON SWIMMING!

My point is still that I am disappointed that SP chose these particular recipes for their top 10. I believe the two recipes I mentioned would be VERY tasty. I'm not bashing the 'recipes'. I could make either one and enjoy them quite wonderfully, that is, until I got on the scale the next day and saw the water retention due to the sodium. All I am trying to say is that to make a good recipe, means using raw materials (tomatoes, spices, vinegar, etc), compiled in such a way as to have a specific nuance...one that is complementary to the chef's specific taste. Sorry, but not matter what, a 'can of sauce' does not a recipe make.

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Posts: 425
11/19/09 11:34 P

I agree with pookiepup. I grew up with parents who cook from scratch so to just throw some canned stuff together is awful for me. Not to mention the lack in nutritional value!

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SparkPoints: (11,153)
Fitness Minutes: (4,800)
Posts: 734
11/18/09 8:59 A

Wonder what would happen if you took all those pre-packaged stuff away from some people that profess to be cooks. Probably starve.

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Posts: 1,100
11/17/09 3:00 P

Hi ETCHILDE!

I share your opinions about sodium! Ever notice how the suggested 'healthy' food on the go in The DailySpark is all sodium-laden? I wish that others would consider sodium as important a nutrient to keep in check as fat, calories, carbohydrates, and protein.

Good for you for having that eagle eye and thanks for sharing your thoughts!

SparkPoints: (12,092)
Fitness Minutes: (10,824)
Posts: 424
11/17/09 2:28 P

the only recipe that i havent liked has been the baked italian vegetable. i dont know it just wasnt for me

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Posts: 17
11/17/09 11:58 A

I agree with all of you. I attempt to cook very gourmet and rarely repeat meals. I hate leftovers, so I cook 5 to 6 days a week. I've found that by educating myself on healthier, low carb (which is working for me) ingredients, I can continue to make my coq au vin, beef wellington, and other froo froo recipes with substitutions.
Remember though, in fairness to the folks who have posted recipes, that many are severely overweight from eating fast food and other convenience foods, not from cooking. If you didn't have the recipe for the Neimann Marcus cookies, you might think that Chips Ahoy is the best thing you've ever had, too.
Try epicurious.com and allrecipes.com for more advanced healthy recipes.

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Posts: 1,739
11/17/09 7:12 A

As per any recipe site on the 'world wide web' not all will be to everyone's tastes...Sparks included.

While most do come with the expectation of finding 'healthy' recipes bear in mind that ANY member can add a recipe to this site and some just add their family favorites to calculate the nutritional info.

That said...I do not cook from cans or bottled sauces. So for me if I see a recipe I may like I adjust it for my lifestyle ie. no cans, no sauces unless homemade. I even make my own stock/broth. I too watch my sodium closely and for me that means cook from scratch to control all ingredients.

Anyway, what for some of us are unacceptable ingredients to others they are the healthy options (for now).

SparkPoints: (17,887)
Fitness Minutes: (11,242)
Posts: 801
11/17/09 5:37 A

personally I despair looking over some of the 'recipes' here.

A can of condensed soup and a packet of noodles? OH WOW a cassarole apprently. Thats not cooking, thats not healthy eating, thats not a recipe.

So many 'recipes' have cans and jars of rubbish in them. Thats not what I hoped to find here.

I had to search for a long time, to find very few recipes that actually fit with what is healthy eating and doesnt blow sodium or fat content off the chart.

Pounds lost: 137.0

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Posts: 281
11/16/09 8:32 P

Today I decided to take a browse through the recipes and came across the "Top 10" finalists for the recipe contest. I read the article and decided to take a look at a couple of the recipes that interested me.

First: Boneless Honey BBQ Wings
-My first thought was, "Hey! Maybe this could be a recipe for me. I love Honey BBQ." So I took a look. Three ingredients...Chicken, Honey, BBQ sauce. Needless to say it is overly simplistic. There's no prep time, and there's no originality. More disappointing to me was the fact that no thought was given to the sauce chosen. The sauce is the source for all the sodium. Being a cardiac patient, sodium is top of the list to control. 1500 - 1800mg/day is the limit. This recipe takes up about a third of that allowance. Aside from that, depending the sauce chosen, the desire to eat more than the relatively small portion would be high. I personally rate this as not only a poor recipe, but lazy to boot!

Next the Sesame Chicken:
Anybody who loves Honey BBQ wings also loves Sesame Chicken. I am no exception. However, even though this recipe is fair when it comes to calories, carbs, etc; it doesn't address the sodium. I would have to allot almost 1/2 of my daily sodium intake to a single serving. Sorry, but that's just not acceptable for a cardiac patient. I give credit for creating a more complex recipe (see above), but more care MUST be put into ALL the nutrients in the meal.

TRY HARDER!!!!!

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