With a few key food swaps, mashed potatoes and pizza can now be counted for daily vegetables. Students use food substitutions like zucchini and cauliflower to make good foods healthier.
“I got the idea of zucchini pizza from pinterest,” said Lexi Allsop, a senior from Texas.
Zucchini pizza involves roasting the zucchini with olive oil and adding any preferred toppings. Tomatoes, cheese and seasonings are standard options.
“It was very easy to make,” Allsop said. “I actually couldn’t find a recipe for it, so I just made it up on my own and it turned out great.”
Other food substitutions Allsop would like to try include using bananas to make ice cream.
“Good food turns into healthy energy,” Allsop said. “I need to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep up with all I have to do each week.”
Another veggie substitute that has become more popular is cauliflower. Meredith Durrant, a senior from Wyoming, has tried cauliflower-based mashed potatoes that her mom likes to make.
“My parents are pretty health conscious,” Durrant said. “They found something to eat that is similar to mashed potatoes without all the carbs.”
Durrant hasn’t made the dish herself but is planning on trying the recipe.
“It’s something I definitely want to try (to make),” Durrant said. “And it’s way good.”
Lindsey Bush, a junior from Virginia, has also been inspired by her mom to try food substitutions in recipes.
“My mom uses applesauce instead of oil when she bakes cake,” Bush said. “It provides a healthier dessert option. Because of my mom I try to use healthier options. I have tried things like using egg whites in recipes to make them healthier.”
Bush has noticed that these healthier alternatives never have negative effects on the taste.
“Most of the substituted recipes I have tried tasted the same or better than the less healthy version,” Bush said.
All of these food substitution ideas lend to a healthier lifestyle.
“It’s important to me to keep healthy because I have seen what having an unhealthy diet can do,” Bush said. “I’ve noticed that when I eat healthier I feel happier and more energetic.”
