Updates on my healthier swaps, and what is next

 In my previous post on healthier swaps I covered:

  • ✅ Instant Oatmeal (I am keeping this)  I am still toying with my ratios but I am fairly comfortable with this.
  • 🚫 Annie's Mac & Cheese (I am going back to the blue box, but will limit how often I use it)
  • 🔎 Hersey's Simple 5 Chocolate syrup for Hershey's chocolate syrup  -  I am not ready to go with this syrup I am going to try to make my own.
    • There are a lot of recipes out there and they have similar ingredients/proportions so I am just going to pick one and go for it.  Many of the comments talk about how much thinner the homemade version is, the three popular solutions based on the comments are (1) add less water (2) boil longer and it must be a hard boil (3) add 1 tbs of corn starch.
  • 🚫 Crazy Richard's Peanut butter  I was not a fan so 🔎 I am going to try another brand before I go back to Simply Jif
    • Next up to try is Teddie's
  • 🔎 Bisquick -  My kids still like Bisquick better, but I am still toying with the recipe I use from an old Better Homes & Gardens cookbook from my Grandmother.  This weekend's pancakes were better, fluffier because I didn't mix it as much. I think was part of my problem I was over mixing.  The recipe also calls for sifted flour so I am going to try that next weekend.

 

The other thing I had mentioned in this post was swapping things out so that I bought more NonGMO foods, processed or otherwise.  So far this is what I have swapped out.

  • ✅ Baking powder
  • ✅ Old fashioned rolled oats
    • This is used a lot because I do make our own instant oatmeal now and granola.
  • ✅ Hummus
  • ✅ Taboule Salad
  • ✅ Sunflower butter
  • ✅ Hershey's cocoa powder
  • ✅ Green Tea (decaf)
    • I drink a 10 oz mug 5-6 days a week

What is next?

Since my sourdough adventure was a fail, I think I am going to stick with just doing bread occasionally.  I like making it but I still haven't found a good sandwich bread that I can use for PB&J and have thin slices.  This is more of a back burner type thing.

I want to try to make crackers next, they are a big snack food in my house.  I have had a request for either Cheeze Itz or Goldfish.  I am more partial to Cheeze Its than Goldfish.  I would also be interested in a Ritz or Club cracker alternative.  And of course graham crackers, especially dusted with cinnamon sugar are fun.

One thing to consider is if I do find a cracker recipe I will probably also need to look into food grade silica packets to keep them crisp, or possibly mason jars and a vacuum sealer.

Any recipe that I go with needs to hit a balance of easy to make, good taste/texture, and how easy it is to store and keep them.  This hold true for any recipe/swap I do not just snack type foods.  For that reason I don't think I will at this time search out a cereal bar (like NutriGrain) recipe.  At this time I am ok with my swap out to Sunbelt Bakery which uses no preservatives, and Made Good bars (organic and non GMO).  I found Made Good bars because they are tree nut free bars and facility, which is a necessity for this family.


* Please note the recipes I link to are not endorsements I am just giving credit to the recipes that I plan on trying. These posts are my own and I am not sponsored by anyone or any company.

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