Thoughts like:

• that is too time-consuming to make
• there are too many ingredients
• I don’t like some of the ingredients it calls for
• it uses ingredients that are too expensive

… and that DELICIOUS whole-food recipe gets tossed in the waste can!

We want to encourage you to step back and rethink the way you look at recipes!

There is a common misconception that when a recipe calls for a certain ingredient you must use it. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

One of the best things about cooking is that you can get creative and replace ingredients in recipes with those that you like better, aren’t as time-consuming to prep, already have on hand or are less expensive. After all, learning how to use ingredients to cook nourishing meals is the very heart of getting back to real food.

Do you have a recipe that calls for goat cheese but you’re on a budget? Try using something cheaper, such as cream cheese. Do you already have sweet potatoes on hand but your recipe calls for red potatoes? No worries—make the swap. Try to stick with similar consistencies when swapping ingredients, and if you’re eliminating something, just make sure it won’t drastically change the texture of the recipe. Beyond that, the sky is the limit!

This may sound a little scary at first, but what’s the worst that’s going to happen? If you’re stumped, make it fun by including your family in choosing preferences!

An example of how this works

In our house, each meal is created around things our family loves. I’m always looking for new and exciting ways to serve up a healthy meal, so when a friend gave us a recipe for a Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche, I knew I had to try it.

The only problem was, the recipe was time consuming and there were quite a few ingredients listed that my family doesn’t particularly care for. So I did what I often do – I switched things up and created a version that would shorten prep time and please our family’s flavor preferences!

When I first started modifying recipes, I was a bit nervous. But, I’m here to tell you it’s easier than you think! To help give you some ideas of how you can put your own twist on recipes, I wanted to share some of my ideas with you!

Here are the change ups I made to the quiche recipe:

Time saving

• Peeled sweet potatoes – To save on time, I left the skins on the potatoes.
• Freshly chopped garlic cloves – I often use minced garlic from a jar when I’m tight on time.

Too many ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped broccoli AND 1/4 cup chopped onions – To minimize ingredients, I doubled up the onions and eliminated the broccoli. Since I used 1/2 cup veggies total, it didn’t alter consistency.

Our family doesn't like some of the ingredients it calls for

• 4 cups of fresh spinach – My family likes spinach but doesn’t love it, so I used 2 cups.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – My son doesn’t particularly care for the strong flavor of sun-dried tomatoes but he loves spice, so I swapped out the tomatoes for some peppers.
• Goat cheese – My husband isn’t wild about goat cheese, so I substituted sharp white cheddar.

Sneaky additions to boost nutrients

I sneak Chia seeds in everything, so I added them for the health benefit.

Why we're sharing this with you

Both Kalie and I are extremely passionate about eating healthy and helping you do the same. We spend a lot of time creating recipes and meal ideas for you and your family to enjoy. We understand you’re busy or you may not like all the ingredients we do. If there are simple swaps you can make, try them out! If we list a few ingredients you don’t like, substitute them with something you do like. It’s that simple!

If you make modifications to any of our recipes, we’d love for you to share them for everyone to enjoy! Just jot them down in the comment section of the recipe.