Yahoo News 10 cupboard staple swaps to make if you can’t find your go-to foods in the shop
With coronavirus emptying shelves of cupboard staples like pasta and rice, you might be wondering how you’re going to make some of your favourite meals that fuel your runs. Even if you can still find your go-to staples, you might just get bored and want to switch things up in the kitchen.
Now is the ideal time to pick up those ingredients you’ve never used (or noticed) before and try something new. There are plenty of lesser-known cupboard staples that make just as good—or even better—fuelling meals as your typical choices.
Here are replacements for 10 different foods that are probably on your typical shopping list, plus how to to incorporate them into your meals for the next time you go to the shops.
1. White Potatoes → Parsnips
A baked white potato with all the fixings is incredibly satisfying before a long run, but parsnips can stand in when you’re sick of the standard spud. Parsnips don’t get the love they deserve—they look like a white carrot, but they are sweeter, starchier, and rich in nutrients such as fibre, potassium, and vitamins C and E. You can cut them into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes, or even boil and mash them like you would potatoes.
2. Flour → Oats
If you have a hankering for baked goods and can’t find flour, sub in oats. You can easily make oat flour by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor until they become a fine powder. Oats are a natural whole grain, so they have more fibre and protein than flour. Oat flour is a bit denser than traditional all-purpose flour, so it might not work as well in a bread recipe, but you can use it to make baked goods like pancakes or muffins. Plus, it adds a bit more nutrients to your food than plain old refined white flour.
3. Rice → Farro
If a rice bowl is your standard postrun dinner, and you can’t seem to find the variety you like, try farro instead. This ancient whole grain is a staple in Italian cooking, and it has fibre and protein to keep you full—a 1/4 cup dry serving has 200 calories, 7 grams of fibre, and 7 grams of protein.
Farro is about the same size as rice, but it’s chewier in texture and has a nuttier taste. Use farro as the base of a grain bowl or serve it with stir-fry veggies. Both rice and farro are great staples to eat whether you’re training for a long-distance race or backing off the mileage. If you’re in the peak of high-mileage training, just double your portion size to make up for the calories you burn and top off glycogen stores. Stick to farro for post-run meals though as it’s fibre content is higher than rice and may cause GI issues before a run.
4. Pasta → Couscous
In the midst of high-mileage week, the same old pasta dinner can get monotonous. When that happens, couscous comes to the rescue. Although spaghetti and couscous look different, they are derived from the same durum wheat flour, making them both carb-rich grains. You might like to drown your pasta in hearty marinara sauce, but couscous tastes better when mixed with veggies, herbs, or seasonings. You can throw it into a salad or soup, or mix it with some chopped fresh vegetables (think: cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions) and add a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing for a refreshing lunch or dinner.
5. Sweet Potatoes → Carrots
Sweet potatoes are a carb-rich root vegetable that is full of vitamins and minerals and low on the glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar. But when you get tired of orange spuds, carrots make a good substitute. With just a dash of olive oil and salt, and 30 to 40 minutes in the oven, roasted carrots mimic the sweet taste and starchy texture of baked sweet potatoes.
6. Beans → Frozen Edamame
Beans are a versatile plant-based protein that work well in tacos, burritos, casseroles, salads, and soups. To switch things up, head to the frozen section and pick up shelled edamame, otherwise known as soybeans in a pod. They defrost quickly in the microwave and can stand in for the beans in most recipes. Plus, a 1/2 cup of edamame has 11 grams of plant-based protein, which is more than most beans. Make an edamame “bean dip” by pureeing 1 cup of edamame, 1 garlic clove, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and a dash of salt in a food processor. Snack on it as a postrun protein boost.
7. Lentils → Crumbled Tempeh
With their “meaty” texture, lentils have become a plant-based replacement for ground beef. But if you want to utilise another plant-based protein that has a similar texture and nutrition content, try tempeh. It’s a mixture of fermented soybeans and grains (usually rice) in a dense solid block. Tempeh can be sliced off the block and eaten in bite-sized pieces or crumbled to resemble ground beef or lentils. And, impressively, tempeh has 16 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving, similar to the 13 grams of protein found in 1/4 cup of dry lentils (about 3/4 cup cooked). Using your hands, crumble the tempeh to use it as “taco meat.” Mix it with 1 tablespoon of chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and sauté it in a skillet over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Put in a taco shell and top with your favourite toppings.
8. Quinoa → Sorghum
Quinoa is the ancient grain (that’s actually a seed) that has now gone mainstream. And while quinoa does have about 8 grams of protein per 1 cup cooked, it’s easy to replace with another ancient grain that is close in size, texture, and nutrition: sorghum. A 1/2 cup uncooked sorghum yields about 1 3/4 cups cooked, and has 10 grams of protein. Plus, it’s more affordable than quinoa and just as versatile. The only downside is that sorghum takes about 40 minutes to cook compared to the 15 minutes that quinoa requires. Even so, sorghum is a nutritious base for a grain bowl, topped with fresh chopped veggies and a balsamic vinaigrette. Just prepare a big batch ahead of time to have it ready to go all week.
9. Fresh Fruit → Freeze-Dried Fruit
Fresh fruit offers easy-to-digest carbohydrates for any run length, but it only stays good for a few days. Alternatively, freeze-dried fruit goes through a freezing and reheating process to remove the water, giving it an indefinite shelf life. Freeze-dried fruit has virtually the same nutrients as fresh fruit, and it’s portable and tasty. Eat it on it’s own or use it to top oatmeal, yogurt, or salads.
10. Nut Butter → Tahini
If you’re sick of the standard nut butter on toast, switch things up with tahini. This ground sesame seed paste is a bit more expensive than traditional peanut butter, but it has a richer taste and is just as satisfying. As compared to 8 grams of protein and 190 calories in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, tahini has a similar nutrient profile with 6 grams of protein and 190 calories in the same size serving. Tahini is also popular among those with a nut allergy, since it’s made from seeds. Smear tahini on some whole wheat toast, and top with an apple slice and a drizzle of honey.
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