Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Lifestyle Hack

It's a constant struggle, isn't it?

I mean, look at this:

and this!

When foods like this exist in the world, how can these compete?

Please tell me I'm not alone!!!

I know that this struggle - curbing my appetite and training it to desire healthy foods - is a first world problem. Not that long ago (like less than a hundred years ago,) folks in the US and Canada didn't struggle with their weight. Our parents and grandparents ate sensible foods all the time and saved the goodies (a reasonable amount of them) for special occasions rather than a daily habit.

But we are swimming in sugar and simple carbs. They're cheap. Easy to fix. Easy to eat. Our taste buds think they're delicious! And for some of us, they are highly addictive.

For several years I've been trying - with not too much success - to eat simpler. Cleaner. More vegetable-rich, more quality protein, more whole grains. And yes, with the new year, I'm doubling down again.

I've made progress through the years - I'm much healthier. Less pain, less inflammation, fewer pounds, more energy. People comment on the health of my nails (and I have never had a manicure!) - they are one indicator of a healthy body. So I'll keep on keeping on.

So how do we change from the Standard American Diet to a healthier one? Gradually. It's a lifestyle change, not a sprint toward smaller size clothing and a lower number on the scale. 

However, it's hard to make a lifestyle change when you feel like you're denying yourself from ever eating your favorite foods again! A life without chocolate? No way!

I attack this ongoing struggle on two fronts:

1) I find new, healthy recipes that we like, and

2) I adapt old favorites into healthier versions.

But I don't live alone. Hubby doesn't have the same problem with carbs that I do, and he loves his white potatoes! Why should he suffer for my body's quirks?

The solution? An easy hack that anyone can do.

The other day, I wanted to make one of my favorite recipes. Ruthy's Scalloped Potatoes and Ham, a recipe she shared in 2012, became a family staple at our house! (You can find her recipe here!)

But at this point in my getting-healthier-through-food-and-exercise journey, I don't want to eat a lot of white potatoes. At the same time, the other person in our house doesn't want to give his up, especially when the substitute is cauliflower. :-)

So here's the hack. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it so that it's rigid and will fit inside your slow cooker. I folded the bottom of mine to help it stand up.

Then put one of those crock pot liners in your cooker, easing it around the foil to make two separate pockets.

Peel and slice your potatoes and prepare your cauliflower...

I think the cauliflower half of this recipe would
have gone better with fresh instead of frozen,
but I had this in the freezer and the grocery store
is 30 miles away!

Dice your ham and make your cheese sauce (see Ruthy's recipe.) Then layer everything in the slow cooker, the potatoes on one side and the cauliflower on the other.

Cook in your slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low. Or you can put the two versions of the casserole in two small baking dishes in your oven, 400° for about an hour.

The result? Two happy people!

Are you working on eating healthier this year? Is it "again?" Or "for the first time?"

We're in this together!

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com