Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Fried Green Tomatoes
203 kcal a serving, against 475 for the traditional version. That is 272 kcal off, or 57%, with 15.5g of protein. Serves 4. 50 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Proper fried green tomatoes starts with thick slices of unripe (green) tomatoes, dipped in seasoned plain flour, then egg, and finally cornmeal or a cornmeal-flour mix. The slices are then deep-fried in hot oil (vegetable or peanut) until crisp and brown, taking up oil in the crust. You serve them hot, often as a starter or with remoulade sauce.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying in 96g absorbed oil for baking on a rack with olive oil spray (16g total)
The oil is doing all the heavy lifting calorie-wise. Rather than submerging every slice, I get the breading on and then roast on a rack with a mist of oil.
What it costs you. Here's the painful part: the crust is patchy, and you won't fool anyone. If you're lucky, you'll get a few golden spots and crisp edges, but no uniform crunch. Still tasty, just nothing to do with a proper fry-up.
Standard cornmeal and flour coating for a 50-50 mix of polenta and whey protein powder
Cornmeal and flour are pure starch. Swapping half for unflavoured whey protein means it isn't just carbs under the crust.
What it costs you. You'll lose some of the sweet grit and classic heft cornmeal gives. The protein powder does its job invisibly if you pick a good one, but don't expect the same flavour.
Whole eggs for egg whites
Egg yolks are protein, but also fat. Using just the whites drops the fat and bumps the protein in the coating.
What it costs you. The crust is a bit less rich; no one is coming here for the eggs anyway. If you really miss the gloss, slip in one yolk, but you can get away without.
Vegetable oil for olive oil spray
It isn't about the taste - it's a question of how much actually ends up in your mouth. Spraying olive oil means you use a tenth of the fat.
What it costs you. The crust doesn't brown quite the same and there's a faint hint of olive about it, but you'll notice only if you're looking for faults.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 475 | 203 |
| Protein | 9.4g | 15.5g |
| Fat | 30.7g | 5.3g |
| Saturated fat | 4.5g | 0.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 41g | 24.5g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2g | 7.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
If you're expecting golden-crusted crunch, this isn't going to fool you - the first bite tells the truth. But you still get the tart, melting middles and some crisp bits, and you can eat a whole tray without breaking into a sweat. The added protein isn't magic, but it takes the place of some of the starch, and if you're looking to snack with a little less regret, you could do much worse. I'd pick the real thing for a party every time, but for a Tuesday night, these bring just enough soul to the table.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.