10 Healthy Food Swaps
We all could be eating a bit better, myself included. But damn, it's so hard sometimes. In this post, hopefully you get some ideas about some small changes you can make to your diet to give you body a little bit more nutrients. Here are 10 food swaps that I have used in my life and maybe you will implement them into your life too.
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1. Regular Sugar vs. Honey
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We all know that sugar is bad for you (with the exception of natural sugars in fruit). Too much sugar can cause a plethora of health problems, but this is still one big thing I struggle with because sugar is in everything! A good swap that I have been trying is honey. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which is good to keep your body from flaring up and irritating existing health conditions (e.g. eczema). I have swapped this for sugar in my tea and use it on PB toast and oatmeal.
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2. Instant Oats vs. Rolled Oats
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Instant oats may seem like a healthy option, but they are actually loaded with sugar. A package can contain anywhere from 10-16g of sugar! Instead, grab some plain rolled oats and sweeten them yourselves. I like to put in vanilla, cinnamon, bananas, and peanut butter to kick it up a notch. It can also be just as quick because you can pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes and it’s done! Oatmeal is high in iron and fiber which means you’ll be full for a longer time. It also helps lower cholesterol so you can prevent against any cardiac issues in the future.
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3. Milk vs. Almond Milk
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Milk is meant to grow a baby calf into a cow! It is full of growth hormones that humans do not need. Not to mention all the puss and blood that comes from over milking the cows because these greedy people want to produce as much milk as possible. These guys just put white food colouring to make it uniformly white. We are the only species who drinks another animals milk. Instead, I go for unsweetened almond milk (or any plant based milk) as a replacement for everything I used to use milk with. Almond milk is naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E which means glowing skin!
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4. Mayonnaise/Butter vs. Avocado
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Mayo and butter are full of extra bad fats that you do not need to be putting into your body. I go for avocado instead because it gives that same creamy texture, but with an abundance of health benefits. Avocados have more potassium than bananas and are full of healthy fats that keep you full and your skin, hair , and nails glowing. I like to put avocado on a burger instead of mayo. Trust me guys, you have to try it.
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5. Table Salt vs. Pink Salt
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Regular white salt is extremely over processed and bleached. However, we still do need salt in our bodies as it aids with muscular contractions, cardiac function, and maintaining fluid balance in our bodies. Pink Himalayan salt is unprocessed and contains a lot more minerals that are needed for health like calcium, magnesium, and iodine. I use pink salt on things that I used to put regular salt on like my eggs and meats.
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6. Vegetable Oil vs. Coconut Oil
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Vegetable oil is high in saturated fat a.k.a the kind of fat that is not good for us. Saturated fat increases inflammation in the body which can lead to heart disease and diabetes. Instead, grab some coconut oil (or avocado, or olive oil). These are high in unsaturated fats which are the kind we want! I use these oils when cooking anything from vegetables, to steaks, to french toast. This is such a simple swap and you won’t be compromising any of the flavour, in fact, you might actually add more flavour to your foods.
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7. Yogurt vs. Coconut Yogurt
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Shall we scroll back up to the milk swap? A lot of us are intolerant to dairy (like myself). If you have been having some constipation or digestive issues, maybe dairy is the culprit. I used to love having yogurt and granola parfaits as a breakfast or snack. Lately, I’ve swapped it out for a coconut based yogurt. It’s high in fiber, good fats, and anti-oxidants. I usually get the Yoso Chocolate Coconut Yogurt. It is rich and creamy, and I love chocolate, so its a win-win all around. There are also almond based yogurts out there too!
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8. Cereal vs. Puffed/Whole Grain Cereal
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Look at the label of your favorite cereal, mine is Frosted Flakes. Now scroll down and look at the sugar content per serving. In a ¾ cup serving there is 10g of sugar, and who only has ¾ of a cup of cereal? I used to eat twice that equating to 20g of sugar!! That’s how much sugar we should be consuming in one day let alone one meal. When looking for cereal, I choose ones that have less than 5g of sugar per serving and are made from whole grains. Puffed/popped cereal is another great option as well. Kashi has a line of puffed cereals that are way better for you. Currently Weetabix is my fave and I put in some cinnamon, vanilla, and bananas to make it taste amazing.
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9. Bacon vs. Turkey/Chicken Bacon
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Pigs are just gross in general, the way they eat and live... I’m actually going to throw up lol. 4 slices of bacon contains almost half of your recommended intake of sodium. Bacon is also highly processed and full of chemicals to preserve it. If you really need your bacon fix, opt for some turkey or chicken bacon. It still tastes relatively the same, but turkey and chicken are much cleaner meats. Get your protein in without doing it the dirty way.
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10. Chocolate Bar vs. Lara Bar
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We all know that chocolate bars aren’t good for you, but damn they taste so fucking good! My personal favourite chocolate bars are snickers and O’henry. Since I started eating cleaner, I’ve been eating a lot of Lara Bars. They are made with actual ingredients you can pronounce and the list of ingredients isn’t that long. Because they are made with dates, you still get that sugary satisfaction you are looking for, but with a lot more health benefits. My favorite flavour is peanut butter chocolate chip (duh). It is made only with peanuts, dates, semisweet chocolate chips and sea salt. Instead of loading your body with processed sugars and empty calories, grab one of these instead to get the boost of energy your body is looking for.
