Sub This For That – Healthier Alternatives To Foods In Your Pantry

There is a lot of misinformation out there about the foods we eat and what’s “good” or “bad” for your health.  A lot of brands take advantage of buzz words like “All-natural” or “Low Fat” on their product labels to make you believe a product is healthy and nutritious, when in actuality, it contains harmful ingredients. READ FOOD LABELS! It doesn’t make you a Food Snob to want to know what you’re putting into your body. A lot of common diseases are completely preventable with the right diet. Here are a few easy grocery hacks and substitutes to make your food more impactful.

See bottom for healthy recipes and ideas

Vegetable Oil – Sub Olive, Coconut or Avocado oil, all healthy oils with higher nutritional value

Refined Sugars – Sub Coconut Sugar, Honey, Maple Syrup, or Molasses in your food/drink and baking.  Cancer feeds on processed sugar and artificial sweeteners. Bad news.

Refined Flours – Sub options like Almond, Coconut, Oat, Spelt, or Chickpea flour for refined White or Wheat.  These alternate flours are allergy friendly and haven’t been stripped of all their nutritional value.

Fake Butter/Margarine – Sub real Butter and Ghee.  Whole butter contains fats you need in your diet, but if there are more than two ingredients (cream and salt), you’re not eating real butter.  Read the label. Avoid brands with unnecessary added ingredients like hydrogenated oils high in trans-fat.

Fake Mayo – Eat the real thing.  Mayonnaise should be made of oil, egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings, that’s it.  No added chemicals necessary.

Processed Meat – Skip the bacon and sausage and sub natural organic grass-fed Beef, Chicken, lean Turkey and wild-caught, or responsibly farm-raised Fish.

Dairy – Dairy seems to be linked to a slew of gastrointestinal problems nowadays, but cheese is the best thing ever! Rather than give it up entirely, eat in moderation, and sub everyday items like coffee creamers out for Almond, Coconut, Oat or Flax milk to lower your dairy intake.

Refined White or Wheat Bread – Sub Ezekiel, Rye, or Sourdough which are dense in fiber and nutrients.  Refined wheat spikes your blood sugar and leads to health problems.  If you have a gluten sensitivity, opt for rice, cauliflower or GF sprouted grain bread.

“Low Fat” Foods/Snacks – Sub Whole Foods. Your body needs healthy natural fats to function.  Be wary of foods marketed as “low fat,” as they often contain processed artificial sugars and other cancer-causing chemicals.

Sodas – Sub unsweetened Iced Tea, or Sparkling Water with natural fruit flavors

Juice – Quench your thirst with water.  For a treat, sub fresh, cold pressed Fruit and Vegetable Juices without added sugar.

You’ll find that 99% of recipes can be amended pretty easily with subs like the ones listed above! You don’t have to give up your favorite meals, snacks and sweet cravings.  Instead, do a quick switch on a few of the ingredients, and voila, you have a tasty and much more nutritious spread.  When it comes to hydration, make sure you’re powering your body with enough water.  Teas, pressed juices and natural sparkling drinks should be in addition to your daily water intake.

Recipes:

Drink:
Healthy Iced Tea Recipes

Snack Appetizer:
5-Minute Protein Bites
7-Layer Dip
Spicy Green Cashew Dip

Lunch:
Tai Peanut Chicken Wrap
Taco Bowl
Baked Chicken Wings
BLT Grilled Cheese

Dinner:
Homemade Pizza
25 Pasta Recipes
The Best Turkey Chili
Chicken Curry
Chinese Takeout at home
One Pan Jerk Chicken

Sweet Treats:
Healthy Carrot Cake
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Double Chocolate Cookies
Cinnamon Walnut Crisp

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