12 HEALTHY EATING FOOD SWAPS

You can make the finest healthy choices and remain healthy without feeling deprived if you use these 12 simple clean-eating food changes (or miserable). To go along with these substitutions, I’m also sharing some of my favorite healthy dishes.

12 HEALTHY EATING FOOD SWAPS

Eating healthily may be difficult, right? Cookies, brownies, chips, pizza…all the things that keep us fantasizing during a dull work meeting. Yes, we are surrounded by “bad” foods that call out to us. But, just as there are a plethora of harmful meals available, there are also healthier options available now than ever before. And they can really taste nice.

In truth, eating clean is simple, and making healthy cuisine is far simpler than cooking harmful foods. I know I sound delusory, but it’s true. It’s also less expensive and faster. None of the recipes on this site takes more than 40 minutes to prepare. That’s around 3–4 recipes. Everything else can be completed in under 30 minutes.

No matter how much time you have to prepare, the ideas on this list will help you make better choices every time.

Strawberry cheesecake smoothie bowl without banana that is nutritious, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free! It’s fantastic as a dessert, so prepare it anytime you want something sweet and refreshing! It’s very simple and only requires 5 ingredients: cashews, orange, strawberries, walnuts, and flaxseed!

1. ICE CREAM VS. SMOOTHIE BOWL

Smoothie bowls are essentially frozen and blended fruit. Nothing else. There’s no huge mystery here. The majority of recipes call for frozen bananas, which provide a creamy texture to smoothie bowls. However, if you, like me, dislike frozen bananas, soaking some nuts and mixing them with some fruit would suffice.

A smoothie bowl has no refined sugar and is high in antioxidants, phytochemicals, and healthy fats. Ice cream, on the other hand, is loaded with saturated fat and sugar. Both are pro-inflammatory and harmful to your general health. Here’s a recipe for a smoothie bowl that I’m really like right now.

2. MILKSHAKE VS. SMOOTHIE

When I was a youngster, one of my favorite pleasures was a strawberry shake from McDonald’s. But. Instead of all that milk, sugar, and ice cream, try a strawberry banana smoothie like this one. It’s incredible. There are just three ingredients, and you can add coconut milk to make it dairy-free.

3. LETTUCE VS. BREAD

If you like eating wraps as much as I do, you will profit greatly from this substitution. It’s exactly what you’re thinking: substituting lettuce for bread. There are fewer calories and more micronutrients. You may add additional nutrients to your meals by wrapping them in collard greens. This switch may seem unattractive at first, but after you try it, you will not be disappointed. I used to despise the idea of a “lettuce wrap,” but now I think they’re better than ordinary ones.

4. OLIVE OIL IN COMPARISON TO DRESSINGS

For me, the greatest and simplest dressing has always been olive oil and lemon. Vinegar is sometimes used instead of lemon. When you use this simple mixture as a dressing instead of other ready-made dressings, you eliminate a lot of hidden sugars. Olive oil is the greatest fat for salads since it contains monounsaturated fats as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial polyphenols.

5. COUSCOUS VS MILLET

Not that I have anything against couscous, but he has a challenger who is way superior to him. It’s known as millet. While couscous is just a little wheat pasta, millet is…well, millet. It’s a whole grain that’s alkaline, gluten-free, and very small.

What isn’t teeny-tiny? The nutritional value of millet. Millet offers almost twice the micronutrients of couscous at the same calorie level, including iron, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and fiber. If a recipe asks for couscous, substitute millet; it has a similar texture to couscous but is less bland, with a nutty, more robust taste.

6. JUICES/SODA VS. INFUSED WATER

Whatever we’re drinking these days seems to be harmful to us. What isn’t harmful to our health? Water. Drink water instead of diet coke or fruit drinks! It’s easy to make, doesn’t take much preparation, and is fantastic for your skin and weight reduction. If you don’t like plain water, you may infuse it with fruits using a fruit infuser water bottle or just add some lemon slices to your water.

7. LENTILS OR QUINOA INSTEAD OF WHITE RICE

White rice isn’t the unhealthiest food on the planet, but it has a high glycemic index and isn’t particularly nutritious since it’s been stripped of all of its fiber and most of its vitamins. Quinoa, lentils, or millet are faster-cooking alternatives to brown rice.

All of these selections are high in protein and fiber, as well as iron, zinc, and magnesium. Quinoa and millet may be substituted for rice in virtually any place. It will be more difficult to replace rice with lentils in all of your favorite meals, but you may start with your sides and expand from there. This tomato basil quinoa risotto is one of my favorite dishes that use quinoa instead of rice. If you haven’t already, you should absolutely try this easy meatless supper!

8. CAULIFLOWER RICE VERSUS GRAINS

Another highly healthy option is if you want to prepare low-calorie and low-carb dishes. This substitution will be particularly beneficial if you’re attempting to reduce weight. I never thought cauliflower could be transformed into anything like rice, but I tried it two years ago and it’s incredibly amazing. Of course, it’s not the same as rice, but it’s close. I’ve prepared risottos, a healthy fried rice dish that you can find here, and spicy cauliflower rice with ground turkey which is quite excellent. If you’re doubtful, I strongly suggest giving it a go at least once; you could discover something new you like.

9. NO-BAKE COOKIES VS. REGULAR COOKIES

When you combine nuts or nut butter with honey or dried fruit, you get a cookie-like flavor. And it’s high in antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats. Cookies, however, are not. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for nutritious no-bake breakfast cookies that I like.

The finest hummus ever! This spicy, flavorful hummus recipe makes the perfect snack, component in supper or lunch bowls, or healthy wrap! This simple hummus recipe is a must-have for your dinner table. It simply has 5 ingredients (chickpeas, tahini, garlic, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice) and takes 5 minutes to prepare.

10. HUMMUS VS. AVOCADO VS. MAYO

Mayonnaise is a prime illustration of how a meal may be very rich in fat, particularly saturated fat while containing no other nutrients. Instead of mayo, try avocado, hummus, or even probiotic yogurt — all of which taste wonderful and give more nutrients than mayo. Hummus, for example, is rich in fiber and protein, as well as iron, zinc, magnesium, folate, and vitamin B6. Here are a few recipes that employ these substitutes (kind of) in place of mayo:

11. WHICH IS BETTER: OATS OR REFINED FLOUR?

This is one of my favorites. I found around three years ago that I could create nearly anything out of oats. Muffins, pancakes, cheesecake crusts, apple crumble…whatever you want. In fact, I no longer know how to use normal flour.

The advantage of this substitution is that oats include more fiber (particularly beta-glucan) and minerals such as magnesium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Oats are also high in prebiotics, which are essential for gut health and have been shown to decrease cholesterol.

12. OVERNIGHT OATS OR YOGURT WITH BERRIES VS. MILK+CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST

Both of these morning alternatives to milk and cereal are quick and simple to make. Yogurt with berries and almonds takes approximately 2 minutes to make, and overnight oats are ready in the morning. Instead of high-sugar cereal, you may start your day with a meal that will fill you up and provide you with true energy.

Both of these healthy breakfast alternatives are beneficial to your digestive system since yogurt includes probiotics and oats contain prebiotics. Overnight oats are also high in protein, fiber, and omega-3s, while yogurt with berries and nuts is high in protein and omega-3s.

You may also create your own healthy granola in 10 minutes and enjoy it all week. Combine some nuts, seeds, and oats with honey and cinnamon, cook on the stove or in the oven for a few minutes, and set aside to cool.