When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, it’s the simple dietary choices you make everyday that have the biggest impact on your health. The secret to good health lies in consistency, not perfection. By consistently making a few smart swaps in your diet each day, like ditching sugar and refined carbs for more nutrient-dense foods, you can loose inches off your waistline and dramatically boost your overall health. Here are 6 simple food swaps you can make to better your health.
1. Swap Store Bought Salad Dressings For Homemade
Store bought salad dressings are typically made with low quality oils and are loaded with hidden sugars. Making your own dressings at home is super easy with a simple combination of extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and a few pantry staples you already have on hand.
Homemade balsamic dressing- 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of both salt and pepper. Put all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake generously.
2. Swap Pasta For Vegetable Noodles
Vegetable noodles are a great low-carb, gluten-free alternative to pasta noodles. Most people already know about spaghetti squash and zucchini noodles, but there are so many other options.
- Yellow squash
- Butternut squash
- Sweet potato
- Beets
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- The list goes on and on!
You can pretty much turn any firm-flesh vegetable into a veggie noodle using a basic vegetable peeler or a spiralizer like the one pictured above. The best part is that many of them can be eaten raw and the ones that do require a bit of cooking only take about 5 minutes. Try them in soups, salads, basically anywhere you would normally use regular pasta.
3. Swap Tortillas For Lettuce Wraps
Taco Tuesday is a staple in most American households, seriously, who doesn’t love taco’s? By swapping out your tortilla for a lettuce wrap or a salad, you can save hundreds of calories and get in a healthy serving of leafy greens. Try using romaine, iceberg, butter, or bib varieties. You can also use large dark leafy greens like collard greens, kale, or cabbage. And really it’s all about the toppings anyways, so load those taco’s up.
4. Swap Rice for Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable, it can become pizza crust, mashed potatoes, and even buffalo bites. However, it is most popular for its ability to mimic rice. Cauliflower rice cooks in minutes and does a great job of absorbing what ever flavors your pair with it. You can serve it hot, cold, as a side dish or even use it to make risotto. Simply grate cauliflower florets using a sturdy box grater or pulse in your food processor. Thanks to its popularity, you can find it already riced for you in the freezer section of your grocery store.
5. Swap Cereal For Eggs
I know you’re saying, “but it’s bran or whole grain.” Most bran cereals are 97% carbohydrates with only 16% accounting for fiber. That means most of it is absorbed as sugar, which increases your blood sugar (glucose in your blood) and insulin levels. In return, you will feel tired and hungry a few hours after eating.
Eggs are one of the most complete foods you can eat. They contain both protein and fat which helps sustain your energy levels and keeps you feeling satisfied…. longer.
6. Swap Soft Drinks for Sparkling Water
The average American consumes over 22 teaspoons of sugar everyday and most don’t even realize it. The biggest culprit is the hidden sugars in soft drinks. Drinking one soda a day is equal to 50 pounds of sugar in a year. Consuming too much sugar can lead to serious health problems including insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. By switching to sparkling water, you can still enjoy a bubbly beverage, just minus all the added sugar.