38 Simple Food Swaps That Could Change Your Life
Whole grains for white, quality for quantity, Wii Fit for Mario Kart— just one smart swap can pave the way to a healthier and happier life. So we decided to go all out and provide 38“ this for that’ s.” Now there are no excuses when it comes to making healthier food choices!
1. Cook instead of eating out. Even if you try to eat healthy at a restaurant, that pesky bread bowl or sneaky salad may pack more calories than you planned for. Trust your inner Top Chef skills, and turn on the( skillet) heat. Cooking at home will more likely result in a healthier meal, not to mention a happier wallet.
2. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. A glass of O. J. contains very little of the pulp or skin from an orange— and none of the fiber content. Skip the glass, and go with the whole piece of fruit to reap the full nutritional benefits of this sweet, healthy snack( and save some calories while you’ re at it).
By Laura Schwecherl for Greatist local farmers, too!
5. Use oil and balsamic instead of processed dressings. Ever flip that dressing bottle around and see a million ingredients listed? Think“ less is more,” and lightly dress a salad with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar— no additives included!
6. Eat raw spinach instead of iceberg lettuce. Let’ s be real, iceberg lettuce is boring. Besides, spinach is full of vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, and iron. Plus, Popeye loves it. Can’ t go wrong!
7. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Crave sour cream in your burrito? To get that same creamy coolness, add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. You’ ll amp up the protein and slash the fat.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon instead of sugar. Here’ s a spicy suggestion: Use cinnamon instead of sugar packets to heighten the flavor of coffee without adding extra calories. Try it in oatmeal, too!
3. Pan-fry food instead of deep-frying it. Obvious news flash: Deep-fried food is unhealthy. Keep things crispy by pan-frying lean protein or veggies in the skillet with some cooking oil. We promise it’ ll be just as tasty!
4. Buy local produce instead of supermarket veggies. Take a trip to the farmer’ s market instead of Walmart’ s produce aisle. According to the USDA, locally produced fruits and veggies that are in-season may be more nutritious. And it supports
9. Choose salsa instead of cream-based dips. Dip chips into this fiery, flavorful alternative to cheesy spreads to get extra nutrients for fewer calories.
10. Eat frozen grapes instead of a Popsicle. It’ s like eating bitesized Popsicles with no added sugar!
11. Drink sparkling water instead of soda. Try a fun flavor like lemon-lime or even vanilla if you don’ t like straight soda water.
22 September Edition