Eat This Not That: 10 Food Swaps

We are all looking for small changes to make in our day to day lives to help us be healthier overall. Some people choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator or maybe parking far away from the entrance of a store. You can also change some of the things you eat to lead a healthier lifestyle! In this post I am going to suggest some food swaps to make for some of your favorite snack or food items.

1. Oatmeal instead of sugary cereal

Oatmeal is great, I am such an advocate! It's so versatile, healthy and you add in anything you want! I think we all know how sugary our favorite cereals are, for example cinnamon toast crunch (one of my faves) has 12g in one cup. And not to mention this is coming from straight sugar, none is naturally occuring. On the other hand with oatmeal, you may add fruit or some honey which will also add up to 12g or more buttt the difference is all the fiber in the oatmeal will slow down the digestion. Also you will feel full for longer because of the fiber and you are getting a lot of nutrients from the fresh fruit. Here I go again talking about how amazing fiber is but it really is one of the most important things to get in your diet! Heres a link to my article all about the beauties of fiber.

2. Popcorn instead of chips

I know, I know this one might not be an even trade because chips are sooo good. But at least they are both crunchy and salty right? Popcorn is better because you can find brands (or pop it yourself) that don't cover it in a bunch of salt and oil. Skinny Pop or Boom Chicka Pop are great brands, they are low in calories and still taste great (I loveee the Boom Chicka Pop kettle corn, it's the perfect balance of sweet and salty!). Also popcorn is high in...can you guess it...FIBER! So automatically to me, popcorn is the better option.

3. Avocado as mayo

So I do want to point out one thing, I don't think mayo is all that bad for you when eaten in moderation. It's just high in calories but so is avocado so the calories are not the trade off in this swap, nutrients are. Avocados are high in fiber (sorry I keep saying it!), have great unsaturated fats, low in sodium and contain important nutrients.

4. Homemade salad dressing is better than store bought

There are sooo many different types of salad dressing out there and when I'm in that aisle in the grocery store, my eyes go cross eyed at the vast selection. Many store bought salad dressings contain cheap oils, lots of sodium, many grams of sugar and lots of unnecessary additives. Depending on the kind of dressing you like some may be easier to make than others but you should still try! Personally I like balsamic vinaigrette so I can make this easily at home. I use olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some seasonings, usually garlic powder, pepper and italian seasoning and a pinch of salt.

5. Try seltzer instead of soda

We all know how unhealthy soda is but it's a staple drink for many. There are many different kinds of soda but most are latened with sugar and contain half of the daily recommended amount in one can! For example there are 39g of sugar in one 12oz can! To put that in perspective, the FDA recommends consuming no more than 50g of added sugar per day. One can of coke is more than half the recommendation! Instead, try buying flavored seltzer and swap that out for your usual soda a few times a week. Seltzers are usually sugar free or have just a few grams coming from real fruit juice.

6. Greek yogurt over other kinds

Okay I know greek yogurt is not for everyone, it has a strong flavor but it's so much healthier than other sugary store bought kinds. Let's look at a strawberry Yoplait (traditional yogurt brand) 6 oz cup, this contains 19 grams of sugar in total, 13 of which are added and it has 5g of protein. Oikos (greek yogurt brand) 5.3 0z cup on the other hand has 12g of total sugar, 7 of which are added and it has 13g of protein. Yes there is a slight .7oz discrepancies between these examples but in the grand scheme that isn't much. The high amount of protein in the greek yogurt will keep you feeling fuller for longer and slow down the digestion and absorption of sugar leading to less blood sugar spikes (this is a good thing!).

7. Try tea and coffee instead of energy drinks

Energy drinks have gained a lot of popularity over the years and more seem to keep popping up. These drinks contain a ridiculous amount of sugar. In one can of 12oz Red Bull there is 37g of sugar. There is also many health issues that can come with overconsumption of energy drinks such as rapid heartbeat and kidney damage. Coffee and tea still contain caffeine but you would need to consume much, much more to be on the same level as an energy drink.

8. Whole grain over refined, ALWAYS, well maybe not always but OFTEN

According to the USDA at least half of the grains you consume should be whole. What is a whole grain? Whole grains are things like brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat, barley, oats, rye and others. The "whole" in whole grain is referring to the fact that the whole kernel of grain is still intact such as the fiber-dense bran, nutrient rich germ and starchy endosperm (these are all the parts of a grain). During the processing of grains to make white bread or flour, these different parts are removed and discarded leaving just the endosperm which contains little nutrients, protein or fiber, and is basically just starch. When consuming whole grain products you are getting all the nutrients, protein and fiber rich parts of the plant along with the starch. Whole grains have been linked with lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease and can help lower cholesterol. All around whole grains provide much more nutrients and are a better option. Look for the words "whole grain" when shopping for breads, pastas, cereals, and snacks!

9. Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate

What makes dark chocolate less sweet and slightly more bitter than milk is because there is less sugar in it, hence why it is considered healthier. Dark chocolate that is 70-85% cocoa contains high amounts of copper, iron, fiber, potassium and other minerals. Researchers have also found that dark chocolate has amazing antioxidant effects, more than blueberries!

10. Swap out granola bars for trail mix

Many people assume granola bars are healthy because of the way they are marketed. But the truth is most granola bars are filled with sugars! Some may have less sugars than others so this is why it's important to read the nutrition label. Trail mix on the other hand is full of nuts, fruit and M&M's (my personal favorite) which has much less sugar. There is less sugar because there is usually more nuts than there is fruit or chocolate compared to a granola bar that is covered in honey or has sugar mixed in. Also all the nuts in the trail mix provide protein and fat which leave you feeling fuller for longer and decrease blood spikes due to slowing down the digestion time. There will be more fat in trail mix though because of all the nuts but these are healthy fats!