5 Easy Swaps for Healthier Eating

Summer is here and we’re aching to get outside, socialize, and BBQ! You, too? Whether you are hosting a gathering or just wanting chill time in the sun, there are easy things you can do to enjoy summer while keeping your health in mind.

You don’t need to swear off foods for good, we’re not about that! But by just swapping in healthier ingredients, you can make a difference—like improving your mood, energy, digestion, and decreasing inflammation!

Swap out…

1. Refined grains for whole grains or starchy vegetables

Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and refined pasta, may taste good in the moment but they lack fiber and nutrients that help keep you full and stabilize your blood sugar. By choosing whole grains or starchy vegetables instead, like brown rice and sweet potatoes, you not only stay satisfied longer but avoid sugar and carb cravings.

Here’s a little tip

Craving pasta? Opt for brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta, like Banza. Add olive oil, salt, fresh herbs, cooked veggies, and your favorite protein. The veggies bulk up the pasta so you have a balanced bowl filled with protein, starch, fiber, veggies, and healthy fats in every bite. Something we call the perfect “Magic Plate”!

2. Processed oil for olive or coconut oil

Processed oils, like canola, safflower, corn, and palm oil, are highly refined. Meaning, production of these oils involves high heat and exposure to chemicals. Exposure to high heat makes them very unstable, and so, they can easily become rancid. Studies have shown these oils to be inflammatory and that they can negatively affect memory and heart health.

Here’s a little tip

Good news! There are plenty of good oils to cook with and enjoy. Use high-heat oils, like avocado and coconut oil, when cooking. Save olive, flaxseed, and sesame oil for dressing salads, veggies, and fish. These unprocessed oils are high in omega-3—packed with anti-inflammatory properties!

Always look at labels when you shop to look out for sneaky unhealthy oils. Brands tend to use them because they are cheap. In this case, it’s not worth the savings. Spending an extra buck for high-quality products or cooking at home makes a huge impact on the health on your body, right down to your cells.

3. Salt for lemon or dried herbs and spices

Whether you have high blood pressure or not, it’s wise to watch your sodium intake. The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon salt) daily. This is difficult if we are eating out, eating processed, and/or packaged food. The Journal of Food Composition and Analysis showed that regular menu items had a whopping average of 2,196 milligrams of sodium per 1,000 calories!

Here’s a little tip

Salt is important to balance your electrolytes and minerals so that’s why we aren’t saying to cut it out, but rather, to keep it in moderation. You can distract your palate with lemon, herbs, and spices by waking up your taste buds with other flavors. Once you start reducing salt and subbing in other ingredients, your taste will start to become more sensitive to saltiness, so you won’t need as much.

Use lemons and other bitter flavors to get the same effect, like vinegar. Also, choose no or low sodium when buying soups/broths, canned goods, and baked items so you can control your own salt or salt alternatives. Anything below 200mg is a healthier choice.

4. Sugar-free or fat-free for full-fat products

Oh, the “sugar-free” fad in the 90s. Where to start. We’ve all probably grabbed a sugar-free or fat-free treat at one point. You might have thought at some points that you could eat a brownie and not feel guilty! Shoot, maybe you could have two! Even though claiming to be healthy, these “free” foods are far from a “freebie”. Whenever brands take out one nutrient from a food, they pack in another ingredient or nutrient, usually unhealthy. Take a sugar-free yogurt for example. It’s packed with preservatives, fake sugars, and chemicals. Or, look at a fat-free baked good, it’s packed with excess sugar to make up for the lack of fat.

Here’s a little tip

If you’re shopping for packaged or processed foods, there are ways you can make healthy choices. Look at the front label. Is it claiming to be healthier because it has low fat or sugar? Check the ingredients labels on the back to see if it measures up. Look for a shortlist, under 7 ingredients, no added sugar, or chemicals. (Psst, you should be able to pronounce/recognize every single ingredient!) All being said, if you want the brownie, just eat the real deal with real ingredients. Even better, bake a homemade version made with a healthy fat, like coconut oil, and sweetened with natural sugar, like maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar.

5. Grain-fed steak for grass-fed steak

Yes, red meat is a great source of protein and iron, but it can also be highly inflammatory, depending on the quality. You don’t have to give up your steak. Grain-fed meat may cause inflammation and high cholesterol, but eating grass-fed meat can give you quite the opposite effect as it has higher amounts of omega-3 and provides anti-inflammatory benefits.

Hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides are stored in fat cells. So think about it. If cows are raised with these harmful toxins (grain-fed), these toxins are stored in the cow’s fat cells. If you eat that meat, you are eating every chemical or pesticide that the cow was storing. Meaning, you would also store these chemicals in YOUR fat cells. Not a pretty picture.

Here’s a little tip

Spend the extra money and buy grass-fed steak. Your body will thank you for weeks, months, years, and even decades later. We can’t stress enough to put money toward your health now to avoid bigger medical bills and chronic conditions later. All of these little things add up to better health! If money is a concern, perhaps buy a smaller amount—the recommended serving of meat is 3 ounces. About 2 to 3 times smaller than what’s served at a restaurant. We also love making lots of veggie sides to fill up on to feel satisfied and full.

Summary

Now you know some healthy swaps to upgrade your meals. When you know why something is healthier and understand the benefits, it’s easier to make those healthier choices. Is there a healthy swap you are interested in trying or is there one that is a part of your lifestyle? Share below, we’d love to hear it!