Changing habits can be hard. That’s why I compiled a list of some great substitutes that you can easily make to add a healthier twist to your favorite recipes!

 

Baking Swaps

Trade Refined White Flour for Wheat Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Nut Flour or Coconut Flour

• Refined flour is just that – refined. That means the flour was stripped of its nutrients, and then those nutrients were synthetically added back in. Whole wheat, wheat, nut, & coconut flour still have their original, natural nutrients in them, making them the better option, when compared to the refined white flour.

  • Pro Tip – slowly phase out the white flour. Start with half white & half wheat (or whatever option you choose), then slowly begin using less & less of the white, and more of the good stuff 😊

• Making Brownies? Swap out the flour for Black Beans

  • An equal trade, 1 cup of black bean puree (1 can of mashed black beans) can be traded out for 1 cup of flour

Trade out White Sugar for a Natural Honey, Agave Nectar Maple Syrup, Coconut Sugar, Ripe Bananas, or Unsweetened Applesauce

• White sugar is highly processed. These recommended swaps have natural & can be found in nature AKA they’re pure! Sweeteners at their finest!

• Stevia is also a great alternative for sugar. At 300x the sweetness than cane sugar, a little goes a longgg way

Oils (vegetable oils, canola oil) & Butter are no match for Unsweetened Applesauce, Bananas, or Nut Butters

• The alternatives to oils are lower in calories, lower in saturated fats, more natural, and yet, still have the consistency that oil brings to your favorite dishes

Swap that Sour Cream out for Original Greek Yogurt

• Greek Yogurt is a great source of protein & probiotics, plus, I swear they taste the same!

Say good bye to Heavy Cream and hello to Evaporated Skim Milk

• Making this switch is going to help you cut calories & a good amount of saturated fat!

Trade those Chocolate Chips for Cacao Nibs

• While chocolate chips are delicious, a lot of brands are highly processed and filled with sugar & empty calories, while cacao nibs are much more “whole”, filled with nutrients that we need, and are a great substitute when you’re looking to fill that chocolate craving!

 

Cooking Swaps

Trade out that Enriched, White Pasta for Veggie Pasta

• Making this switch will allow you to eat more vitamins, minerals, & protein! Popular swaps are (1) spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles (zoodles), & chickpea pasta.

Out with the Salt & In with the Citrus Juice

• A quick squeeze or two of fresh lemon or lime juice is a great way to limit the amount of salt you consume & not have to compromise on flavor!

Trading Mayo (or Mayonnaise) for Avocado or Greek Yogurt

• A perfect swap for your tuna salads, chicken salads, etc. This swap will not only add flavor, but you’ll also get a ton of nutrients that mayo cannot provide you!

Out with the Butter and in with the Plant-Based Oils

• Plant based oils have shown to not only lower LDL levels (the “bad” cholesterol), it’s also been shown to improve HDL levels (the “good” cholesterol)

  • Be aware of the different plant-based oils’ smoking points – for example, olive oil is best used on cold dishes (such as salads) whereas avocado oi has a higher smoking point and therefore, is better for cooking and/or frying

  • Using an oil above its smoking point breaks down the oil’s properties can cause free radicals in our bodies ☹

Trade out your Classic Breadcrumbs for Ground Flax Seeds

• Flax seed has the same binding effect as breadcrumbs with less carbs, and more nutrients, such as protein, fiber, and antioxidants!

 

Miscellaneous Swaps

Swap that Sour Cream out for Original Greek Yogurt

• Greek Yogurt is a great source of protein & probiotics, plus, I swear they taste the same! Whether you’re looking for a topper for your chili or tacos or want to switch out the sour cream in your mashed potatoes, Greek yogurt is a great swap!

Forget Coffee Creamer, Give Cinnamon a Try

• Coffee creamer is easily overdone and very caloric dense, often being one of the hidden culprits to why the weight won’t come off. Cinnamon is a spice that will sweeten up your coffee without all the extra calories

Switch out your Iceberg Lettuce for Kale, Spinach, or Arugula

• Kale, spinach, and arugula are packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals that iceberg lettuce lacks

Swap your Ground Beef for Extra Lean Beef (90/10 or better) or Ground Turkey

• Extra lean ground beef or ground turkey has total less fat, less cholesterol, and just as much protein as regular ground beef

Trade out the 1 Whole Egg for 2 Egg Whites

• This is a good substitute for those monitoring their cholesterol levels, has the yolk holds most of the cholesterol and fat found in an egg

Kicking your pop habit with sparkling or fruit-infused water

• Trading out pop for your favorite sparkling water and/or fruit -infused provides you with all the flavor and carbonation and none of the calories

Swap Flavored Yogurt for Plain Yogurt with Fresh Fruit

• Flavored yogurt is loaded to the brim with additional sugars that you won’t find in plain yogurt. Dd your favorite fresh or frozen fruit to the yogurt to give it some fun flavor

Like to top your dishes with Cheese? Try Nutritional yeast instead!

• Nutritional yeast tastes just like cheese itself, but won’t upset your stomach, cause constipation, and its loaded with vitamins and minerals missing from cheese itself

Trade Potato Chips for Kale Chips

• Kale chips are super simple to make and taste just like your favorite salty snack. Plus, kale is loaded with so many vitamins and minerals that we lack as a population, its no wonder its considered a super food!

 

What swaps do you already do? Which ones do you do that I didn’t list above? Make sure to comment your favorite swaps below so we all can try them out ourselves!

 

Xox Veronica

Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash