4 Food Swaps for Healthy Eating
Many of the food items we’ve enjoyed growing up are no longer considered healthy. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your favorite flavors and textures without the risk of ingesting some of these foods. Check out some of the most popular food swaps.
Corn
Corn might be tasty on a hot summer day, but it’s not one of the best vegetables for you. Many people end up eating corn in everything from soups to chips. Yet this starch isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, according to Harvard researchers, corn is the worst vegetable for you if you’re trying to lose weight. You should skip this filling veggie if you’re trying to shed a few pounds. Unless you workout for many hours each day or you’re training for a marathon, you might not need the calories that corn brings.
Instead, you can find nutrients and texture in other starchy veggies that also have more nutritional value. Exchange your corn chips for coconut chips or cassava chips. You’ll still get the same amount of crunch as corn chips, but you won’t ingest as many calories. You can also easily use cassava chips as a vessel for dip, salsa and guacamole.
Soy
Most Americans have no idea how much soy they eat every day. The average American may not even include famous soy products like tofu in most meals, but sadly there is soy in just about everything. Many companies use soy as a filler to add bulk to a dish. Soy takes on whatever flavor you add to it, so it’s often used as a cheap protein swap.
You probably know soy best from the dark and thin condiment that you use on Asian food—otherwise known as soy sauce. You might not think there’s any substitute for this salty sauce that adds tons of flavor to chicken, fish, rice and sushi. Yet soy isn’t as good for you as many vegetarians would have you think. It’s almost always genetically modified in the US. Instead of using soy sauce, try coconut aminos instead. This condiment has nearly the same taste as soy sauce but is much healthier for you.
Wheat
Naturopaths and allergists have been trying to get patients off of wheat for years. This grain is blamed for every health condition under the sun—including psoriasis and indigestion. Yet wheat may play a huge role in obesity and other healthy problems. Many people suffer from wheat intolerances without even knowing it.
Wheat also turns to glucose as it’s digested and can be stored as fat in the body. If you’re trying to lose weight or keep fat off, you probably don’t want to eat too much wheat. Some scientists liken eating wheat to eating candy If you love the texture and taste of wheat but don’t want to worry about the health benefits, there are plenty of swaps. You could switch to gluten-free breads and breads baked with coconut flour instead of wheat flour. You could also try using rice flour in place of wheat flour. There are plenty of bakeries and food companies that swap wheat with some of these other products, so you shouldn’t find too many issues avoiding wheat.
Dairy
Dairy can be an allergen and irritant just like soy, corn and wheat. Like with wheat, many people are allergic or have an intolerance without knowing it. Humans are the one rare species that drinks milk after infancy and drinks the milk of other animals. Milk can be the cause of skin breakouts, digestive issues and hormone problems. Unfortunately, most of us are conditioned that milk is good for us and have been taught to enjoy the silky and creamy taste of dairy products. We also enjoy the probiotic benefits of yogurt.
Luckily, there’s plenty of ways to enjoy dairy-like products without indulging in dairy. Another swap ingredient that’s used in two other items on this list is coconut. You can easily use coconut milk and cream in place of dairy. You can also use cashew milk in place.
