Here are my Top Ten Substitutes for common less healthy favorites:
1. Instead of Potato Chips- Eat Air Popped Pop Corn.
Hold the Butter. Instead I use Grapeseed Oil and Sea Salt. You can find grapeseed oil in any grocery store with the olive oils, but you’ll want to shop around because it can be expensive. But this one trick has given me guilt free snacking. Popcorn is so good for you and it is a great source of fiber except when they add all the bad stuff to it! Grapeseed oil has a mild flavor and is a very light oil. I also use it for my salads and salad dressings (homemade- see Italian Dressing Spice mix in link below).
2. Instead of Butter as a topping- use Butter Buds.
Usually found in the spice or baking isle, these are all natural and melt on warm foods as a topping. Yum.
3. Instead of Packaged Mixes- Make your own All Natural Spices- It is easy.
Packaged mixes do have artificial ingredients and sometimes added sugar, etc. If you can make your own it’s healthy and cost effective. Mix recipes are easy to find. If you like, you can start with using my own spice mix recipes.
4. Instead of Sour Cream-Try Nonfat Greek Plain Yogurt.
I emphasize Greek here. It will make a difference I use Oikos brand. I can literally eat this on taco salad ( with my homemade Taco Seasoning of course) in place of sour cream. But you can also use it in any recipe calling for sour cream. It can be made into your favorite dip too!
5. Instead of White Sugar- Raw Sugar
I can make anything with raw sugar.At first I wasn’t sure how it would be in certain recipes. But it works out fine for most cookies or anything I bake. Organic sugar is also fine, because it isn’t bleached and it’s a bit less course too.
6. Instead of White Rice-Brown Rice
It took a little while to get used to the change, but now everyone is totally happy with brown rice in the family. It takes a bit more water and little longer to cook.
7. Instead of Regular Pasta- Whole Wheat Pasta
We use this always. And my family loves it now. It’s hearty and better for you. It takes a bit longer to cook also.
8. Instead of Soda- Cranberry Spritzer or other homemade drinks.
I like to drink 1/2 Cranberry juice (all natural- no high fructose corn syrup or any other corn syrup) and 1/2 bubble water. I use Le Croix. You can also do 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 carbonated water. It works with any sweet juice and half the sugar is much better for you! It makes a great substitute for me for soda.
9. Instead of Cheddar Cheese- Instead use Goat or Feta.
Some recipes it just wouldn’t work with. But on salads or pizza if you like cheese try Feta or Goat cheese. It is fabulous and you don’t need much.
10. Instead of Whole Milk- Skim Milk or Almond Milk.
Of course you can use skim milk in stead of whole or 2 %. But have you every tried Almond milk? We love it. And since I buy healthy cereal or make my own granola which has no sugar at all, it adds a bit of sweetness if you buy the vanilla. My kids swear it takes like chocolate milk.
