Health experts and doctors alike are promoting clean eating in these times where people are more into eating fastfood meals and those pre-packaged meals being sold in groceries. There is a common misconception that clean eating is all about removing certain types of food groups, drinking more of smoothies or shakes to get nutrients, or going on a low-car, low-fat diet to keep one’s weight down. Unfortunately, depriving yourself of certain foods won’t make you too happy nor will it have any effect on your weight other than make it go up as soon as you drop your very restrictive diet.
The good news is that clean eating is not that difficult to follow. Truth is, it’s all a matter of finding the right foods to swap with your current diet to achieve a healthier you. Here are some examples for you to try.
- Use spices instead of condiments. Most of us tend to reach for salt and other condiments to flavor our dishes but these contain chemicals that are not really good for our health. A much better option would be to take advantage of the robust flavors that spices can bring us. Think cayenne, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and the like when it comes to preparing your meals. You’ll find that these spices can give your dish that extra kick to them.
- Opt for nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Another healthy swap that you can do is to go for nutritional yeast instead of your favorite parmesan cheese. Although you don’t really have to give up on parm, you can switch it up with nutritional yeast from time to time as the latter has the same taste as parmesan. The only difference is that nutritional yeast contains folic acid, protein, and B12 just to name a few.
- Stick with non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. There is no denying that sour cream is perfect for dips but if you are going the healthy route, you should swap sour cream with non-fat Greek yogurt instead. For one thing, this yogurt is low in fat, low in calorie, its tasty, and can be used in various dishes.
- Tahini is better than butter. Like we have mentioned before, clean eating is not about depriving yourself of your usual foods but rather learning which healthy swaps to consider. In the case of butter, you can swap it with some tahini as the latter can deliver protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium. You can spread some on your toast or drizzle some on your pancakes, whichever you prefer.
- Think walnuts rather than croutons. If you want to add that extra crunch to your salads or toppings, instead of using croutons, go for walnuts instead. These nuts can deliver quite a punch in terms of nutrients with omega-3 essential fatty acids being the key nutrient. Omega-3 is known to reduce your cholesterol levels while improving your overall heart health.
- Choose coconut milk over heavy cream. You don’t really have to say goodbye to dairy products but it is always a good idea to swap heavy cream with coconut milk. Coconut milk is much better because it helps clear up your skin plus it can raise your good cholesterol levels.
