Eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to cut out your favorite foods or meals, but it does require that you make a few changes. While many of us are resistant to change, it’s important to remember that nothing in your life will change (like your weight!) if you don’t make changes. You can’t just will or wish things into being. To help you take some baby steps towards a healthier life, here are six simple swaps to clean up your meals.
1. Use hummus instead of mayonnaise. Hummus still gives you that creamy consistency, but it’s made with chickpeas, which ups the fiber content and has healthier fats.
3. Use cauliflower instead of white rice. This has actually become a huge craze, even beyond the fitness world. Many stores, including Trader Joe’s, have even started carrying “riced” cauliflower, which takes out ton of the work for you. By making this swap you’re adding in a healthy vegetable and getting rid of a food that is quickly digested and often leaves you crashing soon after.
4. Use fat free Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Although fat free Greek yogurt is still a dairy product, it’s considerably higher in protein and lower in fat than other yogurts and sour cream. It also has the same sour taste, so it can easily replace sour cream in any of your favorite recipes without anyone noticing!
5. Use fruit compote instead of syrup. What’s the point of pancakes without some delicious syrup on top? While we all love syrup, it’s FULL of sugar and will just give you an energy spike and then crash. Try simmering frozen fruit and a few tbs of water over heat to create a syrupy compote made from natural sugars that won’t leave you feeling that same crash.
6. Use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan. Say WHAT? Yes - nutritional yeast. It may sound super weird, but it actually has a great cheesy and nutty flavor and is PACKED with nutrients like B12 and folic acid.
