5 Super Ingredient Substitutes for Healthier Living
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So you want to eat healthy foods but don’t how to go about it. Well I can understand what you’re going through since that used to be my problem too. However I did some research and found other healthier food substitutes.
1. Whole Wheat Flour for Regular White Flour
Whole wheat flour has more nutrients than regular white flour. Because it comes with grain’s outer shell, it has extra fiber, removing toxins in your body and lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Just replace a cupful of white flour with 7/8 cup of whole wheat. Whole wheat, as you probably already know, is rich in fiber, iron, zinc, copper, B1, B2, B3 and other vitamins. It is also rich in magnesium and manganese.
2. Plain Yogurt for Flavored Yogurt
Flavored yogurt often comes with sugar, so just go for plain yogurt and some fresh fruit for extra flavor. Plain yogurt has half the calories of flavored yogurt and double the protein and calcium. A cup of plain yogurt has 400 mg of calcium, 40% of your daily RDA. But plain yogurt has many other benefits.
- Yogurt has lactobacteria, essential for cleaning your colon.
- Yogurt boosts your ability’s to absorb B vitamins and calcium.
- It boosts your immune system.
- I can also tell you that plain yogurt can cure intestinal infections.
- It can also prevent yeast infection.
3. Whole Wheat Bread for Regular White Bread
Whole wheat bread has more vitamins than regular bread. Whole wheat also has B vitamins, vitamin E and bran. Bran, I have to point out, is full of minerals like copper, zinc, iron and magnesium.
Whole wheat bread is rich in fiber that improves your digestive system.
I also want to say that wheat bread makes you feel full and can help if you are trying to lose weight. And if you eat whole wheat rather than regular slices, your chances of developing diabetes are reduced. Whole wheat also absorbs food slowly so that your blood sugar doesn’t fluctuate and doesn’t allow insulin from getting too low or high.
4. Fresh Fruits is better than Canned Fruit
I would also recommend fresh or frozen fruits as they don’t have preservatives or sugar. You many not think there’s much difference, but there are.
- Fresh fruits have more fiber than canned food which helps improve digestion.
- Fresh fruits will reduce your chances of developing cancer.
- Canning subjects fruits to high temperatures, removing the vitamins in it and all the nutrients. In short, the fresh fruits are nutritious and healthier.
5. Frozen Yogurt for Ice Cream
Frozen yogurt tastes as good as ice cream but doesn’t have the same amount of fat. If that’s not enough to convince you, I present the following fat.
- A cup of plain yogurt has 4 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of protein and 221 grams of calories. A cup of ice cream has 275 grams of calories, 15 grams of fat and 5 g of protein.
- A cup of frozen yogurt has only 31 g of carbohydrates while a cup of ice cream has 38 g.
- Toppings for yogurt have fewer calories than ice cream.
6. Coconut Flour is Healthier than Flour
Coconut flour is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber. When using this in baking, make sure to add extra liquid and use only 1/4 cup of coconut flour for every wheat flour cup. Furthermore, coconut flour is gluten free and is high in fiber. What makes coconut flour so nutritious is that it is made from coconut meat and the milk has been taken out.
7. Use Vanilla rather than Sugar
Reduce your sugar by 50% and use a teaspoon of vanilla for the rest in your recipes. It’s just as tasty but has fewer calories. If your recipe needs a cup of sugar and you add sugar and vanilla 50/50, you cut down 400 calories.
Not only is vanilla delicious but it also has large amounts of B complex vitamins like vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin, acid, pantothenic and niacin. I also want to add that vanilla has zinc, iron, potassium and magnesium. Potassium is very important and helps control your blood pressure and heart rate. Copper on the other hand has antioxidants that help cleanse your body.
8. Marshmallow Fluff than Frosting
Two tablespoons of marshmallows has only 6 grams of sugar and 40 calories. By contrast, the same amount of frosting has 5 grams of fat, 14 grams of sugar and 100 calories. In other words, marshmallows are very tasty but don’t pack that much in terms of calories.
9. Avocado Puree is Better than Butter
Substitute a cup of avocado puree per cup of butter, and it will work well for chocolate flavorings and fudge brownies. Its consistency is similar to butter, but its fat is healthier. Avocado I would also like to point out, is cholesterol and sodium free. They also give you 2% DV for iron, 4% DV fiber, and 8% foliate. This puree also has carotenoid lutein (81 micrograms) and beta-carotene (19 micrograms). They also have only 2.5 grams of fat per serving.
10. Applesauce (Unsweetened) is Better Than Sugar
Applesauce is a great substitute for sugar. It is just as sweet but doesn’t have as much calories. A cup of sugar has more than 770 calories while a cup of applesauce has only 100 calories. The substitution ratio is 1:1 but if you’re going to use a cup of applesauce, cut the liquid you use by 1/4 cup.
Applesauce isn’t just sweet, but it also has fructose, a substance that is sweet but doesn’t have the calories that sugar does. Unlike sugar, applesauce doesn’t negatively affect your blood sugar.
As this list points out, eating healthy foods doesn’t mean you have to put up with dull and boring food. These substitutes are delicious and healthy too. It might take some getting used to but trust me, they taste as good as the original except you won’t put on the pounds or the calories.