I’m always looking for healthy ingredients to swap in my meals. It’s a way for me to enjoy the things that I like while getting in more nutrients and making healthier choices. There are several ways to actually enjoy clean eating; you just have to do lots of research and make it fun! Clean eating should be a lifestyle, unfortunately, in our society it is often seen as something “boogie” or something too expensive! There are so many ways to make clean eating affordable such as gardening and going to the farmers markets. Let me know if I should do a post just for that! Now, let’s dive into what today’s post is about; healthy ingredients swaps for clean eating!
1- Use Honey instead of white sugar.
Eating too much sugar, especially white processed sugar can cause several diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and risk for cancer. Instead of white sugar, use honey which is a healthier and natural sweetener. Honey is pretty affordable and raw honey has several health benefits.
2- Fresh fruits for candy.
I really love my sweets, and sometimes I think that I eat way too much candy. That usually happens when I don’t sock up on my fruits such as orange, strawberries and grapes. The key to lower your candy intake is to buy your favorite fruits. I always make sure that I have my favorite fruits in my kitchen. However, let’s be real sometimes you’re just craving some candy, and it’s alright to satisfy your craving , as long as you do it moderately.
3- Quinoa for white rice.
I have been using quinoa for the past two years now and it’s one of my favorite ingredient for a clean eating meal. There are so many ways to cook it and you can make several different meals out of it. Therefore, you never get tired of eating it because you’ll never run out of ways to make it. My favorite ways to eat quinoa are as a burrito bowl or simply in a salad with some greens.
4- Cauliflower rice for white rice.
If you follow me on my social medias, you’ve probably see me cook riced cauliflower several times. I love riced cauliflower! Not only because of its benefits (e.g. Strengthens the immune system), but also because it’s filling and is a great replacement for rice. You can cook it so many ways which is a plus. The funny thing is that I don’t really like cauliflower florets but I find myself enjoying the riced cauliflower haha! Click here to check out one of my favorite riced cauliflower recipe!
5- 100% Whole Wheat bread for white bread.
Bread was a food that I stopped eating for a while because of carbs! Ugh I wish that I knew at the time that carbs are not the enemy. One should not be scared of carbs because the body needs carbohydrates (carbs) to function; they are the body’s main source of energy. Now instead of regular white bread, I eat whole wheat or grain bread which contains more fibers, protein and other good nutrients because it less processed than white bread.
6- Lettuce wrap for flour tortilla.
Lettuce wrap are so delicious! One of my favorites is buffalo chicken lettuce wrap! You can use lettuce for tacos, sandwich and, of course, wraps. They are very filling for a low calorie count and are healthier compared to flour tortilla. I usually get the long leaves of romaine lettuce but you can also get iceberg lettuce.
7- Almond milk for lowfat milk.
I am not a big fan of the almond milk (The taste kills me). However, I love using it for my shakes, smoothies or oatmeal because the taste is perfectly hidden. Therefore, I’ve been using it more than regular milk and I noticed that I’m less bloated than usual which is perfect.
8- Fruit infused water for soda.
I cut soda from my diet about 3-4 years ago. It was probably one of the best decisions that I’ve made for my health. I was never a big soda drinker in the first place so it was pretty easy for me to cut soda out. Recently, I’ve started drinking ginger ale again but it’s just once in a blue moon thing. If you think you will struggle to cut soda out, start small. Maybe for the first week, try to cut out coke and replace it with infused water. Just add your favorite fruits in a water bottle, add water and let it sit in the fridge for 15-30 mins. Try to decrease your intake of soda and increase your intake of infused water or other natural juices. Click here to check out my post about infused water and get some ideas!
9- Kombucha for energy drinks.
Kombucha is an ancient natural beverage that contains several good nutrients that are loaded with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (meredith). I always get it from Trader Joe’s or Stop & Shop where they have a bigger bottle. I absolutely love drinking kombucha especially on my busiest days because it always give me that boost of energy that makes me want to get things done. Kombucha improves digestion because of all the digestive enzyme that it contains and is very hydrating! Get it next time you go to your grocery store and let me know how you like it.
10- Homemade smoothie/Protein shake for (store bought) meal replacement shake.
Not going to lie, I used to buy meal replacement shake a lot during my freshman year in college. I was taking several classes (a total of 17 credits) and I barely got time in between to eat. Therefore, I started buying those shakes that would help me stay full longer and ”help me loosenweight”. Ugh, a total waste of money! I would have 1, sometimes 2 a day, plus the cafe’s food, Chinese takeout and dominoes weren’t helping so I gained more weight. Most of those shakes have a lot of added sugar (Unhealthy carbs) and other ingredients that are just not good for you. Therefore, instead of buying those commercial meal replacement shakes, invest in a good blender, buy some frozen fruits, protein powder (optional) and other ingredients such as hemp seed, chia seed, flaxseed to make your own delicious smoothie/shakes.
That’s all I have for y’all today beautiful people! Let me know which one is your favorite swap for clean eating in the comments below; Also if you’ve ever tried any of the above! Remember clean eating is all about balance. Never punish yourself for eating candy too much or eating a whole medium pizza by yourself (insert raised hand emoji here)… As long as you’re aware of what you’re doing and get right back on track, you’ll BE JUST FINE! Eat your favorite foods with moderation and always find healthier ingredients to swap for a clean eating diet.
Xoxo
♥ 𝒮𝓂𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓎𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽 ♥
