There are plenty of ways you can make food swaps in your diet to prevent bloating and gut issues, to help you consume less calories and to feed your body with nutrient dense foods. All of these little swaps can really make such a difference to your general wellbeing. Remember that these small changes can add up to make a big difference over time. Here are my top recommendations:
Cereals for oats – Try swapping your morning sugar laden cereals with oats. Oats provide a slower release of energy over time rather than a sharp peak in blood sugar levels followed by a crashing drop. Oats are naturally gluten-free, contain lots of dietary fibre, magnesium and phosphorus.
Vegetable oils for coconut oil – Try and avoid hydrogenated oils as much as possible as they are highly processed, full of trans-saturated fats and don’t contain any nutritional value! I love using coconut oil to cook with instead – it’s the perfect oil to use when cooking at high temperatures as it doesn’t spoil! Amongst many other benefits, coconut oil is a unique fat that contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) which is a fatty acid the body uses to help produce energy!
White rice with quinoa, freekeh or even cauliflower rice! – freekeh is an ancient grain which has a very low glycemic index, fewer calories than rice and is high in minerals. It also has twice as much fiber as quinoa and more protein too, it does however contain gluten so for those who are coeliac, best to stay clear! Quinoa on the other hand is gluten free, high in fibre and B vitamins. Quinoa is also a full protein containing all nine essential amino acids which we need to gain from our diets as our bodies can’t produce them. Cauliflower rice is so easy to make and is a low carb option I would highly recommend – simply steam your cauliflower and then blitz it in a blender to enjoy!
Potatoes with sweet potato which are rich in beta carotene. Our bodies then convert beta carotene into vitamin A which helps support our immune function, good vision, skin, hair and nails! So to help premature aging, increase hair growth and boost your immune system start getting creative with one of my favourite foods – the sweet potato!
Butter with avocado. Although I don’t consider butter a ‘bad’ food and use grass fed butter in my day to day cooking, I like to consume it in moderation and it’s great to have an alternative. Enter the glorious green avocados which are packed full of antioxidants, fiber and heart healthy fats. They are creamy in texture and taste delicious. The good fats in avocados can also help your body absorb other fat soluble vitamins and nutrients!
Meat for oily fish at least once or twice a week! Fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring are great sources of oily fish. Try and incorporate more foods high in Omega 3s to help lower blood pressure, keeps your skin hydrated and support brain health!
I could write about food swaps all day long as there are so many little changes you can incorporate. Here are an additional few to help you on your way –
- Hamburger bun for a Portobello mushroom
- Tomato sauce for a rich homemade version
- White bread for rye
- Noodles for zoodles (zucchini noodles)
- Strawberry jam for chia seed jam (go check out my recipe)
Let me know how you get on!
L xx
