Who said you had to give up your favorite foods to eat healthier? Replace the “bad” with the better and you’ll begin to notice changes – fast. Here’s a list of five healthier substitutes for five delicious foods.
1. Spaghetti
Add more vitamins and minerals to your diet by replacing those regular old noodles with whole grain ones. Replace ground beef with ground turkey to cut down on fat (you’ll never know the difference), season with garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper and other spices and finally, add in veggies like onions and peppers because not only do they taste great, but they’re also great for you. Tip: If you’re adding cheese, look for low-fat parmesan.
2. Pancakes
They go great with egg whites and turkey bacon. All you really need is bananas and eggs. However, a little bit of cinnamon, vanilla and Splenda never hurt anyone. All you have to do is mash a few bananas with a fork and mix them in with the rest of your ingredients until you create a smooth batter. Then, grease your pan with coconut oil, fry them up like regular pancakes and top with fruit and honey! Low-carb and delicious. Tip: Use skim milk to loosen the batter if you accidentally make it too thick.
3. Shrimp fried rice
Replace white rice with brown rice and fry it up with some shrimp and veggies. Go all out. Add carrots, broccoli, green onions, corn, peas and whatever else you like. Season it with your favorite spices and some soy sauce for a quick and delicious meal that won’t leave you feeling sluggish.
4. Fruit sorbet
All you need is fruit (try to pick something soft, like mangoes, strawberries, watermelon, etc.), ice cubes, rock salt, a freezer bag and a sandwich bag. If you’ve ever made “ice cream in a bag” before, you’ll be good at this. Mash your fruit into a purée, put it inside of the sandwich bag, fill the freezer bag with ice and rock salt, put the sandwich bag inside of the freezer bag, wrap the whole thing in a towel and shake it for about five minutes. When you take out the sandwich bag, you’ll have a delicious fruit sorbet. Tip: Add Splenda to your purée to make it sweeter.
5. Chili
White bean chicken chili is a healthier twist on regular chili – and it tastes amazing. Replace ground beef with chicken breast, beef stock with chicken stock and kidney beans with white beans to cut down on fat. Be sure season with a bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and other spices. Then add lots of veggies, such as corn, onions, peppers and cilantro. Tip: Cook your chili in a Crock-Pot to make it extra flavorful and delicious!