I love that the new year comes with a clean blank slate and a world of possibilities! You don’t need to carry the weight of last year’s poor eating decisions and can start over by making healthy choices for yourself and your family.
Let’s welcome 2014 with some clean healthy eating habits! I think we can all benefit from a little detox and clean up after the holiday’s indulgences.
I’ve put together some simple substitutions for you to start with. Consider these substitutions as baby steps to get you started. You don’t need to start sprinting right out of the gate.
These basic but important substitutions can help you get on your way to a healthier 2014. A new year-a new you!
I’ve attempted to keep these steps simple and uncomplicated so that they can hopefully fit into almost everyone’s lifestyle. The pace that you set is completely up to you.
Cooking Substitutions – Make the healthy “swap”:
Omit or decrease these: |
Add or Increase these: |
| Regular white pasta | Rice pasta, whole grain pasta of choice (try spelt, kamut, buckwheat) or zucchini noodles (Paleo option) |
| Red meat | Lean cuts of meat like poultry, or skip the meat & replace with extra veggies |
| Store bought condiments (often loaded with refined sugar & sodium) | Homemade dressings: fresh squeezed lemon or lime (try homemade salad dressing of olive oil, vinegar of choice, sea salt & fresh herbs or shrimp sauce: juice of 1/2 squeezed lime, a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce & sea salt to taste |
| White rice | Brown rice or cauliflower “rice” (Paleo option) |
| Regular white potatoes | Sweet potatoes, cubed squash, cubed rutabaga, cauliflower mashed “potatoes” (Paleo option) |
| Heavy cream | Low fat milk, or milk alternative of choice (almond*, hemp, rice, coconut*, oat) *Paleo option |
| Vegetable oils | Heart healthy olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil |
Reduce the following ingredients by half:
- Oil. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil, try 1/4 cup instead
- Salt. Most of the time the change is completely unnoticeable
- Cheese. (or try eliminating altogether for a dairy free version)
Baking Substitutions:
- Replace half the fat (butter or oil) in baked goods with applesauce or smashed bananas (this works fabulously for pancake batter!)
- Replace (or substitute half) the refined sugar in baked goods with pure maple syrup or raw honey
- Replace all vegetable oils with heart healthy oils such as olive, avocado, or coconut oils
- Try adding warming spices to replace some of the refined sugar. Warming spices do a great job of adding “sweetness” to your foods! (Try cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice)
- Add some pure vanilla abstract to boost “sweetness” in your recipe (cut down on that refined sugar!)
Using the above substitutions will help cut back on 4 of the worst health offenders:
- Sodium
- Refined Sugar
- Unhealthy Fats
- “White” foods (nutrient void white bread, white pasta, white rice-stripped of their beneficial nutrients)
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2014!
Until next time,
Simply Hollie
Simply Whole Foods 
5 thoughts on “Swap It! Healthy Food Substitutions for 2014”
Kayla Marie
All great tips, most of which I try to live by already, but a few new ones to keep in mind! Thanks for sharing!
argyrosourias
Do you think turbino sugar ,for coffee, is a good swap for refined sugar?
Simply Hollie
Hey there! I would suggest eliminating or significantly reducing any refined sugar from the diet. Turbino sugar is less processed than regular old sugar but it’s still a simple sugar:( Start slow and overtime you’re taste buds should adjust to liking coffee sans sugar! Back in the day I drank my coffee “double, double” I can’t imagine that now!
argyrosourias
I am basically down to no sugar or just one tsp turbino.
Simply Hollie
That’s great! In no time you’ll be down to zero sugar all the time 🙂