My colleague, Dr. Merritt and I were putting together some information for the Open House at the clinic on Friday, December 4th and decided it would be really great to “make over” a typical family’s grocery list.
We asked around and made a list of the most common things found in fridges and cupboards and listed easily found, healthy alternatives to them. Here are our top 7 healthy swaps…
1. Packaged or boxed pasta: Substitute this out for zucchini pasta, which has fewer preservatives and carbohydrates and is loaded with fibre and doesn’t need to be cooked!
2. Low-fat fruit based yogurt: Switch this out for 2% plain Greek yogurt, which has no added sugar and the natural fat content yogurt should have. It also has more protein, keeping you full longer. If you are craving something sweet, add a tsp of honey and your own fruit.
3. Peanut Butter: Most types of peanut butter (unless they are natural) have quite a bit of added sugar and peanuts themselves tend to be prone to mould growth on their shells. Swap this out for Natural Almond Butter. Check the labels and choose brands that contain 1 ingredient, almonds!
4. Ground beef: Ground meats can be a very quick, versatile way to get some protein into your diet. Replace this withLean Ground Turkey or Chicken, which have few calories and less fat per ounce but a similar protein profile.
5. Soda/Pop: Pop is loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners, and although they may taste good, they aren’t an efficient way of hydrating the body. They are also a major source of calories in your diet, especially if you are having multiple. Swap this out for Carbonated Water (or regular water) and add in a few slices of citrus (like lime, lemon, or grapefruit) for some flavour.
6. Cream cheese or cheez-whiz: Swap these out for Goat Cheese! When compared to cream cheese, goat cheese is lower in fat, calories and carbohydrates. Goat cheese tends to be lower in lactose, and is generally tolerated quite well if you experience digestive symptoms when you eat dairy. I’m sure we’ve all heard that cheez-whiz is just a few molecules off from being plastic, so goat cheese is definitely a good swap here!
7. Ranch Dip: Ranch dips and dressings are a popular choice for dipping veggie sticks in, but they tend to be very high in sodium and basically just fat. While an alternative would be Hummus or Guacamole, and although they are also high in fat, they are sources of good fats and give some protein as well.
For more information on making healthy food “swaps” or if you want to see our extensive made over grocery list and recipes call us as (902)406.4424 or stop by the clinic!
Warm Regards,
Dr. Anna D’Intino