Sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest difference
Believe it or not, healthy eating doesn’t have to be hard work. We tend to think of eating healthy as something that involves tough diets and strict food sacrifices, but in reality, healthy eating can be as simple as making a few key food swaps.
We’re here to show you how to work smart, not hard when it comes to a healthy diet. Try incorporating these seven swaps into your food habits and enjoy a more nutritious, healthier eating regime.
Swap to grass-fed chicken and meat
When it comes to meat, you should be aiming for quality, not quantity. Aim to eat organic, grass-fed chicken, beef and other meats rather than grain-fed alternatives. Why? Its naturally leaner, contains less saturated far, is better for the environment and contains more nutrients, to name a few.
There are more than 70 farms across the UK that carry the Pasture for Life certification, and companies like the Dorset Meat Company make it easy to enjoy high quality customised boxes of grass-fed chicken and other meats delivered straight to your door.
Swap your veg from a side to a main
We mostly think of veg as a side dish or an extra, but there’s no reason why you can’t turn it into the main event. Sweet potato, red peppers, red onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, couscous, pesto, pine nuts – these are all ingredients which can be used to create delicious, satisfying and filling main courses. Consider aiming for one or two meatless mains a week. That means that when your menu does include meat, you can focus on getting the very best quality.
Swap to homemade dressings
A lot of time, we don’t give the ingredients in some of our favourite dressings the attention we should. Many of the most popular ready-made dressings you can buy at your local supermarket are chockfull of preservatives and even sugar.
So instead, try cooking up your own dressings with extra virgin olive oil – it’s loaded with skin-healthy fats.
Swap to courgetti
Ribboning your courgette into spaghetti strands is a relatively modern and hugely popular way to lower your carb and sugar intake while still enjoying bulky pasta dishes. From bolognaise to chilli, courgetti adds a healthy kick to some of your favourite dishes. Plus it’s full of vitamin C!
Swap to butter
You might think of butter as a big no-no when it comes eating healthy, but studies now suggest that butter isn’t as bad as we all believed. In fact, it’s the vegetable oils found in processed margarines that can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, butter is a great source of vitamins A, D and K, and contains high levels of linoleic acid which helps lower body fat percentage.
Swap to wholemeal wraps or, even better, seaweed
The post-lunch slump is a killer, and part of this comes from the heavy carbs we tend to ingest like white sliced bread and tortilla.
So instead, try swapping to wholemeal alternatives or even seaweed wraps. It may sound strange, but seaweed is one of the fastest-growing superfoods and is also a fantastic source of hunger-destroying protein and natural iodine.
If you’re a sushi fan, you’ll love nori seaweed sheet wraps.
Swap to healthy snacks
It’s all well and good to simply say ‘don’t snack’, but we all know how hard that is when the 11am munchies set in.
Instead of cutting out snacks altogether, try swapping your crisps and chocolate for healthier alternatives. Raw, unsalted nuts are just as tasty and filling as crisps, and contain a winning combination of fibre and protein. Win, win!