Little things can make a big difference – especially when it’s consistent. Stop thinking “quick fix” and make these small changes to your eating habits.
When it comes to dieting and nutrition plans, the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach should be left to fitted caps or stretchy clothing. What may provide excellent results for some person may have little to no effect on another.
For long-term success in dieting or improving your overall vitality, dedication and a realistic, personalized plan are the keys to your goal. Having said that, most people don’t consider what’s best for them, instead looking for that ‘perfect’ program on the internet that’s ‘guaranteed to work’.
Get that thought out of your mind – the miracle diet doesn’t exist. And even if someone claims they found the perfect solution, that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect solution for you.
Rather than conducting a full audit of your fridge and diet, small, simple, and realistic healthy food substitutions can make all the difference. These upcoming food swaps will give a boost to your nutrition, without a radical overhaul of your entire diet.
Snacks
That granola bar may seem pretty healthy – what’s not to like about granola? – they tend to be high in fat and sugar.
Swap snacks of that ilk for hard-boiled eggs. Hard-boiled eggs weren’t picked egregiously; they’re low in sugar, high in protein, are widely-available, and in the worst-case scenario, Starbucks offers an egg in their ‘protein boxes’.
If you’re not an egghead, cut up some veggies, fruits, or snag a handful of almonds (President Obama would approve).
Pasta
Plain pasta is boring. And relatively unhealthy. So why not swap that dull pasta with some livelier bean pasta, spiralized zucchini, or spaghetti squash?
Bean pasta, with its robust 25+ grams of protein per serving, can be combined with veggies for an easy, encompassing healthy dish. If you’re really creative (or truly can’t stand plain pasta anymore), invest in a spiralizer to create zucchini or spaghetti-squash ‘pasta’.
Sweetener
While plain pasta is a drag, plain coffee isn’t so bad. Especially compared to the alternatives that’ve been neutralized and sedated with heavy amounts of creams, milks, and sugars.
Related: Is Cinnamon the Secret to Healthy Digestion?
If you must have some sweet in your coffee, opt for cinnamon over sugar. It’s mildly strong, somewhat sweet, and is extremely healthy; it can help relieve nausea, vomiting and indigestion, and is good for the heart, lungs, and kidneys. The popular drink spice also fends off diabetes, as it significantly improves your insulin’s ability to metabolize blood sugar.
Rice
Rice has a place in your diet, eaten in moderation. If you’d like to change things up in a while, or to sneak in a little more health value into your diet, try cauliflower ‘rice’.
Chop and dice cauliflower in a food processor finely, until it looks like rice grains. Steam those pieces. Then add your favourite spices and toppings for a healthier alternative to the Eastern diet staple.
Pizza
Like our granola bar swap, get your trusty eggs ready again. Because rather than having a pizza, you could be having an egg pizza.
The accessibly-titled dish is easy to make, too: add egg whites, or whole eggs, into a pan. Bake until it’s firm – that’ll be your pizza crust. Next, add your usual toppings like cheese, veggies, and meats, and then bake the entire hodge-podge until the toppings are cooked. Nothing else to it!
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You won’t be able to pick it up and hold like a real dough pizza, but the egg-base crust is an ideal (and healthy) transporter of toppings.
Photo Credit: lisa-skvo/Shutterstock
