Super swaps
Don't lose the resolutions. Of course we've heard the recent reports that we need to cut back on sugar, salt and unhealthy fat in our diet.
But rather than focusing on a rigid diet or trying to overhaul your lifestyle to be healthier, resolve to focus on simple ways to boost the flavor and nutrition of the foods you already enjoy every day.
By incorporating "super swaps" into your diet, switching out foods that lend less nutritional value for those high in both antioxidants and flavor, you can reduce your sodium, sugar and fat while also saving you calories. The small steps pay off in big rewards!
A healthful diet is not 'all about the calories': sometimes a simple switch can make a food just explode with added nutritional attributes.
OK, you might save some calories or saturated fats but equally importantly you might just improve the flavor and overall nutrition and maybe you'll do both. Try some of these to boost your great nutrition throughout the day.
One of the easiest ways to start is with the herbs and spices. . . but lots of food swaps too. Many spices and herbs have antioxidant levels comparable to fruits and vegetables, and they add great flavor to foods and can take the place of adding sugar, fat or sodium.
A few super swaps you can do throughout the day to power up your plate:
Instead of: Regular vanilla-flavored latte
Simple Super Swap to: Chai Tea Au Lait: Chai Tea with steamed 1% milk, cinnamon, and 1-2 tsp sugar/honey
Benefit: More than 200 calories saved by omitting the vanilla-flavored sugar syrup and you get a great antioxidant boost with sweet cinnamon.
Bonus: if you make it at home, you'll save $$$, too! (Up to $3 and 200 calories-do this twice a week and at the end of the year, nearly $300 saved and 20000 calories (5.5 pounds body weight!)
*sugar is a naturally sweet with 16 calories per teaspoon
Instead of: Oatmeal with 1 Tbsp brown sugar and raisins. (1 Tbsp brown sugar = 50 cal)
Simple Super Swap to: Swap in 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for the brown sugar and swap in dried cherries.
Benefit: Swapping 1 tablespoon brown sugar for 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in your oatmeal can save 12 grams of sugar and 45 calories. Dried cherries make a great swap for raisins or dried cranberries in foods, and recent research shows that the phytonutrients in cherries may have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, for years, people with arthritis and gout have been swearing by tart cherry juice to relieve their symptoms.
Instead of: Grilled cheese on white bread (traditional)
Simple Super Swap to: Gourmet Grilled Cheese-whole grain bread, sliced tomato and oregano (another great combo is gruyere, apple slices and thyme.
Benefit: Whole grain fiber, tomatoes give a veggie boost, oregano is the 'mini salad' of the dried herbs (1/2 tsp has as much antioxidants as 3 cups of fresh spinach). Also Gruyere and apple - gourmet and delish
Instead of: Chips or Energy Bars even
Simple Super Swap to: Lightly salted (or mixed salt-free + low salt) nuts (walnuts, almonds) mixed with crunchy cereal or dried fruit.
Nuts and dried fruits:
- Raisins and almonds
- Cherries and walnuts
- Apricots and pecans
Homemade trail mix provides whole foods nutrition and has a lower carbon foot print from the reduced processing, if not also transportation of many (bars) versus few (nuts and dried fruits) ingredients. Easy, inexpensive, delicious and complete nutritional packages straight from mother nature.
Instead of: Butter on the dinner rolls.
Simple Super Swap to: Just before baking frozen dinner rolls or ready-to-bake rolls, brush tops with olive oil then sprinkle with crushed Rosemary Leaves before baking.
Benefit: Save saturated fat and cholesterol and be kind to your heart, too. Oh, and the smell and tastes makes store-bought go gourmet in no time!
Instead of: Regular burger
Simple Super Swap to: Portabello burger! Grill a portabello mushroom instead of a burger for a super swap.
Benefit: Mushrooms can be a delicious swap for red meat in meals. With more and more experts (including myself) advocating a more plant-based diet, try going meatless 1 day a week.
Mushrooms are major immune system boosters and certain kinds have a 'meaty' texture and taste and can be swapped for meat in certain meals to make a more healthy diet - or simply boost antioxidants in a hearty, meaty veg.
Instead of: Forego the salt on your roasted chicken in favor of more flavor and more nutrition.
Simple Super Swap to: Sprinkle all over with 2 tsp crushed Rosemary Leaves, 1/2 tsp Thyme Leaves, just a smidge of Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper.
Benefit: Rosemary has strong anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Swapping out salt for the herbs and spices is one sure way to reduce sodium while boosting flavor AND nutrition.
Instead of: Brownies
Simple Super Swap to: Brownies with pumpkin!
Benefit: By replacing up to half of the fat (butter) in a commercial brownie mix with the same measure of canned pumpkin, you can save around 500 calories and 60 grams of fat in the recipe. Not only that, but the pumpkin adds fiber, moisture and important carotenoids, antioxidants related to reducing the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other conditions of aging.
About Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD:
As a writer, researcher, educator, and food enthusiast, Dr. Wendy Bazilian brings extensive experience in nutrition science and counseling to her work.
She is a registered dietitian and an American College of Sports Medicine - certified Health and Fitness Instructor, and Dr. Bazilian's skills in integrating nutrition, fitness and wellness practices help clients and readers who are motivated to reach their health and wellness goals.
Her expertise covers a wide range of subjects in nutrition and health that include optimal eating for active individuals, weight management and healthy aging. She is a professional writer on nutrition and exercise, having published over 150 articles for corporate and other media. Her advice for healthy eating and carefully designed menus can also be seen in recent issues of Real Simple, Martha Stewart's Body + Soul, SELF, Allure, Spa Magazine, InStyle, Redbook, Natural Health and other magazines.
She is author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients (Rodale, 2008). Dr. Wendy's educational background includes degrees from prestigious universities in Public Health and Nutrition and other related fields. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor's Degree from Tufts University, then received her Masters Degree from the University of California, San Diego. She completed her Doctoral Degree in Public Health and Nutrition from Loma Linda University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the highest academic honor, the prestigious Chancellor's Award.
As a leader in the fields of nutrition and fitness, Dr. Bazilian is currently involved in a variety of practical, writing, lecturing, and research endeavors focusing on weight management, sports nutrition, women's health, and exercise. Dr. Bazilian has assisted a wide array of clients of all ages with their nutrition and fitness goals through her private practice at Bazilian's Health Clinic with her husband, Dr. Jason Bazilian, the first doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in the United States, in San Diego, California.
As a consultant, she provides writing, presentation and consulting services to a variety of corporate and public clients. Dr. Bazilian is also the consulting Nutrition Specialist at the renowned Golden Door spa and fitness resort in Escondido, California.
She serves on a variety of national clinical and professional committees that help move the science of nutrition and sound application of nutritional and supplement regulation forward for the public. Dr. Wendy's approach to health is practical and scientific. She believes that, "Good health literally depends on eating nutritious, healthy, delicious foods - yes, in moderate portions and at regular intervals.
We are the cumulative effect of what we put into our bodies and burn through activity over time and not the product of any one meal. It's therefore about being empowered to make personal, customized choices about what and how much to eat and not a matter of deprivation or willpower." Dr. Wendy's (and her husband's) personal and professional guiding philosophy: Eat well. Move daily. Be Healthy.TM
>> Buy this book on Amazon: The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
For more information, visit www.wendybazilian.com
