If you’ve been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity or any other modern disease, chances are that diet changes are number 1 on your list.
The problem is that healthier food doesn’t always taste as good as the diet we’re used to.
This doesn’t have to be the case, though. In today’s feature article I’m going to tell you about 10 delicious food substitutions that often taste better than the traditional, unhealthy stuff.
Of course, I won’t be able to cover everything. So I’ll really LOVE to get your input in the comment section below the article.
Applesauce Instead of Butter, Sugar or Oil
Applesauce a day keeps the doctor away and adds sweetness to any recipe with less calories than sugar. You also cut out saturated fat if you replace butter with it and keep a good Omega 3/Omega 6 balance if you use it to replace oils high in Omega 6. Plus, applesauce is loaded with fiber. It can be used in various types of foods including baked goods such as breads, muffins and brownies.
Skip Mayo and Sour Cream and Replace them with Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt (especially non fat) includes many fewer calories than sour cream and mayonnaise although its consistency is just about the same. Plus, it’s higher in protein, which is always good. Plain yogurt (especially Greek) is also considered a super food and is loaded with good microbes due to the fermenting process it’s gone through. Frequently, many people who are intolerant to other milk products can eat yogurt with no problem.
Skip the Butter and Oil in Baking and use Mashed Avocado Instead
Not all fats are created equal. Avocado is another super food due to its heart healthy monounsaturated fats, which among other things, have been proven to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad.
Use Mashed Bananas, Instead of Sugar, Butter and Oil
Bananas are often used to add taste to oatmeal and cereals. It’s less known that they can substitute as a sweetener in baking. Just make sure you cut down on water and milk, because once a banana is mashed, it becomes a liquid.
Replace Croutons in Salads with Unsalted Nuts
Nuts are high in healthy fats as well as proteins. Many types such as walnuts are proven to improve heart health. Although they’re quite high in calories, studies have shown that a handful of nuts per day will not add to the waist line.
Skip the Bread Crumbs and Bring Out The Oats
Rolled oats with a little bit of seasoning are a great replacement for salty bread crumbs. They’re packed with all kinds of nutrients such as iron, fiber and vitamin B and as complex carbohydrates, they’ll not spike up your blood sugar.
Gin and Soda Instead of Gin and Tonic
Or skip the Gin… Tonic is used in many types of cocktails and is very high in sugar content. So asking the bartender to replace it with soda water will save you a ton of calories. Sparkling up your fruit juice with a little bit of soda water will do the same.
Go Whole Wheat
The complex carbohydrates in whole grain take ten times longer to drip into your blood stream than simple carbohydrates like you’d find in white flower. Consequently, they don’t spike your blood sugar causing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition to using whole wheat in your baking, go for whole wheat bread, pasta and cereal. However, this might take a little detective work – just because it’s called “whole wheat” doesn’t mean it’s 100% whole wheat. In fact, lots of whole wheat breads on the market are mostly white, processed flour. So read the labels.
Use Spaghetti Squash or Zucchini Ribbons Instead of Pasta
It’s easy to use a vegetable peeler to create thin, long slices of zucchini or spaghetti squash that look like noodles. Instead of boiling the vegetable pasta, bake or sauté it for a few minutes. You can use this as substitute for pasta in lasagna or as side dishes.
Thicken Your Soup with Pureed Potato Instead of Cream
Especially using pureed sweet potatoes instead of cream to thicken your soup is an excellent way to load more vegetables into your diet. They’re also crammed with potassium, which helps lower blood pressure.
As always, when trying new things it will feel a little strange in the beginning. If you’re using your old recipe, you’ll also have to play around with seasoning and other ingredients to get the right taste and texture. But it’s well worth it for better health.
You may also want to check out:
Simple exercises that drop blood pressure below 120/80 as soon as today…
Three-step plan that reverses type 2 diabetes in as little as 21 days…
Step-By-Step directions to get your cholesterol under control within a month…
But first, let me pass the ball to you. Do you know good substitute for unhealthy ingredients? Have you tried any of the tips above? Do you think you will? Please leave your comment below.
Love the substitues. I will use them always.
nice information , it helped me a lot , please keep us informed. thank you
Thank you for all the suggestions. So useful. I add stewed apples and cynamon to my porridge.
Loved your substitutions. Some I use and some I will try. One I find
helpful is 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger in my tea.
Does anyone know if mercury-amalgam dental fillings contribute to high blood pressure? I have used blood pressure pills (Lisinopril), take most of the recommended supplements, eat most of the recommended foods, take plenty of exercise but my systolic readings are still consistently high between 180 and 200. I’ve basically run out of options but wondered if the toxicity in the mercury was the root cause of the problem?
Great sugestions! I will be trying them all as we need to loose a few pounds.
Thanks for the suggestions. But the challenge is even bigger when you have numerous food allergies and intolerances and gluten free. What is the other substitue instead of banana and avocado both of which give me awful cramps. I know they are good!
Ahaa! Now I know better. Not all whole wheat bread are real wheat bread. This has answered my earlier question whether whole wheat bread is good for diabetic. Thanks for informing me.
Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions.I know they will be of immense benefits to me and all those with whom I share them.Can you give the recipe for applesause.Sounds interesting.
Thank you for giving us nice information for substitutions for a Healthier Diet.I wll try to follow them soon.
thank you for this information, i will be conscious to what i am eating.
I use almond milk in most recipes that call for milk now. I have long since substituted yogurt for sour cream, and sometimes mix low fat sourcream with lowfat plain yogurt, ie for potato salad. I also use buttermilk in baking instead of cream, for stuff like scones…My new definition of gourmet food is : delicious, low-cal, light fat, no-salt adaptations of rich stuff for people over 50 who cannot eat what they used to get away with! I am buying Organic from local farmers and loving my produce and fresh herbs more.
I feel the same way, and I love scones 🙂
How about dates and natural stevia for sweeteners. One of my favorite meals is chopped up nuts like walnuts and almonds, cashews, added some chopped dates and top it with coconut milk. It's kind of like a cereal