5 Ingredient Swaps for Healthier Meals
The key to healthy eating isn’t giving up on your favorite meals — it’s about finding a nutritious substitute. And who says you have to sacrifice flavor? There are plenty of options you can add to your favorite dishes to boost both the flavor and the nutritional benefits.
Don’t let your healthy eating resolution get knocked to the curb! Take a look at our five simple ingredient swaps you can make for a better-for-you meal.
Honey
Set the sugar packets aside in the morning and try adding a dash of pure honey to your coffee or tea. Raw honey is overflowing with antioxidants, nutrients and, most importantly, flavor.
We’ll admit we have a soft spot for sugar, too, but why not opt for honey when you can enjoy the same delicious taste with even more added health benefits? You can also use honey in a variety of dessert recipes as a healthier alternative to brown or white sugar. Looks like Winnie-the-Pooh had the right idea all along!
Coconut Oil
Butter is a kitchen staple, and nearly every recipe asks for certain amount of this creamy substance. However, if you’re looking to avoid butter, try opting for coconut oil instead.
Unlike butter, which has high saturated fat totals that can negatively impact your cholesterol, coconut oil supplies saturated fats that actually transform the body’s harmful cholesterols into healthy compounds. Coconut also has the potential to reduce high blood pressure while keeping your heart healthy, too.
Sweet Potatoes
From a bag full of freshly cooked chips to a plate full of home-cooked French fries, potatoes supply some of the best comfort foods. While they certainly taste good, they don’t always make for the healthiest meals. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up your love for potatoes forever — just choose sweet potatoes instead.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with potassium, manganese and vitamin A. If you’re not too familiar with the perks of this vitamin, you’ll want to know more about it soon. From heart support to kidney protection, the added vitamins from sweet potatoes help keep your body functioning as it should.
Red Wine
If you thought our substitutes were reserved for just your solid foods, think again. Wine is another common ingredient in dishes ranging from stews to flaming meats. You may be tempted to just use your favorite white wine in your culinary delight, but make sure you opt for red wine instead.
Red wine is full of powerful antioxidants and healthy cancer-fighting compounds that keep your overall health in check. You don’t have to kiss your wine goodbye forever — just keep it red.
Chicken
Chicken is one of the healthiest meats available on the market — but that doesn’t mean you have to eat the same chicken tenders or freshly roasted breasts for the rest of your life. In fact, you can enjoy your chicken any way you want — including sausage-style.
Premio’s Chicken Sausage contains 60% less fat than USDA data for pork and beef sausage, while offering the same juicy flavor you expect of any delicious dish. Best of all, you can prepare your chicken sausage differently every night — just choose from among the endless Health-Conscious Recipe possibilities. Enjoy the best chicken sausage, or pork sausage, with a delicious and mouth-watering flavor in every bite — the way sausage should be.
Remember that being healthy doesn’t have to be synonymous with lackluster meals or mundane flavor. You can have your chicken sausage and eat it, too — as well as other satisfying tastes your palate craves.