Lifestyle Healthy Ingredient Swaps 1/27/2023 | By Lori Zanteson, Environmental Nutrition Eating healthier may seem overwhelming, but it shouldn’t be! It can be as simple as making a few simple changes to your diet. Rather than taking an “all or nothing” approach to tame a sweet tooth, cut back on salt, lose a few pounds, or eat more nutrient rich foods, try the “ol switcheroo” instead. Swapping out less healthy ingredients with those that pack a more nutritious punch can make a big difference in your diet that can lead to better health—without skimping on flavor. Don’t be surprised when your healthy swaps go undetected in (or even improve!) your favorite meals. Try these simple and healthy ingredient swaps to make your next recipe healthier. Five easy, healthy ingredient swaps 1. Butter and oils Butter, shortening and tropical oils (coconut, palm oil, and palm kernel oil) are high in saturated fat, which has been linked with heart disease. Substitute with healthier oils like olive, peanut, canola, or any non-tropical oil. When cooking, replace all or some of these fats with healthier oils using a 1:1 ratio. In baking, substitute at a ratio of 1:3/4. Fruit and vegetable purées, such as avocado, pumpkin, applesauce, prune, fig, banana, or date may be substituted for half or more of the fat in recipes. 2. Sugar Consuming too much added sugar is linked to increased risk of chronic disease, including heart disease. Start by cutting the sugar called for in a recipe by 25% and then look to the most natural substitution — fruit! Not only do puréed or mashed bananas, dates, figs, or applesauce provide sweetness, they pack nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals with far fewer calories than sugar. Honey and maple syrup are a sweeter swap, as they provide a more similar sweetness to sugar. Substitute one cup of sugar in recipes with 2/3 cup of these liquid sweeteners and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. Adding a teaspoon of “sweet” spice, like vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom, to recipes makes them seem sweeter too. 3. Salt Going heavy on the salt shaker can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Try seasoning your food with bold flavors as one of your healthy ingredient swaps. Replace salt with spices, like fresh or dried herbs. Cinnamon and cumin bring more robust flavors, while basil and thyme are more subtle. Avoid the hidden salt in store bought spice blends by mixing your own. For Italian seasoning, combine basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, red chili flakes, and garlic powder. Other flavor boosters include fresh or powdered onion, garlic and chili peppers, as well as mustards, vinegars, and lemon and other citrus zest and juice. Read more articles on Seniors Guide like this one! Juicing Health Craze: Hype or Helpful? 4. Refined grains White flour, white rice, and white pasta are made with refined grains, which are grains that have been stripped of their nutrient-rich bran and germ. Refined grains have just a quarter of their original protein and half to two-thirds or more of their nutrients. Replacing some or all of the refined grain with whole grains in your recipes or choosing products made with whole grains delivers all of the fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals nature intended, along with several health benefits, including lower risk of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Instead of white rice, choose whole grain brown rice or wild rice or riced cauliflower. For pasta, swap in those made with whole grains, legumes, or vegetable noodles made from zucchini or spaghetti squash. Replace refined white flour with whole grain flours like whole wheat, oat, millet, or quinoa, or nut flours, like almond, hazelnut, and flaxseed, or cooked black beans. Conversions from white flour to whole grain or nut flours when baking are not always 1:1, so it may take some experimentation to achieve desired results. After a while, you will likely appreciate this as not only as one of your healthy ingredient swaps but a delicious option, for the rich texture and taste that whole grains provide. 5. Red meat High intake of red and processed meats is associated with higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and premature death. Replace fatty red meats and processed meats with leaner cuts, or substitute poultry, like chicken or turkey, or fish or other seafood. Whole food plant-based stand-ins for meat include mushrooms, tofu, tempeh, or legume-based veggie burgers. There are also many packaged plant-based meatless products, but they can be highly processed, so be sure to read the label to avoid unwanted ingredients, such as added sugar, sodium and additives. Reprinted with permission from Environmental Nutrition, a monthly publication of Belvoir Media Group, LLC. 800-829-5384. www.EnvironmentalNutrition.com. © 2023 Belvoir Media Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Read More Lori Zanteson, Environmental Nutrition Lori Zanteson writes for Environmental Nutrition, an independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.