Try changing it up and see if you can transform your taste buds with these sweet and simple swaps:
- Craving greasy potato chips? Go for all natural baked chips, pop-chips, air-popped popcorn or my personal favorite: seaweed. Do not judge seaweed until you have tried it. Trader Joes, Ralphs and Whole Foods all have great snack sized packets. The B-Vitamins in seaweed are amazing for stress relief. Beanitos and Pop-Chips are two great chip brands to explore. If plain popcorn is boring spice it up with garlic, cinnamon or cayenne pepper to rev up your metabolism and get extra flavor. If you are a fan of sweet sprinkle on some Stevia (an all natural sweetener) and munch away.
- Craving a Mexican meal? Go for corn tortillas instead of flour. Do bean burritos instead of beef. Pinto beans are a perfect protein and healthy carbohydrate source in one little bean (try to steer clear of refried beans). When it comes to sauces become best friends with Salsa. Be creative, make your own meal – order a side of beans, soft corn tortillas, lettuce and salsa for a balanced bite. Sour cream fan? Swap it out for plain Greek yogurt. Talking about going Greek…
- Switch out flavored yogurt for all natural, plain Greek yogurt. Most flavored yogurts are sweetened with fake sweeteners that will make you crave more unhealthy foods. Add your own fruit if you want some diversity. Going Greek gives you double the amount of protein and healthy carbohydrates all in one. Not to mention a thicker, creamier taste. (Try my energizing Ranch Dip recipe here, my Feel Good Shamrock Shake recipe here or my Chunky Pineapple Cream cup recipe here all using Greek yogurt.)
- Pasta please! If you are a fan of pasta, explore spaghetti squash. You can buy the squash at any local market. Boil it for around 20 minutes, add a protein source (lean fish, meat, tofu, or beans) and enjoy. The squash naturally comes out in spaghetti form. It is a quick delicious meal and great source of Vitamin-A, Vitamin-C and potassium. Another skin super food! My video tutorial on how to make this dish can be found here.
- Go for almond butter instead of peanut butter. Almond butter has half the amount of saturated (unhealthy fat) than peanut butter and more minerals than peanut butter.
- Whole wheat bread instead of white. All carbs are not bad. Ditch that mentality. Check out my old blog posting “The Truth About Carbs” if you want more details: (https://www.vibranthealthylife.com/blog/2012/10/the-truth-about-carbs-by-carina-sohaili)
- Craving French fries? Go for a steamed sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite healthy carbohydrates. Most restaurants will have this option and it is a great way to be healthy while eating out. Not to mention packed with Vitamin-C, Vitamin-A and potassium making them a super food for your skin. Say bye to bags under your eyes and wrinkles. (Need a healthy 20 minutes French Fry recipe? You can find it here.)
Remember, to focus on progress, not perfection. Join the VHL online community for more videos, health tips and inspiration:
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LOVE always,