Recently, one of my dietitian colleagues tried out Cook It, a meal kit company that delivers fresh, pre-weighted ingredients with easy step-by-step recipe instructions straight to your door. It is an innovative concept that many other start-up companies are picking up as well (e.g. Chef’D, Hello Fresh, Goodfood).
She took a picture of the amount of butter used to cook two cod fillets and sent it to me. Let’s just say that this was a good reminder for how we still have a long way to go when it comes to educating people about healthy eating. (From the image, there were easily three heaping tablespoons of butter. No joke.)
Even as a dietitian, I’m going to have to admit: fat, sugar, and salt is the holy trinity ingredients that just seems to hit every single hot spot on our taste buds. However, it goes without saying that high fatty-sugary-salty meals are more than likely to plunge your health into the abyss.
To whip up lighter and healthier meals, here are three smart food swaps you need to try out.
Leave the salt. Go for the herbs and spices.
Hold your horses: I’m not asking you to go salt-free. However, season your dishes with a moderate amount of salt and elevate the flavor with herbs and spices. No need to go for fresh herbs: dry herbs can also do the trick, and they last for over a year. People with diabetes should avoid ingesting more than 2,300 mg of sodium, which is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of salt.
Recommended herbs and spices: rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, cumin, paprika, chili powder.
Ditch the butter. Opt for vegetable oils.
A little butter on your toast doesn’t hurt. However, it starts to take a toll on your health when it is your only go-to cooking fat. Instead, try lightening up your dishes by using a moderate amount of vegetable oils.
Recommended vegetable oils: olive, canola, avocado.
Whole-Grains Over Refined Grains
I know some of you out there find it hard to trade-in your white bread for brown bread or your couscous for quinoa. That’s fine. Why? Because there are a bunch of other whole grains options out there. I’m willing to bet that you will fall in love with at least one (if not several) of them!
Recommended whole grains: whole oats, wild rice, brown rice, bulgur, popcorn, millet, whole rye.
