Most people see healthy and automatically gag, but today will be different. Healthy food can be equally delicious as it is nutritious, you just have to know how to prepare it. In this day and time with the pandemic and quarantining, everyone has been putting on weight because there is nothing to do but sit around and eat. Below you’ll find healthy alternatives to some of your favorite foods that bring the flavor without the extra pounds.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
This is a great healthy alternative for those that love mashed potatoes. You can find this at your local grocery store in the frozen food section by the veggies. You honestly can’t tell the difference and the best part is it’s guilt-free because it’s a vegetable. There are no lumps or clumps of cauliflower, it’s smooth and rich like mashed potatoes and the roasted garlic really brings in the comfort food effect. Once you try it, this will more than likely become apart of your diet because it’s just that good.
Healthy Air-fried Chicken
Who doesn’t like fried chicken? No one! Instead of dousing the chicken in flour and grease, the healthy alternative would be using an air fryer. Air fryers have popularized over the last two years and make cooking a lot quicker and easier. They are sold everywhere and make eating healthy while satisfying the need for that crunch all attainable. With an air fryer, all you have to do is clean the chicken, season it to your liking, and place it in the air fryer for the recommended timing on the brochure that comes with the air fryer. Simple right? You’ll love how crispy the chicken gets, and even better, all of the oil at the bottom that you won’t be ingesting.
Avocado instead of Mayo
Avocados are a great source of B-6, C, E, and K, aside from the fact that they’re delicious. This is a great substitute for mayo as it is smooth and creamy like mayo but contains half the fat. Avocado is a great substitute because it is a natural ingredient and it doesn’t take much to flavor it. You can make guacamole, avocado toast, or simply spread avocado on your sandwich in replacement of mayo and season it with salt and pepper; however you choose to do so, you’ll be making a healthier choice and your body will thank you later.
Healthy Spiraled Veggies in Place of Pasta
I know you’re thinking ‘what’s better than pasta?’ Health is! As tasty as pasta is, the carbs just aren’t worth it. Refined pasta also leads to an increase in weight gain, blood pressure, and blood sugar. That’s why a great alternative is spiraled veggies; it gives you the same look as pasta but better health benefits. You can spiral squash, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, cucumber, and the list is at your leisure. You can make it fun and get the kids involved, not to mention plating your dish with the different colors of the veggies will make for a great presentation.
Yogurt in Place of Ice cream
Let’s be honest, nothing can replace ice cream. Now that that’s settled we can put our healthy hats on and focus on the goal at hand, longevity. Yogurt is a close second to ice cream because it’s easy to mimic. With yogurt, you can add toppings as you would with ice cream, but keeping it healthy, just keep it simple. It’s recommended to get plain greek yogurt, and you can add a little fruit to it, a splash of Mio, or a little granola. Yogurt satisfies that craving for something cold and sweet, and if you want, you can even freeze it into little popsicles to really give you that ice-cream effect.
* Bonus Healthy Alternative: Kale Chips
It may sound disgusting but kale chips are everything! Don’t knock it until you try it! All you need is three ingredients:
- fresh kale
- Olive oil
- Himalayan pink salt
You simply wash the kale and pat dry with paper towels, spread the kale evenly apart on a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly drizzle olive oil on top of the kale, and finish by sprinkling the crushed Himalayan pink salt over the kale. Bake in the oven set for 350 for about 10 minutes and you won’t believe how incredible these taste. These are the healthiest chips you’ll ever taste.
Now that you see healthy alternatives don’t have to be bland and boring are you interested in trying them out? Hopefully, you will and leave a comment below discussing the replacements you loved and just couldn’t get with. This is a journey of better living we all can experience together. Remember, the goal is longevity; We all want to be around long enough to fulfill our dreams and watch the next generation accomplish theirs as well.
Read Also:
5 Recipes Guaranteed to Make You a Kale Lover
How To Maintain Healthy Eating During Pregnancy
Beyond the Brown Bag: Healthy Lunch Recipes for the Working Nygal
The Best Low Carb Vegan Recipes to Put in Your Crockpot This Fall
