Did you have your fill of last year’s edible indulgences? All those holiday goodies especially from Noche Buena and Media Noche got you all deviating from your normal diet. Your body probably retained an excess of fat, sodium and other nasty cholesterols. This could be bad for your health in the long run. But don’t worry! You can turn this situation around with the New Year! It’s the start again of a new culinary journey… wonders await your palate as you imagine what dishes will be graciously served on your plate. Yet maybe it’s time you turn over a new leaf by going healthy. With our guide below, you can definitely substitute other ingredients and dishes with healthier ones to keep your shape in check. Not only that, you can have less chances of getting diseases that can put your body in turmoil. So have an active 2016 by going lean and green!
Here are ten healthy dish substitutes for you.
1. Brown Rice for White Rice
Let’s face it, Filipinos love rice, plain and simple. It’s actually one of the things we can’t live without. But always ordering “extra rice” can pack unnecessary carbs and glucose into your system. Brown rice is a great substitute as it has less sugar content. Moreover, it is high in fiber which is good for digestion.
- Brown Sugar for White Sugar
We love any variation of refreshing drinks, but what comes with these drinks? Loads of sugar. We put sugar in milk, coffee, iced tea, shakes and many more. Brown sugar is a great substitute because it retains the sweetness yet has low glucose content.
- Mashed Turnip for Mashed Potatoes
Have you guessed how many calories you take whenever you indulge on mashed potatoes with gravy? It’s actually more than 180 calories. Turnips are a vegetable substitute that retains the mushy texture and taste of the potato yet adds more nutrition to the dish. You can add organic garnishes for a more exciting meal.
- Wheat Bread for White Bread
White bread is similar to white rice; it’s convenient to eat everyday and it can make you feel full in a few minutes. But just like white rice, white bread has loads of sugar. You can go all bread-a-blazing in your culinary indulgences by eating wheat bread. Wheat bread has fiber content and has fewer calories.
- Lettuce Leaves for Tortilla Wraps
Okay, it’s not the most exciting of substitutes but if you want to continue the road to being a health food advocate then lettuce leaves are an ideal wrapper when eating all those tortilla dish. It’s nutritious and delicious!
- Egg Whites for One Whole Egg
The yolk part of an egg is double the amount when it comes to protein. For all you workout enthusiasts out there, this is a good thing if you’re planning on gaining muscle mass. But if you just want to lessen your body fat, then only consuming egg whites can save you a lot of trouble because it cuts down calorie intake by half.
- Fresh Fruits for Canned Fruits
You can never go wrong with fresh fruits. Canned fruits are already processed; they can be healthy, but you get way more nutrition from fresh fruits than canned fruits, which swim in syrup and preservatives.
- Mustard for Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise has sugar and saturated fat. The perfect substitute for this is mustard because it has neither sugar nor saturated fat, only tons of strong and rich flavor. It can take some time to get used to the acidic taste of mustard but it’s absolutely delicious when you begin to love it.
- Olive Oil for Cooking Oil
Typical cooking oils like vegetable oil and canola oil, although cheaper, tend to have less nutrients. Olive oil is found to be very rich in vitamins and minerals because it does not undergo chemical extraction. It has many health benefits, such as it lowers the risk of heart diseases, all thanks to its high amount of mono-saturated acids.
- Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream
Greek yogurt is a jack-of-all-trades. It can do many things in the culinary scene, but primarily, it acts as a great healthy substitute for fatty dips. Sour cream is known to have minimal vitamins and minerals and packs a punch in the fat department. Greek yogurt—the all-natural variant, not the processed ones—is a very good dip for dishes because it aids in digestion.
