5 Easy Healthy Swaps in Everyday Cooking

A great way to make your food healthier is to make a few simple swaps with the ingredients you are already using. These switches are easy and your taste buds won’t even notice the difference. It’s little changes like these that accumulate over time to improve your health. All of these ingredients are cleaner, less processed versions of what we typically reach for.

Dates vs Refined Sugar

Benefits: Dates are a whole food so they still have a lot of fiber and all of their nutrients in tack when compared to refined sugar which has been stripped and processed of any of its nutrients. Dates help keep you regular, and help with keeping energy levels steady. Date puree can substitute 1 cup of sugar in any recipe. Puree 1 cup pitted dates with 1/2 – 1 cup hot water until a thick paste is made. Soak the dates in warm water for approximately 30 minutes before blending.

Uses: Smoothies, Snacks, Baking

Buy: Grocery Store, Bulk Barn

Himalyan Sea Salt vs Table Salt

Benefits: Table salt is heavily refined and chemically treated where Himalayan sea salt is left untreated and is naturally rich in minerals that help balance electrolytes, reduce muscle cramping and more.

Uses: Use where you use regular salt in cooking. If you are baking with it, you will probably want to grind it till it’s a fine consistency.

Buy: Grocery Store, Bulk Barn, Specialty shops.

Natural Peanut Butter or Nut Butter vs Traditional Peanut Butter

Benefits: Regular Peanut Butter has lots of extra ingredients that aren’t close to being real food. Switching to a natural peanut butter that just contains peanuts is an easy switch to make and you’ll hardly notice the difference in taste.

Uses: Smoothies, Snacks, Baking, Granola, on sprouted toast, etc!

Buy: Grocery Store, Bulk Barn, Health Food Stores.

Whole Spelt Flour vs Whole Wheat or All Purpose Flour

Benefits: Spelt is an ancient grain that hasn’t been tampered with the way wheat has therefore many of us can tolerate it better then whole wheat.

Uses: Substitute in any recipe that calls for all purpose or whole wheat flour

Buy: Grocery Store, Bulk Barn

Raw Honey vs Conventional Honey

Benefits: Conventional Honey found on the grocery store shelves has been heated to high temperatures, destroying most of its benefits. Raw honey is high in antioxidants, beneficial enzymes, good bacteria and has anti fungal and anti bacterial properties.

Uses: Smoothies, homemade granola bars, tea, spread on sprouted toast.

Buy: Natural food sections of grocery stores, Bulk Barn, Health food stores