Healthy swaps: 5 simple changes to make
Variety in your diet is key to healthy, balanced eating. Here, we show you how to make simple swaps to help mix things up and make healthier choices.
Give yourself a healthy boost by enjoying good fats, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals – add them to your diet by trying the health swaps below.
Next, check out the healthiest cooking oils, healthiest nuts and healthiest cheeses.
Swap 1: butter for avocado
Swap your typical spread for mashed avocado. Known as ‘poor man’s butter’ in Mexico, avocados are a source of healthier unsaturated fat, as well as potassium, a mineral needed for healthy blood pressure.
Try our easy recipe for smashed avocado on toast and read more about the health benefits of avocado.
Swap 2: white sugar for date syrup
Less refined than white sugar, date syrup is delicious on porridge or in salad dressings. For the biggest benefit, make your own – this way, you’ll maintain the fibre content of the whole fruit, which helps balance blood sugar.
Remember: syrups are still a form of ‘free’ sugar – the type we are advised to cut back on – so an even better swap would be to use the natural sweetness of whole fruit, such as berries, in your porridge or yogurt.
Swap 3: coffee for matcha latte
Whisk antioxidant-packed matcha powder into steamed milk for a mid-afternoon boost. Matcha, made from the finely ground whole leaf of the green tea plant, contains much higher levels of antioxidants than the tea leaf infusion, and its benefits seem to be optimised by combining it with dairy milk.
It’s worth remembering that the nutritional value of your prepared tea will depend on the temperature of the water you use, so always use hot (but not boiling) water for best results.
Try our matcha vanilla latte.
Swap 4: white pasta for spelt
Spelt, like wheat, is a gluten-containing grain, and as such, should be avoided by those with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. However, for those who can eat gluten, spelt offers a tasty alternative, adding nutty flavour to savoury dishes. It’s a good source of vitamin B3, which is important for blood sugar balance.
If you opt for wholemeal spelt, it’s a rich source of dietary fibre and may help to control blood glucose levels.
Try our delicious smoked salmon, avocado & spelt spaghetti.
Swap 5: double cream for coconut yogurt
Coconut yogurt offers a dairy-free alternative and works well in vegetable stews and curries or for topping desserts. Remember, like double cream, coconut is rich in saturated fat, so should be used sparingly. Nutritional values will vary by brand, so check labels for nutritional details.
Try this warming coconut & squash dansak.
Enjoyed this? Now try:
How to eat a balanced diet
Top 20 healthiest foods
Our most popular healthy recipes
Budget healthy recipes
Tried any of our healthy swaps? Do you have your own suggestions for nutritious alternatives? Let us know in the comments below.
Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a Registered Nutritionist with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food. Find her on Instagram at @kerry_torrens_nutrition_
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