Spring is here and with it the motivation to get your diet back on track after the chilly winter months.
Chances are both your fridge and pantry are looking a little shabby, so there’s no better time to kick-start your healthy eating programme and give both your fridge and pantry an overhaul.
If one of your goals is to boost your nutrition and even lose a few kilos over the next few weeks, try these simple food swops.
Swop white rice for cauliflower rice
You probably already know it’s best to opt for brown rice over white rice, but if you’re getting bored of your typical rice, why not try cauliflower rice?
It’s super simple to make yourself. It’s just raw cauliflower blended up in a food processor and it produces a similar consistency and taste to regular rice. It works perfectly in stir-fries!
Swop a plain bagel with a wholegrain bagel
Love your morning breakfast sandwich on a bagel or English muffin? Swop out plain, refined bagels for a wholegrain version, and you’ll be adding almost twice the fibre, which may help you keep your energy up and keep hunger at bay.
Swop that latte for a green tea
Green tea will still deliver the caffeine kick your body has become accustomed to, but without all the calories. Green tea is also packed full of healthy natural antioxidants, along with various other beneficial compounds that aid fat metabolism.
Ditch the sugary drinks for flavoured water
If you regularly drink sugary, flavoured waters like vitamin water, ditch these enhanced drinks and flavour regular water with fresh fruit instead. You will cut out unnecessary sugar and stay better hydrated.
Try a home-made marinade or rub for your next braai
Shop-bought marinades can contain hidden sugars and additives. Make your marinade at home so that you can have control over the ingredients you use.
Kick things up a notch by making your herb rub to replace marinades altogether; it will still be tasty and flavoursome.
Skip heavy dressings for fruit juices
Salads can be easily made less healthy than a cheeseburger when loaded with heavy dressings filled with sugar, fat, and sodium. Try dressing your salad with fruit such as mandarin oranges, cranberries, or diced apples to add a natural flavour without adding hidden calories.
Swop sour cream or cream cheese for Greek yoghurt
Greek yoghurt is one of the most underused ingredients. Its natural fat content makes it the perfect lower-fat alternative to cream or sour cream in a range of recipes, from curries to creamy pasta, a topping for Mexican dishes, or a partial substitute for butter in baking.
Replace ice cream pops with yoghurt pops
You can quickly make healthier pop mixes at home using Greek yoghurt and any fruit you prefer. All you need is ice pop moulds, the ingredients and space in the freezer.
Swop light greens like iceberg lettuce with dark greens
Swopping out almost any light-green lettuce for a darker spring mix, baby spinach or even romaine can help boost the vitamin content (while adding more colour and flavour too!).
Swop potato for sweet potato
For a healthy, nutritious alternative to loaded potatoes, try vitamin-rich sweet potatoes. These loaded sweet potato spuds taste fantastic, especially with a dollop of sour cream on top.
Swop crisps for home-made veggie chips
Finely slice sweet veggies such as carrots, beetroot, and parsnip, and toss with olive oil. Bake in a low-heat oven until crisp, and then add a little grated Parmesan cheese to taste.
Or you can make kale chips even. Kale chips are also easy to make yourself in the oven at a low heat. Wash the kale thoroughly and dry, remove the stalks and chop it, melt some coconut oil in a baking tray, and coat the kale.
Add a sprinkle of Himalayan rock salt or sea salt, pepper, crushed cashews, sesame seeds, and nutritional yeast flakes. Put in the oven and keep checking the kale, taking out the crispy bits so they don’t burn.
Kale is rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, so it is important to keep the oven at a low heat to retain its wonderful nutrients.
Everyone in the family – from a picky spouse to a fussy toddler – will love these lower-salt, healthy chip alternatives.