Food Swaps

Almost everybody says they want to eat healthier, but making healthy changes in your diet can seem like an insurmountable task—one that involves giving up everything that brings your taste buds joy. It is worth it, though, to say goodbye to as many empty calories and unhealthy fats (not all fats are bad—more on that later) as you can: Eating healthier makes multiple contributions to overall health and well-being. Many people want to eat healthier to lose weight, which can in turn improve your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, and strengthen your heart to keep it beating for years to come. Beyond that—and perhaps more importantly in the long run—a healthy diet diversifies and strengthens the microbiome of your gut, which scientists are learning plays a significant role in several…

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why? One big reason is its impact on other meals. What a person eats for breakfast plays a big role in what they will later crave for lunch, snacks, and dinner too. If you start the morning with sugary cereal, a slice of white bread toast with jelly, and a glass of chocolate milk, you’ll be much more susceptible to sweet cravings for the rest of the day. But if you start with a balanced meal of protein, good fats, and carbs instead, you’ll avoid the subsequent blood sugar crash, and be better prepared to make smarter choices for your food intake throughout the day. In this section we’ll help you swap out common (yet excessively sugary,…

How to Make a Flax Egg Eggs are such a commonplace staple of baking that it’s easy to imagine there’s no good substitute…but there is. A flax egg is a great alternative for vegans, people with egg allergies, or those watching their cholesterol to be able to enjoy foods that use an egg as a binder ingredient. To make one, you only need two things: ground flaxseeds—sometimes called flaxseed meal—and water. (If you can only find whole flaxseeds, no fear: Just grind them in a spice or coffee grinder or a high-speed blender and store for future use.) Mix 1 Tbsp (14 g) of ground flaxseeds with 3 Tbsp (42.5 g) of water in a small bowl, and allow this mixture to sit for about five minutes. Then it’s ready…

Oatmeal is a versatile, nutritious, and wholesome meal that makes for an excellent start to the day. You can dress it up by adding whole fruits, nuts and seeds, nut butters, or spices like cinnamon, or you can keep it simple by only stirring in a bit of maple syrup for sweetness. In any case, starting with oats is a sure-fire way to keep yourself satiated until lunchtime. Oats deliver a plethora of health benefits, including lowering LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels and providing your body with antioxidants. But the type of oats you buy can have a large impact on their nutritional value. At the grocery store, look for either steel-cut or rolled oats (also called “old fashioned” oats) instead of the prepackaged single servings, which often contain…

For many, pancakes on a lazy weekend morning is a time-honored family tradition that brings them comfort and joy. They signal relaxed and easy living, with a sweet touch of nostalgia, and even help other family members get involved in the basics of cooking. (Who could resist tiny toddler hands sprinkling chocolate chips over flapjacks?) Unfortunately, many of the pre-made, boxed pancake mixes on the market offer convenience in exchange for largely diminished nutritional value. Several brands contain an overload of added sugars, high levels of preservatives, and non-organic ingredients grown with the use of potentially harmful chemicals. To avoid these pitfalls, make your pancakes from scratch! There are plenty of easy recipes online, but here’s one for a simple three-ingredient pan-cake that adds a burst of fruit flavor and…

It can be daunting to walk into a grocery store and be hit with a flurry of official-sounding labels—organic, non-GMO, natural, free-range, grass-fed—the list goes on. Understanding what these helpful-sounding labels really mean, and how they have an impact on the foods they’re labeling, is an important first step in buying products that are healthier for your body and your mind. One of the biggest changes you can make to revitalize your eating habits is buying foods (both produce and pantry items) that are minimally processed and grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals. Corn syrup and similar additives provide cheap, subsidized sweetness that help food producers save money, which means healthier items tend to be more expensive. But by nourishing your gut with real, whole foods, you’re saving…