Why should you make the swap?
When you want to make your diet healthier, you might feel as if there are just too many things that need changing all at once and then you may decide it’s easier to simply do nothing. So why not try making a few simple food swaps instead? With just a few simple food swaps, you can make your daily diet a whole lot healthier.
A healthier diet isn’t the only reason to make the swap. A few simple swaps and you’re less limited in the foods you can eat due to food sensitivities and food preferences.
Just a few easy food swaps can give your diet a nutrition boost.
Silk Almond Milk Protein + Fiber for dairy milk. A great option if you’re lactose intolerant and/or if your diet preference is plant-based. Silk Almond Milk is free of lactose, gluten, dairy, soy, egg, casein and MSG and you don’t have to miss out on your favorite smoothie recipes, overnight oats, pancakes and more.
Why it’s better: Silk Almond Milk Protein + Fiber has 50% more calcium than dairy milk, is a good source of protein and excellent source of fiber and Vitamin E with no cholesterol or saturated fat.
Veggie noodles for flour based pasta. Don’t miss out on pasta! The veggie options are endless for creating a healthy satisfying pasta dish.
Why it’s better: Swapping a zucchini or spaghetti squash noodle for standard flour based pasta is a great alternative if you’re gluten sensitive and you reap the nutritional benefit of adding more veggies to your diet.
Whole fruit for fruit juice. If you’re trying to work more fruit into your diet, grab a piece of fruit instead of a glass of juice.
Why it’s better: The calories in fruit juice can add up quickly, and it’s the juice is missing some of the essential nutrients of eating whole fruit.
Plain yogurt and fruit for pre-mixed yogurt. Premixed fruit yogurt typically has very little fruit and often a lot of added sugar.
Why it’s better: You’ll be getting more nutrition from the fruit (and more fiber), more protein and less sugar.
Raw spinach for iceberg lettuce. Add a nutrient boost to your next salad by using fresh spinach instead of iceberg lettuce
Why it’s better: A serving of spinach has more potassium, calcium and vitamin C, and 50% more vitamin A than a serving of iceberg lettuce. (Source)
Want to start making simple swaps? Try swapping Silk Almond Milk Protein + Fiber for dairy milk. Use it in your favorite recipes or your morning coffee. Silk will even give you a coupon to try it! Just visit Silk on Facebook to grab a coupon and try Silk’s dairy free alternatives to milk.
What food swaps have you tried?
Be HEALTHY. Be HAPPY. Be YOU.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
Great idea, Jill. zucchini noodles are my go to now. haven’t had a regular pasts in forever!
🙁 I always drink juice cause I’m using it as an easy/lazy way to get some fruit in me but I really should be eating real fruit!
yes, yes yes! Also just using egg whites instead of whole eggs – all of the protein, less fat and cholesterol – and green tea instead of coffee – you get the caffeine boost plus more antioxidants.
Great swaps! We stopped drinking cows milk years ago.
AMAZING and delicious swaps!
Coconut Butter instead of Butter (grain-fed)
Spaghetti Squash instead of Spaghetti
Nori Sheets instead of Wheat/Corn Wraps
Roasted Green Beans or Butternut Squash instead of French Fries
Those are my go-to swaps! 🙂
I do indeed like the idea of those swas. I already do most of them, except the iceberg lettuce and spinach one. I love iceberug lettuce too much! I’ll incorporate both 🙂
This is a great post Jill. I love these simple healthy food swaps and so easy to do!
Yes to all these! I’m the only one who drinks Almond milk around here but whatever. I like to make a mango/bean salsa instead of the usual salsa. It’s a great change AND loaded with protein so it’s like a mini meal. You can eat it alone, over fish or chicken or with chips. Whole grain, organic chips of course 🙂
Hi Allie, when I read mango bean salsa I thought I would just eat it as a meal or large side dish 🙂 Yum! Is the recipe on your blog?
It’s not but I should absolutely put it out there! I’ll let you know when I do 🙂
I agree with your swaps except almond milk for dairy milk. Almond milk has less protein (even with the added pea protein in the one you suggested). Also, have you taken a look at the ingredient list of that milk:
INGREDIENTS: Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Corn Dextrin (source of corn fiber), Pea Protein, Locust Bean Gum, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum, Natural Flavor.
Added cane sugar, sea salt, gellan gum – sorry but I’d rather stick with a less processed dairy milk.
Hi Jen, I wish I had an argument. You’re right. It’s almond milk or do without a whole lot of my favorites. How about coconut milk?
I should clarify, that if someone is looking for a vegetarian source or is lactose intolerant, I have nothing against almond milk. I just don’t think it should be promoted for everyone as a healthier alternative. Sorry to hijack your post! Loved all of your other swaps.
I’m glad you commented. You’ve given me something to think about 🙂 Maybe I should have worded it differently but I was trying to avoid an extremely long and very wordy post.
I am one of those people who can’t go straight to plain yogurt, so I actually buy plain yogurt and mix in a couple teaspoons of flavored yogurt or cooked down berries. Much more enjoyable!
That’s a great way to make the swap! And I bet it would be a lot easier for people to stick with. Thanks Marisa!
I’ve never been a huge iceberg fan, so swapping to other leafy greens like spinach and kale is easy (and super yummy!) for me. I love making my own yogurt parfaits and smoothies too. So much healthier than pre-packaged/mixed.
Agreed. Homemade yogurt parfait is hands down better than store bought. Have you ever noticed how little fruit is actually in fruit yogurt. Ridiculous.
Jill, great post, as usual 🙂 I love calling them SWAPPORTUNITIES 🙂 I’m all about that Veggie Noodle life, you know me 🙂 As for other swaps, I ditched spinach for kale actually 🙂 greek yogurt for mayonnaise, water for any other drinks, and about 239042 more to meet my dietary restrictions, but I won’t bore you with a laundry list 🙂
I’m happy to read your laundry list 🙂 I haven’t used mayo in years and I’m obsessed with spiralized veggies.
How are you by the way? We need to chat 🙂
Secret? I STILL love mayo…..and will indulge on it when I’m out to eat, but use greek yogurt for mayo when making chicken/tuna/etc. and as a sour cream substitute!
I eat VERY healthy, but I have some horrendously awful habits that I am not ashamed to admit to: like eating dessert immediately after I finish dinner, and by dessert I mean pouring Nesquick chocolate syrup in my mouth straight from the bottle 🙂
As for my laundry list: well, there’s too many to think of that they’re no longer “swaps” to me, but things I do naturally 🙂
I am fabulous, thanks for asking, miss you xoxox <3 hope you're well!
Yes! I have made every one of those swaps, and definitely happier for it. My only concern with my almond milk switch (side note: doesn’t regular milk taste strange now….really thin and blah compared to almond milk), is that it doesn’t have the protein content of regular, which is important post workout, but I did notice they have added protein to some of them now. Win win! Another swap I made was almond butter from peanut butter…..homemade almond butter from pure almonds with a little hint of maple syrup compared to Jif peanut butter, is a whole world of difference. I know those little differences help my training a lot! Great ideas Jill 🙂
Thanks Tina! I love homemade almond butter. Actually any homemade nutbutter! Little to no dairy definitely works best for my body. You’re right. Regular milk is so thin and blah.