Healthier And Cheaper Food Alternatives

02. Nov, 2008 Comments Off

Photo � Penywise

Eating healthier can seem overwhelming if you try to change everything all at once. However, making small modifications once a week (or once a month) to your diet will get you on your way. Not only can healthier alternatives be more nutritious, but they can also help your food bills shrink as well.

Instead of:	Try this:
Boxed Cereals	Slow Cooked Oatmeal
Boxed cereals usually contain tremendous amounts of sugar and little fiber. Replacing this with oatmeal is a great idea for many reasons. Oatmeal is a whole grain which has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and it is a good source vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and protein.
Instead of:	Try this:
Chips &amp;amp;amp; Dip	Hummus &amp;amp;amp; Carrots
Store Bought Chips and Dips are usually high in fats and calories. Hummus is made from garbanzo beans. Garbanzos, like most other beans, contain high amounts of fiber which helps to decrease your cholesterol levels as well as prevent blood sugar levels from increasing too quickly. Carrots contain beta-carotene, calcium, iron, fiber, several B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin K, and they are nearly fat-free.
Instead of:	Try this:
Boxed Rice &amp;amp;amp; Pasta Meals	Make your own.
Boxed Meals contain several “mystery ingredients” like hydrolyzed soy protein, modified corn starch and maltodextrin. They usually also have either partially hydrogenated oil, which contain high levels of trans fats, and/or high fructose corn syrup, which blocks the signal to our brain that we are full and actually makes us store more fat. If you make your own version of these meals, you can control what goes into the recipe and more importantly, what stays out of it.
Instead of:	Try this:
Ice Cream	Fruit Smoothie
Most ice cream is high in fat while most fruit is not. Ice cream also contains its own share of mystery ingredients as well as high fructose corn syrup. Choosing a smoothie instead is an excellent idea for getting more fruits into your diet. Fruits are important sources of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid. They are low in sodium, calories and fat. They also help reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.You can also add some carrots or celery to your smoothie for added nutrients.