You Can Eat Food That Tastes Good and Is Good For You.

Who says you can't eat food that taste great and is good for you when you are living a healthy lifestyle?  Not me!  For some reason there is this misconception that eating healthy equates to living off of celery and carrot sticks.  Well, sure you can eat that, but what about all the other delicacies our taste buds crave?  There are some obvious foods I chose to avoid, such as deep fried anything due to the carcinogenic created from the heated oil.  However, I still enjoy a good burger and fries.  I just chose to prepare them in a different way.  I grill or broil my Organic Grass-fed beef, go bun less or use ice burg lettuce leaves to hold that juicy burger, load it with veggies and bake my homemade sweet potato fries.  Delicious and loaded with nutrition.  I never met a recipe that I couldn't tweak in one way or another to increase nutritional value and decrease the undesirables.  One only needs to learn some substitutions and get creative.  So what if you try and flop, at least you tried.  Listed below are some possible healthier substitutes to get started cooking, grilling or baking with nutrition.

 White processed bleached flour-   try oatmeal or spelt flour.  You can buy the rolled oats and use your processor to help turn into flour.  I also use and immersion blender when oats are combined with wet ingredients.  Most grains actually coat the intestinal wall, cause irritation and prevent the body from absorbing the nutrient content of food consumption.  For this reason I personally chose to use Almond flour and Coconut flour. These options tend to be a bit more spendy, as well as other options.  However, I firmly believe that I would rather spend the extra finances on healthy ingredients now than medical bills and prescription drugs later. Another option is Beans, yes I wrote Beans.  Purchase the dried ones in bulk, soak over night, cook on stove top and use as a substitute or in combination with other items to create a protein and fiber packed food item.

White cane sugar-Try using liquid stevia.  It is my friend and goes with me everywhere.  I use in conjunction with other natural sweeteners when baking.  0 glycemic index means 0 calories, and it is an herbal supplement.  It has a bitter taste if you use to much, so use sparingly as you try it out. 
Eurythritol is another natural almost 0 cosmic sweetener.  I purchase GMO  (Genetically Modified) FREE.  Xylitol has half the calories as sugar and has the added bonus of keeping teeth healthy.  Agave Nectar does have a higher calorie content, but is thought to have a slower insulin response.  Raw honey has natural enzymes not found in processed honey that are beneficial to your body.  Once cooked, raw honey no longer is raw, so I recommend using this as a spread to keep in natural state.  There are several other possibilities like date sugar and beet sugar to name a few. 

White potatoes-  Sweet potatoes and yams are a nutrient packed, slower insulin response food choice.  They are what we call a complex carbohydrate, meaning it has more chemical chains to be broken verses a simple carbohydrate that floods the system with insulin.  Other simple carbos include all the processed crackers, white bread, cakes, cookies, pastas, etc.

Milk-  Dairy from cows is very difficult for the human body to process, and unless you are buying organic it is full of hormones you really do not want your family to consume.  Some options include Almond Milk and Coconut Milk.  Purchase the unsweetened kind and add your own natural sweeteners.  I use stevia and organic  almond extract or vanilla.  35-50 cal a cup verses twice that for cow's milk.  There are even recipes on Pineterest to make your own, but I found them to be a bit gritty.  If you are going to buy soy, I recommend organic due to the fact that almost all soy is Genetically Modified.  It also has a high estrogen hormone level, so beware and limit your consumption if you can.

Ice cream- I make my own ice cream using my trusty VitaMix and some frozen fruit.  I add some stevia, extract and coconut milk or water and let my blender do its magic.  My family prefers my healthy "Ice Cream" to any store bought package, and  I feel good about serving it to them.

Peanut butter- There are so many people who react to peanut consumption.  In reality, peanuts are not nuts at all, they are from the legume family.  Try using almond butter, walnut butter, hazelnut butter or any kind of nut butter.  I buy a bag from Costco and process my own in my Vitamix.  Nuts are full of protein and other great nutrients.  To help leach out any of the naturally residing chemicals, try soaking your nuts overnight in sea salt water and then slow cooking them in your oven for 12-24 hours at your ovens lowest temp setting.  You will not want to eat nuts any other way after trying this.  You can also use your food dehydrator if you have one.

More substitutes will be posted at another date, but this will help you get started with some ideas of eating healthier. 

You have a favorite recipe you want to make healthier?  Send me the recipe and I will help you tweak it.