10 March 2024 , 07:00
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Next time you reach for your favourite food, why not pause a second and ask yourself if there's a healthier - but no less tasty - option?
There is always an alternative, but routinely swapping out your go-to treats for something else entirely can be a tricky habit to take on. While indulging in our favourite comfort foods brings instant gratification, opting for healthier varieties can lead to long-term benefits for our bodies.
Although it may require some adjustment initially, gradually substituting unhealthy favourites with healthier alternatives can lead to improved energy levels, weight management, and reduced risk of chronic diseases.
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Fitness experts at Goal Plans powered by MuscleFood have revealed seven delicious alternatives to unhealthy foods. They say indulging in the wrong foods can cause blood sugar fluctuations that negatively impact mood, energy levels, and health, but there are easy ways to make healthier choices that reduce sugar, salt and fat while satisfying cravings.
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Smart food swaps include snacking on popcorn instead of crisps, and chicken over beef burgers. Ashleigh Tosh from Goal Plans powered by MuscleFood said: “There are easy ways to replicate flavours and the familiarity of our guilty pleasures to make healthier choices. Many food swaps have more nutritional benefits that keep you fuller for longer and crush cravings. Replacing foods with healthier alternatives and being mindful of what you consume is important for health and lifestyle. Dark chocolate and popcorn are just some of the healthier alternatives you can enjoy while still satisfying your cravings.”
Seven easy food swaps
Dark chocolate for milk chocolate
If you fancy a sweet treat, swap regular milk chocolate for dark chocolate, which has a lower fat and sugar content and is rich in antioxidants and packed with nutrients.
Popcorn for crisps
As well as being full of antioxidants, popcorn is high in fibre and fills you up with fewer calories than crisps. Skip the butter and go easy on the salt for healthier options.
Fruit for fruit juice
Sugar in whole fruit comes with important nutrients and gut-friendly fibre, whereas fruit juice is loaded with extra sugar with a 300ml glass of orange juice containing as much as 25g of sugar.
Greek yoghurt for ice cream
Ice cream has more fat than yoghurt and is higher in added sugars and calories. Greek yoghurt is rich in protein, and probiotics and lower in saturated fats.
Wholegrain bread for white bread
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Consider switching your white bread to wholegrain or brown bread. Brown bread is more nutritious as it contains more fibre and nutrients, and it is not as processed.
Chicken burger for beef burger
Chicken is a much better source of protein than beef and also provides us with important vitamins like vitamins A, B1 and B3.
Nuts for sweets
Nuts are a great healthy snack as they are high in nutrients like protein and fibre and can help steer off unhealthy sugar cravings.