Seven Super-Simple Substitutions to Start Eating More Healthy

The most super-simple advice for anyone trying to lose weight is to "eat less, eat healthier and exercise more." But as proven time and time again, doing these three things isn't usually simple at all for the average person. There have been thousands of articles, books, diet plans, DVDs and television programs dedicated to help people achieve their health and fitness goals. The following information is provided to help you begin to make positive changes in your diet without necessarily changing what, when and how you eat. So, instead of depriving yourself completely of soda, salt, bread and other beverages and food you already enjoy, start by making super-simple substitutions with similar, but much healthier, alternatives. Each of the food substitutions is divided into three parts -- bad, better and best. Depending on your individual situation, you may find that your daily diet consists of only "bad" foods or some combination of "bad," "better" and "best" foods. To start eating more healthy, lose weight and feel better right way, all you have to do is make super-simple substitutions of any "bad" foods you eat for their "better" or "best" alternatives.

1. Soda

Whether Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola, regular soft drinks and energy drinks are filled with sugar -- usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup. A super-simple way to immediately cut your intake of sugar and empty, liquid calories is to substitute sugar-free, diet sodas for the full-sugar version. With so many flavors and varieties of sugar-free sodas now available, everyone should be able to find one or more they like. For best health results, substitute water for sodas a few times a day or altogether.

Bad: Regular Soda > Better: Diet Soda > Best: Water

2. Salt

A key to eating more healthy and keeping blood pressure under control is choosing foods lower in salt and sodium, as well as limiting the amount of sodium consumed a day to less than 2.4 grams. This equals about one teaspoon of table salt a day. A super-simple substitution to reduce sodium intake without sacrificing flavor is to replace your ordinary table salt with a potassium chloride/salt mixture. These mixtures are readily available in your local supermarket from Morton Salt as Salt Balance™ (25% less sodium) and Lite Salt™ (50% less sodium). Cut your sodium even more by substituting table salt with a salt substitute product or other sodium-free spices.

Bad: Table Salt > Better: Lite Salt > Best: Salt Substitute

3. Bread

White bread is not only less nutritious than its whole grain and multigrain counterparts, but also digests much more quickly in your body as a result of the refinement process. Because whole grain particles are bigger than stripped and pulverized white flour particles, they leave you feeling more satisfied for longer and make it more difficult for your body to convert into blood sugar or cause spikes in blood sugar levels. If you've tried whole wheat bagels, breads, crackers, pita, tortillas or waffles in the past, look again; food manufacturers continue to make progress towards making whole grain products lighter and tastier. For added benefits, substitute white or whole wheat breads with multigrain varieties which often contain additional fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients.

Bad: White Bread > Better: Whole Wheat Bread > Best: Multigrain Bread

4. Solid Fats and Cooking Oil

Baking and cooking often involves the heavy use of fats and oils to add flavor, act as a cooking agent or as a essential ingredient. By making super-simple substitutions of lard, shortening and some vegetable oils with healthier alternatives, cholesterol, saturated fat, sodium and trans fat can be greatly reduced. Animal lards and vegetable-based shortenings are 100% fat and can be substituted in many recipes and cooking techniques with reduced fat vegetable oils. For best results, use cooking oils high in monounsaturated fats (good fats) such as canola oil and olive oil.

Bad: Lard/Shortening > Better: Vegetable Oil > Best: Canola/Olive Oils

5. Butter

While delicious, because butter consists mostly of saturated fat and is high in dietary cholesterol, it can contribute to heart disease. However, butter can be easily replaced with low-fat margarines and even margarines with cholesterol-reducing plant sterol and plant stanol esters. In fact, to retain a real butter taste, many margarine products today actually contain a blend of real butter and vegetable oils.

Bad: Butter > Better: Margarine > Best: Margarine with Sterol/Stanol Esters

6. Milk and Dairy

Whole or full-fat milk and dairy products contain more calories, cholesterol, and of course, saturated fat, than reduced fat and nonfat versions of the same products. It may take some time to adjust to the change in flavor and texture of reduced fat dairy products, so try to gradually move from whole to 2 percent to 1 percent to nonfat versions of cheese, creamer, milk and yogurt.

Bad: Whole > Better: 1%-2% > Best: Nonfat

7. Meat

This is a wide ranging area, but you should do all possible to avoid high-fat meats such as fatty ground beef, brisket, T-bones, pork ribs, pork sausage, pork bacon, salami, bologna and beef hot dogs. Often, a super-simple substitution is to look for leaner alternatives of the same product, such as 90% lean ground beef, tenderloin and top round steak, center cut pork bacon and pork tenderloin. However, in the case of some meats such as pork sausage, most sandwich meats and beef hot dogs, the best substitution is an alternative made from soy, white meat chicken or white meat turkey. A burger made from 98% lean ground beef or 99% lean ground turkey isn't as bad as you imagine.

Bad: High-Fat Meats > Better: Lean Meats > Best: Chicken, Soy and Turkey

Conclusion

By substituting some or all of the "bad" foods in your diet with healthier alternatives you can begin to make profound changes in your life. Add in a little portion control and exercise for ultimate results. However, please consult a physician before beginning any new diet or exercise program.