Healthy Alternatives to Everyday Cooking Items

For most of us, our favorite meals tend to be more on the unhealthy side of things rather than on the healthy side. There are ways that you can transform your once unhealthy meal into a healthy one. How? Substituting the unhealthy ingredients for healthy alternatives! Below are some great substitutes to use next time you’re cooking:

1. Greek Yogurt. This is a great alternative that could be used for many dishes! Not only does it taste great, but it offers tremendous health benefits. Greek yogurt could be used to substitute mayonnaise or sour cream in any recipe.

2. Avocado. Instead of using a stick of fat-filled butter, try swapping it out with a fresh avocado. These are loaded with good-for-you fats and still perform all of the necessary duties that butter otherwise would. Freshly mashed avocados are also a great substitute for mayonnaise!

3. Spaghetti Squash. Next time you’re making spaghetti and meat balls, opt against the traditional flour pasts and try using spaghetti squash instead. Any type of pasta is extremely high in carbohydrates, but with spaghetti squash you nix the carbs while still achieving the spaghetti look and taste.

4. Lettuce Leaves. Ever looked on the back of a bag of flour tortillas at the calorie count for a single serving? You may not want to; some of them contain up to 800 calories per tortilla! Next time you’re making tacos, or what you think is a “healthy” veggie wrap, replace those calorie-filled tortillas with a crisp, healthy lettuce leaf.

5. Coconut Milk. Next time you’re whipping up some homemade soup or pasta sauce, stay away from the heavy cream! Instead, use coconut milk. It has nearly half of the calorie content of heavy cream and tastes nearly identical.