Healthy Replacements for Your Favorite Junk Foods
When it comes to living a happy life, we certainly need to create healthy habits that give us energy instead of draining us. Today, we have more options than ever before and those healthy alternatives are more accessible than ever.
A good rule of thumb: if you read the ingredients on a food package and you can’t pronounce the majority of them, chances are what’s inside will not give you energy and will work against you. As you detox your body from the addicting sugars and flavors created in labs, you’ll find the natural flavor in foods will start to taste good, take my word for it!
Here are some ideas for snacks to replace the typical cravings we get!
Cheetos - The fast snacks we get in vending machines can be seductive, especially when we are hungry we and often don’t have another option. Think of stocking up your car and desk with dried fruit and protein bars so you don’t reach for chips that have no nutritional value and will leave you feeling hungrier! Check out Core Bars which have pure, natural ingredients, give you energy, and taste amazing. Also, look for dried fruit without added sugar.
Grilled Cheese - Sandwiches are often made with processed bread, cheese, and condiments that slow our digestion and make us sluggish. The low nutrition content gives us the feeling of fullness yet leaves us hungry and tired soon after. Try having hummus (we love Hope Foods) with vegetables such as carrots, celery, peppers, cucumbers or even green apples instead. This kind of snack contains fat, protein, and good nutrients that will keep you feeling full and energized.
Soda - The high sugar content and mystery ingredients in soda wreak havoc on our energy levels by giving us a fake energy that leads to a crash afterward. Switch to healthier soda alternatives such as Zevia, which uses the sweet, organic stevia plant instead of sugar so you aren’t depleting your energy. Stevia also has zero calories - bonus!
Cookies - Have a sweet tooth for baked goods? Try curbing that sweet tooth with the natural sweets nature has given us such mangoes, watermelon, kiwi, berries, pineapple, etc. Dates are an excellent sweet that are chock full of minerals that improve your energy levels!
Burgers - Ah, the quintessential American comfort food, a juicy burger. What could replace this cultural favourite and leave us feeling good instead of keeled over with a stomach ache? Try Dr. Preagers veggie burgers with a butter leaf lettuce wrap. Get the organic version of ketchup and be sure to dress it up with vegan cheese and tomato slices. Just as delicious, and you’ll notice a difference in your energy right away.
Ice Cream - Dairy is hard on most adults because our bodies aren’t really made to break down lactose as we get older. The demand for dairy-free ice cream has made suppliers improve the flavor of alternatives. We love the coconut, almond or soy options offered by Sodelicious. You’ll find you’ll have less mucus and colds when you cut dairy from your diet as well!
Cereal - There are so many mystery ingredients in cereal that can create constipation, poor skin health, and brain fog because they have no nutritional value. Sugar is also proven to be more addictive than hard drugs, and the sugar content of cereal is generally high. Cooked grains give us a feeling of fullness, but leave us feeling hungry soon after. Replace your morning cereal with a smoothie of frozen berries, a healthy protein powder, spinach, avocado, banana and almond milk. Your energy will sustain itself much longer!
Hot Dogs - The mystery meat in hot dogs really slows the metabolism down and is full of unhealthy chemicals given to the animals. The bleached flour buns are also going to create constipation and inevitably low energy, food cravings, and increased acidity in the body. Replace hot dogs with salads with lean proteins, such as organic chicken, turkey, or fish. The greens have live enzymes which help break the protein down into amino acids. Avoid iceberg lettuce. Try spinach, arugula, mixed greens, or kale with lemon juice instead. The greener, the better!
In Conclusion…
You don’t have to sacrifice flavor or any of your favorite foods when you decide to have a healthy lifestyle. Just find healthier ingredients to make your favorite things. The less processed and the purer the ingredients, the more energy you’ll have. There are recipes for alternatives online that you can easily find as well.
Our attitude toward healthy eating should be that it’s fun and delicious. We should realize that herbs and spices will make food taste good and we will have more energy when we choose healthy alternatives. Your body craves what you give it, and we create new habits in 40 days or so. So get started today!
If your local grocery store doesn’t have healthy options, consider buying from Amazon or direct from a company you trust. We’ve included links to the brands we love so you can stock your fridge and pantry with fuel for the best, most enjoyable version of yourself. Notice the habits of the people around you on a daily basis and don’t let those habits dictate your personal choices. As you become more healthy, you can inspire them through the shift in your own energy!
