Healthy Cooking, Simple Substitutions to Daily Diet

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It is quite simple to make substitutions to one’s regular daily diet to enjoy healthy cooking and a healthy life. The main goal in making substitutions in food is to cut out the unhealthy fats and cholesterol; increasing fats good for health and reducing sodium levels in food. For example, olive oil and avocados are very good for health.

It’s the saturated fats and the trans fats that cause the obesity and health risks. By making use of some simple cooking strategies it is possible to create tasty meals without the fat. The monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats together with fiber help to improve health and reduce the risk of heart ailments. Let us check out some of these dietary substitutions to see what will work in your kitchen.

• There’s nothing to beat the wholesome goodness of healthy fresh vegetables. While fresh is the best without additives and preservatives, frozen vegetables without any additives are also good. Always choose frozen vegetables that don’t have anything added to enhance taste and flavor.

• Avoid canned vegetables; they are generally packed in preservatives, chemicals and salt. These additions offset all the goodness of the vegetables. Always opt for fresh vegetables; with a bit of planning you can do your grocery shopping so that you always prepare healthy meals with fresh stuff.

• It is not the grains or the breads that are unhealthy, but the type of grains chosen that can prove unhealthy. Whole grains are made up of three parts, but refined grains (white bread and rice) have one part. The missing parts are fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. Get rid of white bread, rice, pasta, cereals and crackers from your pantry. Stock up on whole wheat options instead.

• Yogurt is a very healthy food, rich in protein and full of probiotics and calcium. Choose the low fat or no fat options to reduce the saturated fat. If you can get it, Greek yogurt, the plain non-fat version is very healthy. You don’t need to use cream; substitute yogurt instead for fruit toppings and sauces.

• Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that are recommended for the body because it helps to lower the bad cholesterol while increasing the good cholesterol. Butter should really not be in your home at all, it is full of saturated fat and even some margarine products contain trans fat. Use olive oil instead of butter or lard for any cooking you do.