Summer is right around the corner and ’tis the season that everyone is talking about going on a “quick fix” juice cleanse or start a new detox program. Rather than putting your time, energy, and money into a crash diet I recommend starting with detoxing your kitchen. Making a few simple swaps in your refrigerator and pantry will make a significant difference in your overall health and wellbeing. No drastic actions required.
A healthy kitchen provides the foundation for a healthier you. Today, I challenge you to take a few simple steps to transform your kitchen into a place of wellness.
Health Swap #1 Condiments
I’m talking about your beloved ketchup, salad dressings, mayo, BBQ sauce, etc. I lump all of these into one category because you’re looking for similar culprits when reading the ingredient list…added sugar/HFCS and vegetable oils. Even many brands that tout themselves as “healthy” have added sugars or other junk ingredients. This mean you have to read the label and do your own research.
Let’s start with ketchup and BBQ sauce… I like the brand Annie’s, but there is still added sugar in both (4 grams in the original flavors). It is lower than a lot of other brands out there, but it adds up. Places like Trader Joe’s and Thrive market have options with only 2-3 grams of sugar and no high fructose corn syrup.
When looking at salad dressings skip anything with vegetable oils, watch the added sugar, and do not stress about fat content (no fat free please!). My top picks for salad dressing are Primal Kitchen, Bragg, and Tessemae’s. Trader Joe’s also has some newer dressings with on point ingredients (Green Goddess, Carrot Ginger Miso, and Almond Butter Turmeric…all found in the fridge section).
Now let’s talk about mayo. Please toss the Miracle Whip and swap it for an avocado or olive oil based mayo. I’m a big fan of Primal Kitchen and Chosen Foods mayo right now. Lastly, don’t forget about pasta sauce. Some brands have SO much added sugar! Rao’s is a great brand with no added sugar and tastes just as good!
If you want absolutely no added sugar or other suspicious ingredients in your then Primal Kitchen is the winner. That is the brand I tend to stick to for everything!
Health Swap #2 Sugary Beverages
Seeing a theme here? There is a lot of added sugar in our food these days and it all adds up. Even if you don’t have the obvious culprits like soda or juice in your fridge there may still be sugar hiding in your other “healthy” drinks. Dairy alternative milks like almond and soy often have added sugar; especially is they are flavored. I recommend looking for the word unsweetened and checking the sugar content and ingredient label when shopping for dairy alternative milk, ice tea, flavored water, Kombucha, etc. Try using mint, cucumber, or fresh squeezed lemon to enhance the flavor of your beverage and save your sugar grams for something a little more exciting 😉
Health Swap #3 Ultra Processed Foods
The word “processed” (in terms of food) means any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it is ready for us to eat. Heating, pasteurizing, canning, and drying are all considered forms of processing. Clearly I’m not saying “all processed foods should be avoided” because that’s not realistic or necessary. Simple preparation or preservation techniques do not turn wholesome food into junk.
There is no standard definition yet for the term ultra processed, but I think of it in terms of foods that have industrial formulations with five or more ingredients. It isn’t always realistic to eat a packaged food with 5 or less ingredients, but I’m challenging you to start looking through your pantry and fridge for these highly processed foods and seeing if there are better alternatives out there. For example, if you have flavored granola bars with added sugar and preservatives can you look for a more natural brand that contain less ingredients and sugar. This swap means you’re going from ultra processed to processed. Then if you want to take it even a step further you might try making your own granola bar.
Health Swap #4 Cooking Oils
Processed vegetable oils like canola, palm, safflower or sunflower oils are commonly bleached and processed with chemicals, causing increased inflammation in the body along with other health issues. So many meal or baking recipes I see these days from touted “healthy” cook books and websites still call for vegetable oils. Lucky for you oils are an easy swap!
There are many nutritious oils we can use and at a variety of temperatures to meet all your cooking needs Ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, hemp oil, flax oil, avocado oil, sesame oil are all good options. In my house we usually use avocado oil for cooking because of its high smoke point and neutral flavor. When I’m baking I usually use extra virgin coconut oil.
Health Swap #5 Low Fiber Grains
Now pull out all your bread, pasta, rice, cereal, crackers, tortillas, etc. Check the label and look for minimal ingredients, higher fiber (>3 grams per serving), whole grains or 100% whole wheat listed as the first ingredient, and low sodium. Watch out for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), added sugars, refined carbohydrates, partially hydrogenated oil (aka trans fats).
Whole grains (gluten-free or not) with lots of fiber, like quinoa or brown rice, help to maintain optimal weight while refined grains like white rice, bread, pasta etc. have been linked to weight gain, type two diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. No thanks!
So there you have it. 5 easy health swaps you can start making today to help you achieve your goal of a more nutritious kitchen. While none of these are necessarily drastic changes I promise you will notice the difference in your health.
xx,
Alix
