If you could find a way to improve your diet quality and get more nutrition – without a full-on freaky Friday – you would, right? I know I certainly would. Some clever changes can be factored into your daily routine until they become a habit, meaning you don’t have to miss out on the foods you crave. There’s no need to overhaul your entire eating regime in an attempt to eat a little healthier! No dieting, no rules, just a few simple food swap outs and tips for healthier versions that taste great, if you’re so interested in that.
Tips for using less refined sugar
Utilize dried and fresh fruits in your cooking and baking. Vanilla essence, cloves, and cinnamon can also be added for a sweet flavour profile.
Tips for using less salt
Spice up your life with an array of spices, herbs, lemon, and garlic in your cooking, as opposed to mountains of table salt. Canned and jarred foods that are labelled “no added salt” are your friends!
Simple carb swaps
For those who are a regular on our blog site, you will know from our last post that complex carbohydrates are more nutritious and keep us fuller for longer. Read more here if you haven’t already! There are a few simple and delicious alternatives to your favourite simple carbohydrate go-to’s, which your body will certainly thank you for.
| Simple carb | Complex carb |
| White rice | Brown rice or quinoa |
| White potato | Sweet potato |
| White pasta | Wholewheat pasta (or high protein pasta) |
| White bread | Wholemeal bread |
| Cereal | Whole oats |
| Sugary snacks | Fruit |
Easy swaps for healthier alternatives in meals
Don’t want to compromise on your spaghetti Bolognese or cheese platter? Yeah, me neither (I mean, who would?). Opting for Greek yoghurt instead of regular will provide your gut with healthy bacteria, and it is higher in protein. These other simple swap outs will provide your body with a wider array of nutrients and less of the nasties.
| Original | Healthier alternative |
| Pasta | Rice noodles, zucchini noodles, wholewheat pasta |
| Dairy yoghurt | Greek yoghurt |
| Iceberg lettuce | Dark leafy greens |
| Mayonnaise | ½ fat kewpie, mashed avo |
| Avocado dip | Fresh mashed avo |
| High sugar Cereal’s | Whole oats |
| White rice | Brown rice, quinoa |
| Chicken thigh, wing | Chicken breast |
| Jar pasta sauce | Tin tomatoes and herbs |
Easy swaps for healthier snacking
Who said you should cut out snacking all together!? Ludacris. Snacking done right is healthy for the body, mind, and soul. While it is more than okay to indulge on the real deal from time to time – if snacking is something you do everyday – try swapping out the highly processed, sugary options for healthier alternatives (most of the time anyway).
| Original | Healthier alternative |
| Chocolate | Cacao nibs, dark chocolate |
| Flavoured popcorn | Unsalted popcorn |
| Muesli bars | Handful of nuts and dried fruit |
| Lollies | Dried or fresh fruit – dried apples and strawberries are amaze
Frozen fruit – try freezing grapes, watermelon, pineapple |
| Cakes and buns | Wholemeal raisin toast |
| Potato chips | Plain corn chips with homemade guac |
| Soft drinks | Kombucha
Sugar-free versions |
| Packet chips | Rice cakes or corn thins (even flavoured ones) |
Even if it’s just making a couple of these changes overtime, it can still make a big difference for your health. Changing every single element of your diet at once would be unrealistic and not sustainable. Be kind to yourself, try out 1-2 healthier swaps at a time and see which ones you fancy! Soon they will become habit and you may wonder why you weren’t doing this the whole time! Your body and mind will love you.