© Betty Shepherd
By the nutritional staff of Take The Magic Step®: Dieter Hogen, Uta Pippig, Janett Walter & Michael Reger
Now that so many different foods are offered at grocery stores, shoppers are often faced with the dilemma of trying to determine which are the most nutritious and healthy. For instance, is iceberg lettuce as good for you as spinach or the more colorful spring mix? The fact is that sometimes the options that look the best on the supermarket shelves may not be the best available sources of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that are beneficial for our bodies and our health.
For many, trying to digest all the scientific research that compares one food to another can take a lot of time and effort and can sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s why we offer the following 13 suggestions for healthy substitutions to help you select the most nutritious foods—whether you’re at home, out grocery shopping, or having dinner in your favorite restaurant.
1. Try making salads out of dark leafy greens instead of iceberg lettuce
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as romaine, spinach, spring mix, or green or red leaf lettuce, are not only flavorful, but are also a better source of vitamins C, K and folate, and minerals, like calcium, potassium and iron, than iceberg lettuce. They also provide more carotenoids and flavonoids, which are plant pigments that can act as important antioxidants.
These darker-colored vegetables may be beneficial for cardiovascular and eye health as well as preventative of different kinds of cancers, such as stomach, lung, skin, breast, and pancreatic. So, when you have a choice, try to make the majority of your salads not only more flavorful, but also more nutritious by including more dark green leafy vegetables.
2. Try using olive oil instead of vegetable oils
Oils labeled as “vegetable oil” in the U.S. are often either a single oil or a blend of oils from safflowers, sunflowers, corn, cottonseed or soybeans. Each of these is a major source for linoleic acid, an omega-6-fatty acid that may have pro-inflammatory effects when ingested in too large amounts.
On the other hand, extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants, known as phenols, and in oleic acids, which are a kind of monounsaturated fatty acids. Both components may be beneficial for cardiovascular health and may have anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, olive oil may be beneficial for the prevention of breast and colon cancer.
Tip: Extra virgin olive oil is a great choice for salads or other cold foods while refined olive oils, labeled as either light or extra light, have a higher smoke point and therefore are preferable for simmering, frying or sautéing.
3. Try making a homemade dressing instead of using a store-bought version
Commercial dressings are often laden with preservatives, vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors and flavors. A simple homemade dressing with ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, avocado, lemon, herbs and balsamic vinegar can exclude unwanted food additives and excite your taste buds with fresher and healthier flavors. But, most importantly, you will be enhancing your daily diet with foods rich in health-benefiting nutrients and phytochemicals.
Tip: Try one of our favorite fresh dressing mixes: balsamic vinegar, organic extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, a little bit of mandarin juice, fresh dill, and some salt & pepper.
4. Try whole grain or sourdough instead of white bread
Whole grain breads, including dark-colored German pumpernickel, have the following health benefits over white bread: 1) a lower glycemic index (GI), 2) more dietary fiber, 3) more vitamins (e.g., B1, B2, B6, E and folate), 4) more minerals (e.g., iron, selenium and manganese), 5) more antioxidants, and 6) more phytochemicals.
It is important to read the ingredients label to make sure you are buying a true whole grain bread. For example, the first ingredient listed should be whole kernel rye or whole grains.
The dietary fiber found in whole grains helps to make food more filling, may promote better digestive health, and may reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colon cancer. Furthermore, the intake of whole grains has been linked to possibly improving cardiovascular health and lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes.
By simply choosing breads with a lower GI, such as sourdough, you will avoid spikes in blood glucose levels, be less likely to gain unwanted weight, and lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Tip: Try whole grain bread topped with salmon and avocado spread. We also like to add a little bit of dill, lemon, capers or horseradish (or all four!) on top of the salmon.
5. Try avocado as a spread for bread and sandwiches instead of butter or margarine
Avocado is not only tasty, but also rich in vitamins (K, C, B6, E, folate, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid), minerals (potassium, magnesium and manganese), dietary fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid).
On the other hand, butter is high in cholesterol, saturated fat, and often, sodium. Margarine can be made from vegetable oils that are either hydrogenated (which solidifies liquid oils and can result in the development of trans-fatty acids) or mixed with modified palm oil and palm kernel oil, both of which are high in saturated fatty acids.
While excessive amounts of saturated fats may raise total cholesterol levels, trans-fats are even worse as they may also raise triglycerides and the “bad” cholesterol LDL while lowering the “good” cholesterol HDL. Therefore, since both can increase the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, you may want to choose the heart-healthier monounsaturated fatty acids found in avocados.
6. Try raw almond butter instead of peanut butter
Almond butter is a healthier choice than peanut butter, because it has a better fatty acid profile. Peanut butter also often contains added salt, sugar, and saturated fat, such as palm oil, which is frequently used to improve the creaminess and prevent separation.
Tip: Make sure to always check out the ingredient labels to avoid unwanted additives.
7. Try steaming vegetables instead of cooking them in water or oil
Steaming vegetables may help preserve some of their vital nutrients and phytochemicals. Furthermore, in some vegetables, the amounts of active compounds can actually increase during the steaming process. For example, steamed broccoli can be better for you than raw broccoli as it can have higher concentrations of phytochemicals known as glucosinolates, which may have cancer-protective properties.
Steaming eliminates the need to add extra fats when cooking vegetables. It also can make them deliciously crisp and flavorful versus boiling where you stand a good chance of overcooking them.
Tip: Try steaming vegetables such as broccoli, leeks, asparagus and Brussels sprouts. Drizzle a little bit of organic extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle some herb salt and maybe a teaspoon or so of sesame seeds or sliced almonds on top for extra flavor and nutritional value.
8. Try basmati rice cooked al dente instead of regularly prepared instant or high glycemic varieties like Jasmine
Basmati rice cooked al dente has a lower GI than many other rice varieties. Due to the shorter cooking time, al dente cooking yields rice with a lower amount of predigested starches. It then takes the body’s enzymes longer to digest the rice, and as a result, you achieve more stable blood sugar levels for a long time.
By rapidly elevating blood sugar levels, high glycemic foods cause a higher insulin spike than low glycemic foods. Insulin, which is strongly connected to fat metabolism, promotes the synthesis of fatty acids from excess glucose (sugar) in the liver—as well as the storage of these fatty acids in the body’s fat cells—and sends signals to the body to not release any kind of fat. Therefore, frequent consumption of high GI foods that provoke higher insulin releases can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
In addition to being associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, foods with a lower GI may help you feel full longer.
9. Try smaller varieties instead of the larger varieties of fish
Small varieties of fish, such as sardines, herring, Pink salmon, and Atlantic mackerel (canned), are as rich in omega-3 fatty acids as some larger fish, yet tend to be less contaminated with mercury. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, varieties of fish that may contain high levels of mercury include shark, swordfish, golden bass, golden snapper, King mackerel, marlin, and some species of tuna. Mercury, which can be especially harmful for unborn babies or young children, can also harm an adult’s brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system.
A diet that includes fish rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—may have potential health benefits such as: 1) positive effects on cardiovascular health, 2) anti-inflammatory properties, 3) supporting the maintenance of cognitive functions during aging, 4) prevention of some cancers, 5) improvement of behavior & learning in children, 6) lessening of depression, and 7) improvement in the skin.
10. Try lean meats instead of burgers and other fattier meats
Turkey, chicken and wild game have lower saturated fat than burgers and popular cuts of beef. When saturated fats contribute too many calories to a diet, they can contribute to a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases by elevating LDL cholesterol, which in turn raises the total level of cholesterol.
High blood levels of LDL cholesterol are a risk factor for atherosclerosis and therefore strokes and heart attacks, as LDL plays a key role in the development of atherosclerotic plaques.
Tip: Pan-fry chicken and onions in extra-light olive oil and then add diced tomatoes and a good organic salsa after browning. If you like spicy foods, try adding a little bit of cayenne pepper for extra zip! We also like adding steamed vegetables or a fresh salad to this flavorful dish.
11. Try organic free range DHA-eggs instead of commercial eggs
Unlike commercially raised hens, those raised on farms that operate under organic standards are given “free range,” which means they are not caged indoors, have access to outdoors, and are given organic feed that does not contain antibiotics, commercial fertilizers, pesticides, and additives from genetically modified crops. Sometimes their feed is enriched with ingredients such as organic flaxseeds, which helps to create eggs with higher levels of DHA, a polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acid that is essential to our cells, while the highest concentrations are found in the brain and eye retina. It may also support the maintenance of cognitive functions as we age.
For those of you who may not enjoy eating fish regularly, eggs with higher levels of DHA are a great alternative source of this important fatty acid.
Tip: The best places to buy organic eggs are directly from a local family-operated farm, a local farmer’s market, or a grocery food store that supports these vendors.
12. Try soy milk creamer or plain soy milk instead of heavy cream or cow’s milk for making sauces creamier
Soy milk products have no cholesterol and contain much less saturated fat than whole cow’s milk or heavy cream. Additionally, soy milk will even add a little bit of fiber to your diet!
Many people struggle with either milk sugar (lactose) intolerance, which causes bloating, gas and diarrhea, or milk protein allergy, which can affect the skin as well as the digestive, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Sometimes, symptoms can be so mild that sufferers are not even aware of the connection. So the next time you’re shopping for milk or cream, be sure to check out the soy selection.
13. Try dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate
Dark chocolate (70% or more cacao content) contains less sugar and a higher concentration of flavonoids than milk chocolate. These compounds can reduce the stickiness of platelets, thereby thinning the blood and helping to prevent blood clots. Therefore, they can be considered heart-protecting agents and may even lower blood pressure. Also, milk chocolate may contain added vegetable oils.
For more information about chocolate, please read our article “Chocolate: Should I or Shouldn’t I?”
Tip: Try dark chocolate with crystallized ginger. If you need a boost in the afternoon, you may enjoy 1-1½ ounces of dark chocolate with a cup of green tea.
