As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. And if you're trying to eat healthier, slight variations to your everyday cooking can add interest to your meals while benefiting your health. The federal government updates the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years by law, rather than annually. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, is the current active edition and will remain so until the 2025-2030 edition is released.as issued jointly by the US Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services in December 2020.
Healthy Pantry Swaps For Everyday Recipes: Why You Should Swap Out Pantry Staples
The newest guide encourages eating minimally processed whole foods that are naturally high in nutrients and low in calories. It also discourages consuming highly processed foods, such as packaged snacks, sugary drinks - and frozen dinners.
- Eating whole foods means choosing an apple instead of apple juice, or a baked potato rather than a bag of potato chips.
- When choosing proteins, opt for fish, lean meat, and poultry over deli meats - hot dogs, sausages, and bacon.
- Instead of buying pre-made cookies, cakes, and snack cakes - choose fresh fruit or make treats from scratch using whole ingredients such as yogurt and nut butter.
You may have food sensitivities or restrictions due to diabetes, celiac disease, or because of an allergy to nuts or dairy. Or maybe you're simply trying to cut back on sodium or solid fats, or add more fiber to your diet. Whatever your reasons, swapping out some of your pantry staples can make a difference in how you study food.
Chan School of Public Health recommend making small - realistic changes to your diet, rather than completely changing your lifestyle overnight. This includes switching out your favorite comfort foods with healthier versions.
How Whole Grains Help Your Heart and Waistline
Most children and adults should eat between 1 1/4 to 4 or more servings of vegetables and 1 to 2 1/2 servings of fruit a day. Most children and adults should eat about 2 to 4 servings of whole grains a day. But according to the Dietary Guidelines, less than half of us meet the recommendations for whole grains. Here's why you should make the switch.
Whole grains are plant foods that haven't been changed or refined. They contain all three parts of the grain kernel: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Refined grains - such as white rice and white flour, are milled to remove the germ and bran, which removes fiber, iron, and B vitamins. Whole grains are better for you because they're higher in chewing-resistant starch and fiber - which help you feel fuller longer and may aid weight loss.
Fiber also helps lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar, and aid digestion. Studies show that eating whole grains may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes - certain cancers, and premature death. The average glycemic index (GI) of bread, based on 13 studies, made from whole wheat or white flour was equal to 71 ± 2. But when partly replaced with barley flour, the glycemic response (GR) of the bread made with whole wheat flour or white flour reduced significantly in healthy individuals.
This means that barley flour may be a good ingredient to lower the GI of bread. Look for barley - oatmeal, 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur - and popcorn. Oh, and yes, popcorn qualifies as a whole grain, although it's best to air-pop it and go easy on the salt.
Plant-Based Milks and Spreads as Healthy Pantry Swaps
If you're cutting back on dairy or following a vegan diet, plant-based milks are good substitutes for cow's milk. Soy milk is the best option if you're looking for a nondairy milk with protein content similar to that of cow's milk. Soy milk is made by soaking - grinding, boiling, and straining dried soybeans.
Made from crushed nuts, nut milks are lower in protein than soy milk. Almond milk is the most popular nut milk, but cashew - hazelnut, macadamia nut, and walnut milks are also available. Nut milks are usually fortified with calcium and vitamins. Oat milk is another option.
It's made by soaking oats or oat groats in water, blending the mixture, and then passing it through a fine filter to remove solids. Oat milk is creamy and naturally sweet - and packed with beta-glucan, a type of fiber that may help lower cholesterol. When buying oat milk, check the label to be sure it doesn't have added sugars.
Coconut milk is made by grating and soaking coconut meat in warm water. Heavier coconut milk, which is creamier, can be used as a substitute for sour cream - heavy cream, or half-and-half.
Sunflower seed butter is a good alternative to peanut or almond butter. All three spreads are good sources of protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Made from roasted and ground sunflower seeds, sunflower seed butter is a good option for people with peanut or tree nut allergies.
Gluten-Free and Allergy-Friendly Pantry Strategies
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and isn't medical advice. Talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation before acting on anything here.
