April 26, 2019
My main goal in becoming a holistic health coach and working with people to live a healthier, more fulfilled life, is to show that eating well doesn’t have to be boring, time-consuming, expensive, or difficult. When a lot of people think about eating “healthy”, they think of boring salads and tasteless chicken and broccoli. Eating whole, nutritious foods doesn’t need to be a struggle, and I have found that one of the easiest ways to transition into a healthier lifestyle is to start by making small changes in the foods you are already eating.
Below, I have listed 3 easy food swaps you can make with foods you are probably already using, in order to create a healthier lifestyle with very minimal effort from you.
So, let get into it!
3 Easy Food Swaps To Bring More Health To Your Kitchen
Blackberry Chia Jam
Everyone loves jam. You can put in on toast, oatmeal, pancakes, spread it on muffins or add a dollop onto your chia pudding for breakfast. Unfortunately, most jams are full of sugars, preservatives, and barely any real fruit! Below is my take on jam, and once you’ve tasted how fresh and amazing it is, you’ll never go back to grocery store jams again!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- If you’re using frozen blackberries, wait for them to thaw. Then add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Use a potato masher (or a fork) to mash the mixture until it is a jam-like consistency.
- Taste the jam and make sure it is your desired sweetness. If it needs to be sweetened, add a little more maple syrup. If it’s a bit too sweet, add a dash more lemon juice.
- Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 1 week.
Homemade Almond Mylk
This is a staple in my house and has completely replaced all other milk products. It’s sweet and creamy and goes perfectly in cereal, coffee, over oatmeal, in baking, and virtually anything you’d use milk for.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 4 cups of water
- 2 dates
- Dash of cinnamon
Instructions
- Soak the almonds overnight (or at least for a few hours) to soften them up and make them easier to blend.
- Add the almonds, water, cinnamon and dates into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture through a nut-mylk bag (or a cheesecloth) into a jar. You will need to squeeze the pulp left in the cloth in order to get all the liquid out.
- Place the mylk into a sealed jar and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. If the mylk starts to separate, mix it up before each use.
Healthy French Fries
I know that I love french fries, and I’m pretty sure most people can agree with this statement. But the deep-fried monstrosities that you can get from fast-food restaurants are not something that should be included in your diet very often. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this amazing snack!
Ingredients
- 6 potatoes (Yukon Gold variety are best)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
- Wash and slice the potatoes into wedge-shaped slices.
- In a bowl, combine the potatoes, salt, pepper, paprika and oil. Mix well until all potato wedges are covered.
- Place wedges on parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes. You can flip the fries halfway through to allow for even cooking.
- Serve the fries with homemade ketchup, guacamole, or eat them on their own!
