4 Things to Remember When Making Food Swaps

When it comes to making food swaps or changes there are some important things to keep in mind.

It isn’t always as simple as changing the brand of food you buy. Making healthy food swaps is a conscious decision to change what you are consuming. It means walking into the grocery store armed with knowledge, ideas and a willingness to try new things!

Here are some important things to remember when before making food swaps.

Things to Remember When Making Healthy Food Swaps

1. Know What Foods You Want to Eliminate or Add

Walking into the grocery store saying you want to “eat healthier” will have you feeling overwhelmed. Every food packaging will tell you the health benefits of the product. Highly processed foods will give you every beneficial ingredient, hoping you won’t see the 10 other additives they use.

It’s best if you know what you are wanting to remove from your diet or lifestyle before starting food swaps. And start with one or two items at a time. Trying to overhaul your entire pantry at once will leave you feeling defeated.

Do some research ahead of time, pick a few food items or areas where you want to make improvements and head to the store!

2. Read Ingredient Lists

Yes, you will need to read ingredient lists, perhaps while standing in the aisle of the grocery store. This is why you want to know ahead of time what foods you want to change.

For example if you are looking to avoid seed oils, you want to know what they will be called or what to look for in ingredient lists. This will make it easier to pinpoint the item(s) on the list so you can make an informed decision.

3. Healthy Doesn’t Mean It Fits Everyone's Diet

Keep in mind that just because you’ve made a healthy food swap, doesn’t mean the food is appropriate for every diet concern. If you are managing an allergy, intolerance or diet for health reasons, be sure the changes you are making follow the diet you need for your body.

Just because something is healthy, doesn't mean it is low calorie, low sugar or low fat! So read labels carefully.

4. Make Your Food Swaps Sustainable

As an individual and within your family it’s important you are making choices that you can sustain in the long run. If your family doesn’t like the brand or product you are buying, they likely won’t eat it, which is a waste of time, money and resources!

You likely will find that the best way to avoid certain ingredients is to make things at home. This is possible, with planning and preparation!

You might have to experiment with different options before you settle on something that works for everyone. And what works for you might not work for your relatives or friends! Don’t give up if it feels frustrating, even small changes can make a big difference!

The Takeaway

Healthy food swaps are possible and sustainable. If you head to your local grocery store or market knowing what you want to change and what you want to avoid, it will make the process easier.

Be prepared to do research, read ingredient lists, make informed decisions and plan for sustainability! It might take some time but in the long run you will be providing your family with foods that offer the best nutrition possible.

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