By Nikki Hart, NZ registered nutritionist
Every time you eat is an opportunity to fuel your body with loads of good stuff – vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and more. All the nutrients that make you feel great and energised!
However, too often we let our taste buds guide our eating choices, not what’s good for our health and wellbeing. Low-nutrient foods may taste great, but they can leave us feeling less-than-fabulous – perhaps tired, sluggish, or even anxious.
These food swaps are easy and delicious ways to reduce low-nutrient foods and eat more food that’s packed with good stuff. Making these simple changes could boost your energy levels and leave you feeling fuller for longer.
Brown rice is higher in fibre, vitamins, and minerals than white rice, making it a great substitute. It also has a delicious, slightly nutty flavour and texture – it goes especially well with curries and stir fries.
Bread packed with whole-grains tend to keep you fuller for longer because it has a higher fibre content – this is great if you are trying to manage your hunger and your weight. Processed smooth bread, on the other hand, tends to lose much of its nutritional value due to the refinement of the grains. If you have the choice, pick a bread with visible whole grains.
Muesli bars are often packed with sugar and preservatives. Eating one might give you an initial energy boost, but because it has a low water content it won’t keep you feeling full for long. A much more sustaining – and equally tasty option – is sliced apple with peanut butter. Yum!
The humble potato often gets a bad rap. But, it’s a vegetable that supplies a great proportion of vitamin C, fibre and other great nutrients. When you mash a potato you can often end up eating more potatoes to get the volume you want on your plate, and you strip the fibre by peeling them. But if you can scrub them, leave the skin on and lightly boil or steam them you capture all the nutrients and end up eating fewer overall potatoes.
Crackers are a great snack, but nuts are even better. Nuts are one of nature’s superfoods. They are jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, and good fats, all of which are great for your health. A small handful is the recommended serving size. If you can, choose raw over roasted/salted for an even better snack.
Many sweetened yoghurts contain added sugar, as well as the naturally occurring sugar (lactose). It’s better to add sweetness to a plain yoghurt through adding your own fruit such as berries, chopped fresh fruit or sliced tinned fruit in natural juice.
Chocolate is often considered an unhealthy food – but did you know that dark chocolate is actually pretty good for you in moderation? Unlike milk chocolate (which is made by adding milk powder or condensed milk), dark chocolate contains some powerful antioxidants, and is lower in energy and sugar.
In addition to the health benefits, food swapping is a fantastic way to try new flavours and add variety to your diet. Have fun with it and enjoy exploring delicious new foods.