Swap It Out!

Lately, I've been making small changes to my diet as I'm on a personal quest for my best body ever! I want to prove to myself that even after having a baby, this is achievable. So far it's been working and it has been super easy. All I have done is eat smaller meals more frequently and I've been substituting 'okay' ingredients for healthier alternatives.

And let me tell you, I feel better physically and i'm leaner than I was before. Both have given me a confidence boost in my work life and my personal relationships!! Today i'll share with you how easy it is to swap out semi-healthy foods for better ones!

1. Lets Start With Pasta

• After having my son, Cash, I had a friend bring me over Spaghetti....only it wasn't just spaghetti. She had paired regular whole wheat pasta with spaghetti squash and you know what, I couldn't tell the difference. This is now a staple in our home. I make both whole wheat pasta and spaghetti squash and when it comes time for serving, I add both to my bowl. I do mostly squash with a little whole wheat pasta and I can't tell the difference. My husband's ratio looks a little different. He does mostly whole wheat with a little squash. Either way, we're full, satisfied, and we don't feel as heavy as I do when we're just eating pasta.

• You can also substitute zucchini noodles if you're not a squash fan.

2. Bring On The Beans

• Okay, this one may seem gross, but you actually cannot tell the difference AT ALL!! My mom made me bean brownies once and obviously I was skeptical, but I was pleasantly surprised that they just tasted like brownies. I couldn't taste the bean one bit!! On this one we are swapping out black beans for flour and YES it MUST be black beans. When using black beans for flour just make sure you drain and rinse the black beans. 1 cup of flour equals 1 can (15 oz) of black beans, you will want to make a black bean puree in the blender to use this substitution. But trust me you wont be sorry! You are now getting rid of the gluten and adding protein to your new and improved HEALTHY dish!! I love this one!!

3. Don't Forget To Leave The Bread Crumbs

• This one is super easy, just use ground flax seeds instead of bread crumbs. This can be great for breading chicken or making casseroles, basically any recipe that calls for bread crumbs. For extra flavor you can even mix the flax seeds with herbs and spices. Not only will your dish taste great, but you are also adding Omega 3's & good heart healthy fats to your diet. Win and win!

4. Some Honorable Mentions

• Use Stevia instead of sugar.

• Trade Soda for Sparkling Water

• Use Corn Tortillas rather than flour ones.

• Substitute Quinoa for Oatmeal.

• Substitute Quinoa for Couscous.

• Use Lettuce Leaves instead of taco shells or tortillas or even hamburger buns.

• Trade out Chocolate Chips for Cacao Nibs.

I'm going to leave you will this challenge. Try to incorporate one of these things for one dish this next week and see what you think!!!!