Light alternatives for a healthier diet

You are asking a lot of questions concerning which ingredient to replace in order to lean a recipe ou to make her healthier ? Who said you had to you have to deprive yourself to have a good diet ? Here are our lean alternatives to keep on eating what you wish and take care of your health ! 

Reading time: 6 minutes  

Summary :

Alternatives to sugar : 

The excessive sugar consumption can be dangerous for our health : addiction, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cavities … There are numerous sugar alternatives for a healthier and lighter diet.

Honey : It is the best known natural low-fat alternative to sugar. Honey is rich in vitamins and is less caloric than sugar ! Sweeteners :

• The agave syrup : Rich in manganese , in vitamin B and in zinc, the agave syrup is low in calories (as caloric as honey). Cactus extract and at a very low glycemic index, the agave syrup is a very good ingredient for anyone who wishes to limit their sugar consumption. It is therefore, a good natural sweetening product.
• The stevia : The stevia come from a plant of the asteraceae family (like chicory, artichoke, lettuce …) and contains sweetness (up to 300 times more intense than sucrose) without bringing a single calorie. The inconvenient of stevia is its licorice aftertaste that does not suit everyone.

There are other alternatives to sugar like maple syrup, coco syrup, xylitol, or even the rapadura. Fruits : They contain fructose, it is a healthier way to substitute sugar. No need to add sugar in.fruit based cake for example.  

Alternatives to pasta : 

Numerous light alternatives for pasta : wholegrain pasta : The easier alternative and the best known for pasta Is wholegrain pasta. They are rich in fibre and their carbohydrate ratio is a little bit inferior to the white pasta one, they make it possible to avoid mid-afternoon cravings. Quinoa pasta : Quinoa is rich in fibre and protein and allows to have a better contribution in vegetable proteins. In addition to being delicious, these pasta are nutritionally very interesting and are a pretty good alternative to wheat pasta. Legume or vegetable pasta :  concerning the legume pasta, there are lentil, coral, chickpea pasta … The legumes are rich in protein, fibre, vitamins and in minerals which our organisme is in vital need in order to function. We can therefore use them as wheat pasta and garnish them with a delicious sauce. Same thing for vegetable pasta, we can use courgettes, carrots or sweet potatoes for example and you can simply cut them like tagliatelle/ spaghettis and to accompany them as you wish. Konjac pasta : Less caloric (very poor in calories with only more than ten kcal for 100g), these last ones are made from seaweed and do well to replace the pasta. However, you must keep in mind that these “pasta” rich in fibre only contain a very small amount of nutrients. Rice noodles and buckwheat pasta can also replace wheat pasta.

Alternatives to rice : 

Rice leads to a rise in blood sugar, it is therefore advised to avoid eating it every day. To replace it we can use : Wholegrain ou brown rice : wholegrain or brown rice allows, like wholegrain pasta, to stay satiated longer. Quinoa : Quinoa is one of the best known substitute to white rice. It contains a big quantity of high quality protein, polunsaturated fatty acids and numerous micronutrients. The bulgur : It looks like semolina, it is rich in glycemic index carbohydrate bac and in mineral elements content. The cooking is similar to rice, easy and fast. Cauliflower rice : the cauliflower rice is a healthy alternative to usual starchy foods. With its neutral taste, its low intake in calories and its nutritive qualities, it is a perfect substitute to classical rice.

Alternatives to milk : 

There are 2 types of milk : animal and vegetable. (PS : officially, the designation of vegetable has been forbidden and must be replaced by vegetable drink). To substitute the animal milk we can find : The vegetable drink : The vegetable drinks are wide-spreading ! They offer multiple combinations and savors possible. We can find soja, rice, oats, spelled, chestnut, almond, nuts, coco milk … They replace traditional milk bu bringing the goods of this last one. Water : for some recipes, the milk is far from being essential. It is possible to replace milk by water or to decrease the proportion of milk and to add water. Eggs : and yes, it is possible to substitue milk thanks to beaten eggs ! in that case, you can simply add some water to have a more liquid result. Banana : multifaceted fruit, the banana can replace the milk, butter, and even sugar. And this allows the consumption of fruits. Oil : Oil is a liquid that can perfectly replace milk mostly as a binder. But careful not to chose any oil as they do not all have the same use. (More informations on the oils in our article “The oils, how to chose well ?” ) 

Alternatives to soda : 

Sodas are harmful towards health : caloric, too sweet and contain an additive suspected of containing carcinogenic substance. It is better to avoid to consume regularly ! To help you reduce your consumption, start to drink :

• Tea : tea may be consumed hot like cold, in summer like winter !
• Flavored water : very trendy during summer ! Lemon, cucumber, ginger, mint, red fruits … They exist in every flavor ! An excellent drink to refresh.
• Sparkling drinks : To drink sparkling water can be a very good substitute to sodas. For more taste, it is possible to add lemon.

Alternatives to flour : 

Because of intolerance or very simply the change of habits, numerous alternatives exist to replace wheat flour ! For information, the higher the number of the type of flour, the more complete the flour. Oatmeal : finely mixed oatmeal can replace all of the flour in the sweet and slaty preparations. Gluten free flour : gluten free flour can replace wheat flour in case of intolerance or change your habits. We can find : buckwheat, coco, quinoa, lupine flour … and many others ! Legumes : chickpeaks, white beans and red or even lentils can replace integrally flour in salty and sweet recipes when cooked and mixed. This will make a result more airy and soft ! Almond and hazelnut powder : The powders (almond, nuts and hazelnuts …) can also replace easily wheat flour pastry whiteout losing its flavor. On the contrary.

Alternatives to industrial sauce : 

Nowadays, the ray of industrial sauce is varied. These last ones often post long ingredients lists that are synonyme to a poor nutritional interest. Better to make these homemade sauces !

Alternatives to fries : 

To change fries a bit, why not try vegetables cooked in an oven ? Here are easier light alternatives to change potato fries :

• Sweet potatoes fries
• Courgettes fries
• Carrot fries
• Panais fries
• Fried onions
• Baked potato fries

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Sources : https://www.foodspring.fr/magazine/alternatives-saines-aliments https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/sante/alimentation-equilibree/alimentation-equilibree-les-alternatives-plus-saines-pour-remplacer-nos-produits-preferes-2085274