7 Food Items That You Should Replace In Your Kitchen With Healthier Substitutes

If you have concerns about some of the unhealthy ingredients you regularly use in the kitchen, you can now choose to avoid them. Scroll down, for some alternatives with higher nutritional values.

Today, with several lifestyle diseases on the rise, many people are aware of the dangers of using unhealthy ingredients to cook food. In our kitchens, we have both healthy and unhealthy food selections. Even though we may frequently eat unhealthy meals, giving them up is preferable for a generally healthy lifestyle. Following good habits can effectively help us reach our intended health and fitness goals, especially if they are initially started with minimal alterations. Surprisingly, it's not as difficult as it seems. A closer look at some of the common ingredients in your kitchen that you use almost every day, will tell you that they are not healthy options. All you have to do to make your diet more nutrient-dense is swap these out for some healthful alternatives.

Let's look at some of the healthy alternatives we can include in our everyday diet: 

1. Foxtail Millet Instead Of White Rice: A traditional staple food, the seeds of this grass-like plant have become a popular replacement for rice. Foxtail millet is highly nutritious, gluten-free and is known for its low glycaemic index.  It is low in fat and high in protein and dietary fibre. Also, it has a lot of phosphorus, which aids the body in generating energy.

2. Processed Vegetable Oil To Cold-Pressed Virgin Oils: Processed vegetable oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fats and chemically laden, is widely used in our kitchens. Use of vegetable oil is unhealthy for us. But, we might replace it with superior cold-pressed virgin oils.

3. Jaggery Instead Of Sugar: Jaggery is the unrefined form of sugar made by evaporating the water from sugarcane or palm sap. Although it is high in calories, it contains more nutrients than sugar because of its molasses content. In addition to being a source of sugar, jaggery also has trace levels of iron, vitamin B, and minerals like calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and copper. Moreover, it contains a variety of antioxidants that are advantageous to the body's immune system.

4. Herbs Or Spices Instead Of Salt: while herbs are the leafy parts of certain plants, spices are the fruit, root or bark. Both have savoury tastes. Unlike salt, herbs are low in sodium and contain powerful antioxidants. When it comes to spices, they may have higher amounts of fat and carbohydrates, but because they are used sparingly, they only add a tiny number of calories to food. They also include a sizable amount of micronutrients and minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron.

5. Fruit Juice To Fresh Fruits: Fruit juices lack fibre and are likely to increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease due to their high sugar content. Fresh fruits are much better than fruit juices. 

6. Nuts Instead Of Deep-Fried Foods: They are excellent antioxidants and a good source of several minerals like Vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium while having a high fat content. They have a lot of fibre and few carbohydrates. They assist in lowering calorie absorption. Moreover, they raise HDL cholesterol levels while lowering triglycerides and cholesterol (good cholesterol).

7. Frozen Vegetables To Fresh Vegetables: We should eat seasonal fruits and vegetables because there is nothing that compares to fresh produce. During preparation, vegetables are likely to lose some of their nutritional value. Moreover, some of these drinks may have additional salt or sugar.