Health Expert Shares Her 5 Favorite Healthy Food Swaps
You don't have to sacrifice your taste buds in order to eat healthy. JJ Virgin is a triple-board-certified health expert and four-time best-selling author. In a recent YouTube video, she reveals a few of her go-to healthy food swaps. "I don't believe in cheat days. Instead, these are my favorite healthy food swaps, so you don't have to stop eating your favorite 'junk foods.' It's possible to make healthy eating enjoyable!" she writes in the video's caption.
"I've actually found foods that feel like you're cheating. Bagels, cereal, syrup, pudding, but they're healthy for you. Wanna hear more? I'm gonna flip the script for you on what indulgence can look like and show you how you can eat foods that feel like you're cheating, that are good for you," she adds in the clip.
Ditch: Soda
"Full disclosure: I love fizz. I love sparkling stuff, and I especially love soda. Back in the day, I was a full-blown diet soda addict. So what do you do with that? Do you drink regular soda? Do you drink diet soda? Actually, you drink neither," she says in her post.
Do: Sweet Drops or Zevia
"I've got a way better recommendation for you," she says. "First off, there are these amazing little sweet drops that you can add to sparkling water and it will taste just like a soda. The next thing that you can do is Zevia. I'm totally hooked on these. Zevia comes in a host of flavors, and it's Stevia sweetened soda," she says. "If you're one of those people like me who just loves soda, here's how you can have your soda and feel good about it."
Ditch: Yogurt Flips
Next on her ditch list? Yogurt prepackaged with crunchy treats. "I was at the store, and they had this cookie and cream yogurt. It was called a flip, which had Greek-style yogurt and cookies with it, and it was like 19 grams of sugar," she says.
Do: Zero Sugar Yogurt
"Here's how you can make something just like that without the 19 grams of sugar and crank the protein up, too," she says. "You get Chobani zero sugar yogurt. Now, this is great if you're not dairy intolerant. It's Greek-style yogurt that is high in protein. They've got all sorts of great flavors, but I especially love cookies and cream. And then you get Catalina Crunch. This is a high protein, high fiber cereal, 110 calories in a half cup. But in that, you're getting about 10 grams of protein, I think 10 grams of fiber, and around there. So all you do is take your yogurt and top it with your Catalina Crunch," she says.
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Ditch: Pie Crust
You don't have to stop eating pie if you want to prioritize your health. While traditional pie crust is full of carbs, fat, and sugar, there is a healthier alternative.
Do: Catalina Crunch Crust
JJ uses the same Catalina Crunch to make "an amazing pie crust," she says. "I do a dairy-free cheesecake, and you can also do this just to make regular fruit pies. And I will use the graham cracker crust and I'll use a little ghee. And it is amazing. It's a high-protein crust.:
Ditch: Pudding
Traditional pudding is full of sugar and fat. However, you can still enjoy a treat with the same sweetness and consistency.
Do: Simply Delish Instant Chocolate Pudding
"I recently discovered these little Simply Delish puddings that I am just totally hooked on. They're basically cornstarch and erythritol with a little bit of flavoring, whether it's stevia and vanilla or cocoa powder and stevia. And here's what I do with them: They are super low calorie and basically four grams of net carbs. So what I do is take one of them and add some of my Reignite Wellness collagen peptides to pump it up a little bit. And you make this thing, and it takes five minutes to set in the fridge. I mean, they set almost immediately. So I make it. I add in a little bit of one of my nut milks. I like to use flax milk because it has some protein in it, too. I add in my collagen protein peptides, and then I throw on top a little bit of Cocoa Whip." She tops it off with a couple of Lily's dark chocolate chips. "They've got no sugar. And if you really wanna go crazy, you can add in a little bit of dark chocolate RX sugar over the top."
Ditch: Bagels
Bread products aren't typically considered a diet food – especially bagels. Packed with carbs and sugar, it's hard to find a healthier version. "You probably never thought I was going to talk about bagels," she says.
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Do: Better Brand The Better Bagels
Then she discovered The Better Brand's Better Bagels. "I was looking for gluten-free food, and I found Better Bagel. And this thing is amazing," she says, noting that each one has just three grams of net carbs, 110 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 35 grams of fiber. "Here's what it looks like. You cut it in half, and you toast it, and you get a massive fiber hit. It's basically fermented plant protein and psyllium husk fiber. And if you're, again, not gluten intolerant, they've got some other amazing things like pretzel rolls and brioche as well." And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.
