5 Healthy Substitutions You Can Make to Your Diet

Dramatic changes can be produced from small changes that are applied consistently over time. One example of this would be substituting certain foods for others in your regular diet. When these substitutions have fewer calories and greater nutritional content, the benefits to your overall health and wellness can add up quickly.

The following list gives you a few places where you can start incorporating healthier selections into your diet as soon as your next trip to the supermarket.

Substitute Creamer With Organic Whole Milk in Your Coffee

If you want to add a little body to that cup of coffee, reach for the whole milk rather than the creamer.

This is particularly true if you're contemplating the use of a shelf-stable creamer. These are loaded with sugar and the trans fats found in hydrogenated oil. Even the cream you have in your refrigerator, however, will still have over twice the calories and five times the fat of whole milk.

This will help you start your day in a guilt-free manner since you know you'll have far fewer calories to burn off with exercise.

Choose a Corn Tortilla in Place of a Flour Tortilla

This is a simple substitution you can make in your diet that will, on average, cut your calories in half while doubling your fiber. The corn variety is commonly available in supermarkets, so you won't find this switch to be an inconvenience.

Corn tortillas also have about one-quarter of the fat of the flour variety. They taste great too, which makes this a win-win for your taste buds as well as your waistline and overall health. Corn tortillas are also a godsend for those with gluten intolerance.

Have Whole Fruit More Often Than Fruit Juice

Fiber is the key reason for making this switch. It is the critical ingredient in a whole fruit that's left behind when you extract the juice. The fiber slows your body's digestion of the sugar in the fruit, so it will not cause an insulin spike in response.

Eating or drinking things that habitually cause this reaction can lead to diabetes. Of course, all dietary choices are a matter of available alternatives. Fruit juice will be better than that soft drink that has no fiber either but that is also devoid of any nutritional content.

Eat Dark Chocolate Instead of Milk Chocolate

You try to eat right, but every now and then, you have the urge to indulge in something sweet. Chocolate is a favorite of many people when it comes to satiating that sweet tooth. Right next to that milk chocolate bar at the supermarket, you'll see a dark chocolate bar.

Dark chocolate contains far more cocoa beans, which is where you'll find the health-promoting fiber, minerals and powerful antioxidants. It also has less sugar than milk chocolate. Eating this form of chocolate has been linked to lower blood pressure and lower risk of heart disease.

Put Fresh Fruit in Plain Yogurt Rather Than Buying Flavored Yogurt

With plenty of protein, calcium and probiotics, yogurt has a reputation for being a healthy food. When you shop carefully, this reputation is well earned. If you normally buy flavored yogurt, you should try replacing it with the container of plain yogurt that should be right next to it. Flavored yogurts can contain a lot of extra sugar, which is never a healthy option. Don't worry about missing out on taste to stay healthy.

After you buy the plain yogurt with no added sugar, you can add fresh blueberries, strawberries or another fresh fruit of your choice to enjoy the flavor without the downside.