Next time you're feeling tempted by an old "comfort food", try making a health-friendly alternative that you can feel good about, too. There's tons of fun options out there to keep you feeling satisfied! Here are five of my favorite swaps for dairy & grains.
Pasta
Swap it out for veggie noodles! You can buy a snazzy vegetable spiralizer (see a fancy one here, or a more budget-friendly version here) for a spaghetti shape, or go the poor man's route like me- and use a vegetable peeler to make thicker ribbons. Try using sweet potatoes, zucchini, or parsnips. Also google "spaghetti squash"- it's baked in the oven then scraped with a fork to make something similar to angel hair pasta. I love all of these options~ such a great way to get in extra vegetables while fulfilling those pasta cravings. Top it with my Tomato Basil Meat Sauce & you've got a complete meal.
Avocado oil is a great alternative for butter in savory dishes. It's great for sautéing vegetables, cooking seafood, and grilling meats while keeping that smooth buttery flavor. When I'm baking or cooking dishes with a sweeter flavor profile, coconut oil is my go-to. It's also great as a sweet potato topping with a little cinnamon!
Cheese
Nutritional yeast is something I had never heard of until I went Paleo. It's a deactivated yeast that you can find in the bulk or baking section of most health food stores, and is also available online (check Vitacost.com!). It has a great cheesy flavor to it, which makes it great for stirring into soups and sauces, or sprinkling on your favorite dishes for a healthy alternative to cheese. I love it mixed into my recipe for Cauliflower Biscuits with Bacon & Jalapeño (see that post here). It's naturally low in fat & sodium (unlike cheese) and is a complete protein!
Milk
Cauliflower rice is a great grain alternative to bulk up any dish. It has a great neutral flavor that you can take in many different directions- cilantro & lime juice is one of my favorites! Check out my post all about how to shred your cauliflower at home, as well as tips for storing it & a quick and easy recipe here. You can also take your cauliflower rice & turn it into a delicious pizza crust! (See that post here.)
I hope this was helpful to some of you. Let me know if there are others you would add to the list!Milk
Coconut milk is not just a healthy alternative for dairy milk, it actually tastes way better. I love how creamy it is with a hint of natural sweetness. Try adding it to your coffee or blending it into smoothies and milkshakes. It would also be perfect over my Paleo Granola!
Rice
Cauliflower rice is a great grain alternative to bulk up any dish. It has a great neutral flavor that you can take in many different directions- cilantro & lime juice is one of my favorites! Check out my post all about how to shred your cauliflower at home, as well as tips for storing it & a quick and easy recipe here. You can also take your cauliflower rice & turn it into a delicious pizza crust! (See that post here.)
P.S.~ Hi to all of my new Instagram/Pinterest friends!!! Thanks for coming over & finding me :)
4 comments:
Hi! Is there any sort of disclaimer on your page that you are not a Whole30 or Paleo expert? You present yourself to be such, but do not follow paleo completely and I'm afraid it could be misleading to some. I noticed your post on Instagram today that had #paleo, but the Silk Coconut Milk, Aidells chicken, and Kombucha all have added junk and/or sugar. I don't think it's a big deal for you to eat those things, but I wouldn't present them as paleo for fear of misleading others. Also, if you're in the market for a great Coconut Milk that is actually really clean and paleo-friendly, try Trader Joe's canned coconut milk. As a rule, your coconut milk should always be canned, not boxed :)
Hi! I definitely don't claim to be an expert on the Paleo diet. My blog is a hobby for me, where I can share my passion for cooking & finding healthy, nutritious foods that make living a Paleo lifestyle easier for everyday life. I don’t get anything back from my posts other than the enjoyment of writing them.
While some might, I personally do not maintain a “strict Paleo” diet as one would while doing a Whole30. I simply take the principles of Paleo eating and make them work for me & my daily life.
My goal is always to be helpful to others- so by posting a picture of some of the Paleo-friendly grocery items I found at Target, I hoped to give others some ideas of things to look for next time they’re out shopping. I always choose the most clean and simple foods I can find, but am also happy to accept the convenience of some pre-packaged foods-- even if that means they are not strict Paleo or Whole30 compliant.
I feel that if someone is searching Instagram under the hashtag of “paleo”, they are probably looking for ideas of things to eat or purchase- so that’s all I’m trying to give: ideas. When posting specifically about Whole30 compliant foods, however, I do make sure to only include items that are strictly Paleo- with absolutely no “added junk and/or sugars”.
I hope this explains my goal- and clarifies that I am definitely not an expert! Just a girl with a little blog, trying to help others make healthier choices. I post much more casually on my Instagram, but I do have lots of recipes here on my blog that are very much Paleo, so I hope you can enjoy those!
Thank you for your feedback… & I love the Trader Joe’s coconut milk too! I stock up on it whenever I can. :)
Here are a couple of posts with Whole30 compliant foods, if you would like to check those out!
http://justjessieb.blogspot.com/2014/02/what-i-bought-trader-joes-on-whole30.html
http://justjessieb.blogspot.com/2014/06/whole30-eats-fully-cooked-meat.html
Got it. That does make sense. And I have found some helpful ideas and recipes on your blog. Thanks!
Awesome! I'm so glad to hear that :)
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