I’m going to share with you 10 simple pantry swaps you can do right away for better health. I’m sure you have heard the saying you are what you eat! Food is such an important aspect for a healthy body and mind. You can start with some very simple pantry swaps to improve your overall health. Having a pantry filled with nourishing ingredients is the first step to achieving better health.
1. Salt
Instead of purchasing table salt or iodized salt from the store purchase a good quality sea salt. Sea salt comes in a variety of textures, is greyer in colour and generally slightly wet. It is minimally processed and contains several trace minerals in it as well. Compared to table salt or iodized salt which has been processed to remove impurities and trace minerals. These salts can also contain anti caking agents and can be fortified with iodine and dextrose to stabilise the iodine in it. So if you are wanting a pure natural salt you can’t go wrong with a good quality sea salt!
2. Flour
Another simple pantry swap you can make is swapping your white flour for an ancient grain flour. There is a lot to be said about flour these days compared to the flour of the old days. White flour is refined and stripped of all it’s good minerals so that it is shelf stable for a long period of time. White flour can cause a lot of issues if eaten in large amounts causing inflammation in the body, can cause weight gain and can prevent the body from burning fat. Ancient flours such as Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt and Khorasan are thousands of years old compared to modern varieties of grain which are fairly new.
The gluten in ancient grains is more easily processed and digested, has higher mineral content and taste better. The modern grains today have been hybridised to have higher yields and generally have higher levels of gluten that are not digested easily. I personally love and use Khorasan flour as it seems to work well in all my cooking recipes but have fun playing around with different types of flour and do your own research!
3. Sugar
Why buy refined or artificial sweeteners when you can purchase natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or rapadura sugar! Your natural sweeteners can contain antioxidants and minerals and are easier for the body to digested and absorb. Refined sugars are highly processed and can lead to a variety of health problems. It’s always best to go for a natural source of sugar your body is able to use and process compared to an artificial one your body does not recognise.
Natural sugars taste amazing and you don’t need to use a lot to get that sweet taste you want!
4. Cooking Oils
More simple pantry swaps you can make is to replace unrefined oils with cold pressed oils. Refined oils such as canola, vegetable and sunflower oil are highly processed and extracted using heat. They use chemicals and the oils can be subjected to deodorising and bleaching processes. Oils such as avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oils are great unrefined oils. Oils also have different smoke points. Avocado oil has a high smoke point so is ideal for cooking at higher temperatures.
Swapping around your oils and how you use them can make a big difference in your overall health.
5. Seasonings
Instead of purchasing prepackaged seasoning and spices it is really quite easy to make your own. Make sure to have on stock normal spices in your pantry. Prepackaged seasonings tend to be loaded with extra anti caking agents, refined oils, sugar and numbers! It is very easy to have a pantry stocked with some key spices to make your dishes taste amazing. Learning to season and flavour your own food is easy and a lot healthier than purchasing those packaged spices.
some key spices I always have on hand include sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, cumin, Italian seasoning and oregano. With these basic spices you can make pretty much any dish taste amazing but get spices that suit your style of cooking and have fun with it!
6. Rice
Simple pantry swaps you can do is to ditch the white rice for brown rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice. I enjoy using basmati brown rice and always soak my rice overnight. The soaking process will shorten the cooking time and doesn’t make the rice mushy! Using these alternative rice’s are a lot better and offer a lot more nutritional value than white rice.
7. Peanut Butter
There are a few different reasons to avoid peanut butter. First because peanuts grow underground, they are more susceptible to mold growth. These can produce toxins when ingested. A lot of store-bought peanut butter contains high levels of salt and other ingredients in them as well. I try to avoid peanut butter and go for organic almond butter or ABC paste when possible. These can be a bit more expensive though so if you can buy bulk or make your own that is even better!
8. Pasta
There are more and more pasta options these days to choose from! Instead of going for the white pasta try egg noodle pasta, chickpea pasta, quinoa pasta or my personal favourite that I bulk purchase is a Sourdough Khorasan pasta which taste so delicious! The point is try some different ones out and see which ones you like best. Your get more nutrients this way compared to your normal white pasta.
Also don’t forget you can also make zucchini noodles with a spiraliser. I prefer actual pasta but it still taste good and your getting extra veggies into your meal!
9. Cereal
Lets face it Cereal is not very healthy! Or if you are buying a brand saying its healthy for you, you are definetly paying a pretty penny for it! When you are wanting a quick breakfast try making a breakfast smoothie the night before or a healthy delicious Chia pudding! I have a recipe for a super easy quick Chocolate Kefir Chia pudding recipe!
You can also go for Muesli which is high in fibre and you will feel fuller for longer compared to those sugary cereals.
10. Cocoa
The last of the simple pantry swaps you can make is going for cacao instead of cocoa. Cacao is the raw pure unprocessed version of cocoa. It still has it’s antioxidant and mineral properties and doesn’t have any other additives to it. It taste delicious and you do not need a lot to get that chocolate flavour you are wanting and craving!
In Conclusion
There are a lot of simple swaps anyone can make for a healthier cleaner diet. Little steps is all it takes and before you know it your diet and pantry will be cleaned up and leave you feeling better and healthier! I hope you found these 10 tips helpful! Let me know in the comments what other simple swaps can be made to clean up ones diet!
These are great suggestions and I’m going to evaluate my pantry!