• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Wellness Tips
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact

Beet of the Wild

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Holistic Living
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Holistic Living » Five Heart Healthy Food Swaps

    updated: March 21, 2022

    Five Heart Healthy Food Swaps

    • Facebook
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Mix

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy page for details.

    Eating healthy can be a challenge when you run into things like the midnight munchies, dining out and on the go, or when you just don't know where to start. A pantry overhaul can be especially scary! So, to avoid complete overwhelm or regrets after a sudden snack attack, I always say it's best to start with baby steps and remember to be gentle with yourself if you slip up, we all do it, we're all human. One attainable step to eating healthier is beginning to switch out your staples for more nutrient-dense foods.

    Here are five easy swaps to start making!

    1. Swap out inflammatory and unstable omega-6 oils (vegetable, corn, sunflower, canola, soy), for monounsaturated Avocado Oil or Olive Oil. These oils are much more stable and can withstand higher heats. Avocado Oil has a smoke point of 520°F, and high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a smoke point of 405°F, making them much safer options for cooking. Heating food and oils slower on a lower temperature rather than quickly over high heat is also best, as it prevents damaging good fats, enzymes and other nutrients.

    2. Swap out the chips for nuts, seeds, veggie sticks or olives! Instead of filling up on refined salt and trans fats, nuts, seeds and olives contain health-promoting mono and unsaturated fats. You can lightly salt your nuts and seeds with mineral-rich Himalayan or sea salt. If you're concerned about salt intake, rinsing olives can reduce the sodium by 2.5%!

    3. Swap out the sugary treats for fruit or naturally sweetened indulgences. Refined sugars (white sugar, corn syrup, glucose-fructose) have no nutritional value whats so ever. They are empty calories that cause blood sugar spikes (insulin to rise), inflammation and gets stored as fat if it's not burned right away. Sugars in fruit are absorbed slower due to the fibre and other nutrients in the fruit. Natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey are lower on the glycemic index. They don't spike blood sugar as quickly due to their constitution of other vitamins, minerals and fat. Artichoke is also a great food to add to help curb overindulging in the sweets as it plays with taste buds and makes everything you eat after taste sweeter!

    4. Swap out the romaine and iceberg lettuce for dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard and beet tops. While romaine and iceberg lettuce are excellent sources of water and do offer some nutritional value, dark leafy greens are much higher in antioxidants and B vitamins that help protect the heart and arteries.

    5. Swap out refined grains and flours for whole grains. Much like refined sugar, refined grains and flours, such as white flour, white bread and white rice, don't hold much nutritional value. They are significantly lower in fibre, also causing blood sugar levels to rise far quicker. Whole grains contain much more fibre, which helps to slow the absorption of the carbohydrates, resulting in a more steady release of glucose into the bloodstream. Keeping blood sugar levels steady, helps to keep the hormone insulin down, which, as we know, elevated levels of insulin are associated with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

    There you have it, five simple food swaps to keep your heart healthy!

    « Homemade Vegetable Broth
    Easy Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan, GF) »

    Posted by Michelle McCowan on February 26, 2020 Filed Under: Holistic Living Tagged With: Heart Health, Heathy Eating, Nutrition, Wellbeing, Wellness Tips

    Don't Miss These Fresh Recipes!

    A jar of Fresh Peach Pie Filling sitting on top of a square of parchment and meshed paper with a spoonful sitting in front and a bunch of peaches behind.

    Easy Homemade Fresh Peach Pie Filling (Without Cornstarch)

    Two cups of banana yellow pudding topped with toasted cashews. The pudding cups are surrounded by dropped cashews pieces, a bowl of cashews and a linen cloth.

    Healthy Vegan Banana Cream Pudding With Turmeric

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate This Recipe




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome, Wild One!

    I'm Michelle,
    the recipe developer and photographer behind Beet of the Wild. I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a passion for all things health and wellness. I'm a huge believer in returning to our wild roots through simple, slow and natural living. With education in Holistic Nutrition, Elemental Yoga and Energy Medicine, my goal is to provide the utmost delicious and nutritious recipes, along with up-to-date wellness tips and information to keep you living your most vibrant life! Read More…

    Stay Connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Don't Miss These Spring Recipes!

    Two vibrant green avocado smoothies sitting beside a striped linen cloth and an empty blender jug. The smoothies also have white and grey striped straws perfectly placed, both pointing to the left.

    Avocado & Moringa Green Smoothie (Nutrient Rich, Lactogenic)

    A stack of grain-free flatbread sitting on a piece of natural parchment paper and a sprig of rosemary placed beside.

    Grain-Free Flatbread

    A jar of pink Chive Blossom Infused Vinegar with the chive flowers still floating atop. On on side of the jar is a small mesh strainer resting on a striped linen cloth. A few dropped dried chive flowers sit on the other side of the jar.

    Easy DIY Chive Blossom Infused Vinegar - A Step-By-Step Guide

    A bowl of hearty coconut soup with lime slices, green onion and a set of cop sticks.

    Lime In The Coconut Soup

    Wellness Tips You Don't Want to Miss!

    DON'T MISS A BEET!

    It’s looking like we’re in for another frosty It’s looking like we’re in for another frosty weekend 🥶

But, there’s nothing like warming up with a comforting bowl of Soup! This Creamy Dairy-Free Roasted Tomato Soup is always a go-to for me when the temperature drops low.

With minimal real-food ingredients, it’s so simple to make and is packed full of flavour. 

Plus, it’s delicious topped with a dollop of cultured cashew yogurt or cream!

And it’s completely vegan, gluten-free and contains no added sugars.

Grab the recipe link in my bio ↡
@beetofthewild

Keep warm, Wild Ones ♡
    This balmy October weather is making me reminisce This balmy October weather is making me reminisce over this delicious Peach Pie Filling that was made and devoured on repeat during that decadent time of late summer.

And in actuality, autumn is a great time to enjoy it since peaches help to dispel cold from the body (yep, they are actually more warming than cooling!). Plus, this Peach Pie Filling is sweetened with maple syrup and a hint of cinnamon, bringing in even more of those those warming notes. 

It's perfect for pie, of course, but it's also delicious topped on coconut nice cream, made into a crumble or cobbler, or my favourite, added to oatmeal 🥰

Plus, it’s totally free of dairy, cornstarch, gluten and refined sugar, making it a great anti-inflammatory option 🙌

And you know I gotchu, you can find this recipe on the blog!

Grab the link in my bio ↡
@beetofthewild

Or copy & paste it into your browser ↡
https://www.beetofthewild.com/fresh-peach-pie-filling
    Rainy Sundays call for all-day jammies, slow vibes Rainy Sundays call for all-day jammies, slow vibes, snuggles and some home-baked goodness 🥰

So, let’s make some Healthy Homemade Graham’s!

With the warming cinnamon in them, these babies make the perfect autumn crunchy munchie. Plus, they’re nut-free, making them great a school snack as well.

As usual, they’re also free of gluten, refined sugar and dairy 👏

Grab the full recipe on the blog ↡
https://www.beetofthewild.com/healthy-homemade-graham-crackers/
    Hey Wild Ones, Just slipping in to say hello and Hey Wild Ones,

Just slipping in to say hello and send some wild vibes your way 🏹✨

There’s some new faces around here, and well, I’ve been hiding behind the scenes a lot lately. 

I’m Michelle, the human behind the recipes, nutrition tidbits, photography.. you get the gist 🤓

So, whether you’re new on the block or have been here for the long haul, I am so glad to have you along on this wild ride!

Sending you so much love, peace and blessings... cause hot damn! The world needs it right about now! 

Happy weekend ✌️& 💗
    Follow on Instagram

    Support This Site

    If you enjoy Beet of the Wild's content and would like to support my work you can buy me a tea on ko-fi!

    Buy Me A Tea ♡

    Footer

    Home | About | Contact | Recipes | Privacy Policy | Nutrition Disclaimer | Photo & Recipe Policy

    Copyright © 2018 - 2022 Beet of the Wild.
    All Rights Reserved.