Should We Still Be Making Healthy Food Swaps?
Is healthifying our foods actually healthier for us?
Healthy food swaps
The internet is full of “healthy swaps” where you'll see a list of food alternatives for everyday food and drinks that suggest swapping out an “unhealthy” food to a “healthier” alternative. For example, swap your morning cereal with yogurt parfait or switch out coffee creamer with homemade low sugar and/or low-fat cream.
The whole idea is to eat low fat, low sugar, low carbohydrate foods and eat more “nutrient rich” foods. I got into nutrition because I love the science behind how the nutrients in food play a role in human health. But a lot of these “healthy swaps” are rooted in diet culture, finding ways to eat less, restrict and demonize food.
Beware of these healthy swap pitfalls
1. A healthy swap assumes you have an objective definition of health
When we see side-by-side comparisons of “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods, we assume there's a standard definition of what “healthy” foods are. Some may argue that you can compare the health of a food by the amount of calories it has. Others may use the terms empty calories or nutrient dense foods. But one food won’t make or break your nutritional health.
When we discuss health, we have to zoom out and look at the big picture instead of focusing on individual food choice. What makes cereal healthier than yogurt? Cereal with milk has carbs, calcium, fiber, protein and is enriched with a wide variety of micronutrients, while yogurt has probiotics, calcium and protein. Each has their own nutrient value that can be a part of a healthy nutritious diet.
2. Swapping runs the risk of depriving yourself of key nutrients
Many of the food swaps are low-fat and low-carb options. For example, swapping our regular pizza crust with cauliflower crust or making zucchini noodles instead of pasta. However, fat and carbohydrates are essential key nutrients for everyday bodily functions. When your diet is consistently low in fat and carbohydrate you run the risk of depriving yourself of essential nutrients and experiencing an internal struggle of intense food cravings, hunger pains, obsessing about food and entering into the binge-restrict cycle.
3. Minimizing food satisfaction can lead to overeating
Often when choosing the “healthier” option, you’ll eat more to feel satisfied. Think about when you're craving a cookie but decide to eat fruit instead. Because fruit does not taste the same or have the same flavor profile as your craving, it's likely you won't feel satisfied. That dissatisfaction can lead you to reach for something different, like dried fruit, rice cake, yogurt or low-sugar peanut butter. If you just gave yourself permission to eat the cookie when the craving first appeared, it's much more likely you would feel satisfied sooner and eat much less.
Instead of focusing on how to “healthify” your food, here are three ways you can cultivate a healthier relationship with food:
1. Shift mindset to all foods fit
People who don’t place moral judgement on their food have a healthier relationship to food and experience less food guilt. They see food for what it is, fuel and nutrients. All foods serve a purpose. All food can fit into a healthy diet if balanced correctly.
2. Make mindful food choices
You can learn to make conscious food decisions without placing a label and adding emotional burden to your food choices. There’s a mindful way to consume foods with sugar. For example, If you find yourself drinking multiple bottles of soda daily and know there are negative health effects of high amounts of sugar sweetened beverages, you can drink more infused sparkling water, tea, or alternative beverages that carry lower sugar content later in the week to balance it out.
3. Consult with a dietitian to determine dietary balance
If you like pumpkin spice creamer in your coffee, you shouldn't feel bad for enjoying it. As we learned, sugar can be a part of a healthy balanced diet. If you’re wondering if your diet is balanced, consult with a dietitian and to review your meal plan.
Although it’s empowering to make conscious food choices and smart to consume a variety of nutrient rich foods, when you have an unhealthy relationship with food, these so-called “healthy swaps” can backfire. Without unpacking your food beliefs and healing your relationship with food, these food swaps can easily become a diet or feed into the diet mentality.
✨Feel confident in your own skin and the food choices you’re making.✨
Get started for FREE by grabbing the Mindful Meal Planning Guide here.
Need more support? Click here to schedule a free consultation call
