By Elizabeth Beaumont
TIC, Food Technology
I asked my class today what they would really like to learn about food and they came up with the idea of “Healthy food swaps”. Several students expressed that they want to eat healthy food but are not sure what would be a healthier alternative.
Eating a range of foods each day is really important but also having low fat, salt and sugar options is essential for long term health and the prevention of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Eating foods in a less processed form allows you to obtain the maximum nutrient value from the food. It can also provide fibre which contributes to feeling satisfied and movement of the food through the digestive system.
Below are some simple ways to make small changes in your food choices which can potentially have a big impact on your health.
Potato chips swap for popcorn
Fruit juice swap for water
Cheese + crackers swap for hummus and vegetable sticks
White rice swap for brown rice
Icecream swap for banana/berry parfait
White bread swap for wholemeal wrap
Sweets swap for almonds
Nutella on toast swap for peanut butter/avocado on toast
Check out more ideas in these links:
www.sanitarium.co.nz/health-nutrition/nutrition/15-simple-food-swaps-for-better-health
www.simplyquinoa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/food-swaps-2.jpg
