“Eat a healthy diet.”
You’ve probably heard this advice over and over again, and you likely know the basics: consume less fat and sugar, make more nutritious choices, add more fiber to your meals. But how do you actually implement these recommendations day in and day out?
It can feel overwhelming to think about changing the way you eat—especially if you are planning and preparing meals for your whole family. Yet you may find it surprisingly easy to make a few small substitutions. Over time, these can add up to significant health benefits, such as lower blood pressure and better cholesterol levels. Swapping one food for another similar but better option can help you consume more vitamins and minerals, and may make it easier to manage your weight.
Plus, if you’re living with type 2 diabetes, or are among the 86 million Americans with high glucose levels bordering on diabetes, replacing foods that send blood sugar skyrocketing for others that keep them in check can make a significant difference in managing or even preventing the disease.
Here are six simple substitutions to try:
1. Replace refined white grains with whole grains.
Refined grains, such as white rice or white flour, are whole grains that have had their husk, bran and germ removed—along with most of its fiber and important nutrients. Research has shown that eating whole grains can lower your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes by 20 to 30 percent. And, because whole grains are more filling than refined grains, you’ll feel full longer. Instead of white rice, try brown rice, quinoa or barley. Instead of white bread, choose bread with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient.
2. Replace iceberg lettuce with darker greens.
Iceberg lettuce provides water and some fiber, but that’s about it for nutrition. Substitute dark leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, kale, Swiss chard or collard greens, and suddenly you have a lot more nutrition as well as fiber. Darker greens are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, as well as magnesium and potassium, which can help control high blood pressure. If you need to make a gradual switch, start by adding more dark greens and less iceberg to your salads.
3.Replace fried chips with baked.
Craving a crunchy bag of chips? Many types of conventional snack chips are now available in baked versions that contain less fat. Try baked potato or baked tortilla chips instead of fried. Popcorn chips provide the same crunch as potato chips with less fat and calories. For an even healthier option, try baked kale chips.
4. Replace fruit juice with whole fruit.
A glass of juice may be more convenient, but eating the whole fruit is a better option. Apple, orange and grape juices do not contain the fiber-rich skins and pulp of the fruit, which slow down the absorption of sugar and prevent insulin from spiking. Because juice has all of the sugar without the fiber, insulin levels rise and drop more quickly—exactly what you don’t want, especially if you have diabetes. Instead of buying juice, eat the whole fruit. Also, bypass the smoothie shops that use a lot of juice and make your own at home with whole strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and almond milk or low-fat yogurt. Toss in a handful or raw kale or spinach—you’ll get the benefits without even tasting it.
5. Replace breakfast cereal with steel-cut oats.
Many boxed cereals are made with refined grains and can be low in fiber and high in sugar. Switch to oatmeal instead and increase your fiber intake. Instant oatmeal may take less time to prepare, but steel-cut oats are higher in fiber and will cause insulin levels to rise more slowly. If you are short on time, prepare several servings of steel-cut oats over the weekend and reheat them for breakfast in the morning. Mix in almonds, walnuts or low-fat yogurt for a protein boost.
6. Replace oil with applesauce.
Instead of making brownies, cakes and banana breads with oil, use an equal amount of applesauce. In addition to reducing fat and calories, substituting applesauce makes baked foods lighter and moister. Choose natural, unsweetened applesauce with no added sugar.
The new state-of-the-art Scripps Mercy Chula Vista Woltman Family Diabetes and Nutrition Center provides resources, knowledge and tools needed for patients to make the best day-to-day decisions about their health and well-being. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes through innovative education programs, clinical expertise, leading-edge research and professional cross-disciplinary collaborations in pursuit of prevention and a cure.
Philis-Tsimikas, M.D., is an endocrinologist and the corporate vice president for Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute. “To Your Health” is brought to you by the physicians and staff of Scripps Health. For a referral to a Scripps physician, call 1-800-SCRIPPS.
