Top 10 Healthy Food Substitutes That Companies Can Use To Improve Quality

The world has now shifted to a health perspective in consumerism. Food choices are now dictated by the nutrition factor and its effect on the body.

As days pass, the world is getting more and more health-conscious. People are looking forward to changing their diet and switching to a healthier lifestyle. There has been a rise in the number of vegan companies, and healthier brands that claim to have switched to healthier production of food or alternatives.

For example, many companies start having low-carb options on their menus. This goes from fast food restaurants to alcohol and beverages companies.

However, as the level of health-consciousness rises among the larger mass, it does so without a compromise on taste. People are looking forward to other options, yes, but without having to give up on the taste of the food.

With such conditions, we have here a list of healthy food substitutes that food manufacturers can use to improve quality while maintaining the taste.

Gluten-free flour instead of wheat flour

Everybody who is conscious of their health will try and avoid gluten. There are, in fact, a lot of people who avoid gluten in their regular diet. Switching wheat flour as your primary baking medium with gluten-free flour is a much better alternative. It is healthy and also rich in flavor. However, gluten-free flour does not give the stickiness that wheat flour provides, therefore, adding xanthan gum (a teaspoon) for each cup of flour will help.

Whole fat milk to skimmed milk

Skimmed milk is an excellent replacement for whole fat milk. It is a protein-rich option without the fat and will help you meet all your protein requirements of the day. It is also an excellent option for all your coffee and drinks, and you can enjoy it without worrying much about the hog fat content of your milk. Skimmed milk also mixes well with your drinks, and you wouldn’t feel like you are missing on something.

Stevia instead of sugar

In recent times, there is a lot of crisis going on with sugar, both sustainability-wise and health-wise. However, there is an excellent substitute for sugar known as Stevia. It is not just healthy but also 300 times sweeter than sugar, which makes its consumption quantity much less than sugar.  Stevia is an artificial sweetener that doesn’t get metabolized in the body and is a caloric free option. However, it may be a bit on the expensive side.

Cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips

Nobody wants to compromise on their chocolate. But only if it was a bit more on the healthy side! Well, we have a solution for that. Before getting the chocolate as we get them, it has a primitive form known as cacao nibs. They are the roasted cocoa beans that get grounded to form chocolate. Using this form of chocolate does not just give you a natural and ‘without any added sugar’ ingredient, but also loads you up with a healthy amount of antioxidants.

Legume pasta instead of regular pasta

Pasta has always gained a bad reputation for being high in carbs and almost no protein. Replace the regular pasta with pasta made from legume flour. Chickpea pasta, lentil macaroni, and beans pasta. It offers a tonne of different texture and flavor and adds variety to dishes. This is also rich in protein and adds a plethora of taste to your palate.

Green banana flour in place of regular flour

Green banana flour is an option rich in resistant starch.  Resistant starch helps in blunting your insulin response and does not get metabolized in the body. It has high fiber content and a mild flavor.  Banana flour is a perfect option to replace all recipes that call for the use of all-purpose flour. It is also an excellent prebiotic and contributes to a good microbiome.

Chia seeds instead of butter

Chia seeds can be an excellent substitute for all the fat in your recipes, especially butter. If one tablespoon of these seeds is mixed with nine tablespoons of water and allowed to sit for 15 minutes, it creates a texture that can easily stand-in for the fat that you require in your dish. However, it is advised not to depend on it entirely for your fat intake. You can cut in half your fat amount with chia seeds.

Greek yogurt in place of sour cream

Greek yogurt has a thick creamy texture like sour cream but provides three times more protein in a single-serve when compared to sour cream.  There are several options like fat-free, low fat, and full-fat options based on your preference. It is an excellent option for all dips and toppings and adds a creamy element to your dish.

Low-sodium soy sauce instead of standard soy sauce

Another low-sodium ingredient, using low-sodium soy sauce, is much healthier than using the standard soy sauce. It provides the same taste while cutting down the sodium intake by almost half the amount.

Ground turkey instead of ground beef

For cutting down the intake of saturated fat, you may use ground turkey instead of ground beef. It is healthier and has less saturated fat. You may also utilize ground chicken.