Swap It!
By Erika Lundgren, Functional Medicine Nutritionist
You don’t have to completely turn your life to an end and start eating like Peter Rabbit nibbling on Mr. McGregor’s garden to reap the benefits of healthy eating. Simple, easy swaps to your meals can make big moves toward your wellness goals! The following are a few ideas to get you hopping along!
Wrap It Up …
Tortilla wrap “Oh how I love thee,” but your refined white flour doesn’t love me back. Luckily, I’ve got backups to hold my food goodies in just the right way that I can continue to eat with joy.
- Leafy Greens: collard greens, Swiss chard, kale and cabbage have the perfect pliable leaves! Trim the ribs or toughest part of the stem and blanch or use raw. Then chalk one in the ‘Win’ column for 1 daily vegetable & fruit serving of the recommended 5-6.
- Cassava & Almond Flour – Siete brand has great options for the heavy lifting of heartier fillings. Burrito anyone?
- Nori sheets – yes, dried sea vegetables are generally tied to sushi, but they are a great low carb option for Asian-inspired wraps.
- Coconut – These are great filled with salmon or spicy tuna salad. Nuco Organic Coconut Wraps are a good option here.
- Homemade flaxseed wrap – Holy way to boost your fiber content! Try a breakfast wrap with greens, eggs and guacamole.
Pasta Pleasers …
For optimal metabolic health and nutrient dense options, traditional pasta doesn’t fit the bill. Fortunately, we have plenty of alternatives that can even have your Italian grandma saying ‘Mangia!’
- Zoodles – zucchini, squash or sweet potatoes spiraled into pasta-like noodles as a nutrient dense carrier to your gravy or sauce. Spaghetti squash is a personal favorite of mine. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds & ribbing. Drizzle the inside with avocado oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper then place cut side face down on a lined baking sheet. Poke holes on the outside with a fork. Roast 30-40 minutes until fork tender and fluff inside with a fork to make strands. Voila!
- Hearts of Palm – Harvest Palm or Palmini are good brands to check out here for Mediterranean style, Asian-inspired or traditional Italian dishes!
- Chickpea, red lentil – 1:1 replacement for pasta recipes with the closest texture/flavor • Konja noodles – Asian root vegetable high in glucomannan, which is a soluble fiber that slows down digestion helping blunt the blood-sugar spikes that most individuals experience with traditional pasta. Glucomannan also feeds good bacteria in your gut producing the short chain fatty acids that are vital to our colon health.
Get Sweet on Fruit …
Take the sugar elimination challenge for 4 weeks and swap out those sugary desserts for fruit, like cooked apple slices mixed with warm spices or homemade banana-berry ice cream. These sugar-laden desserts may tantalize our eyes, but they wreak havoc on our bodies. BONUS: Within time, the sugar cravings dramatically decrease or vanish INCREASING our taste bud’s sensitivity to sweet flavors. It’s amazing how sweet and satisfying fruit can be!
Need a little extra support? I’ll be happy to help guide you on your health journey! Call our front desk to schedule (717) 795-9566. Unsure if working with a nutritionist is right for you? I’ll be happy to extend a free 15 minute ‘get to know you’ consultation for new patients!
