Now What?! (Food Substitutions)

Your health is important.  You know you need to change but where do you start?  Here are some suggestions for the top four food sensitivities to help make changing your diet an easier transition for you.

Sugar—while all sugar can cause problems, white sugar is usually the most commonly not tolerated sugar.  Brown sugar is just as bad as it is usually just white sugar with some molasses mixed back in.

Instead, try using honey, maple syrup, palm sugar, coconut nectar, or Stevia.  Just remember to use these in moderation.  When you have that sugar craving—stick with these and leave the other sugar alone.  Most recipes can be altered fairly easily but may take some trial and error to find what you like best.  Avoid using artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Equal, Sweet n low) as they are chemicals and put loads of unneeded stress on the body.

Wheat—it seems like it’s everywhere!  It’s in many processed foods—read all labels!  Most breads and breading, crackers, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and pastas are made from wheat; even sauces and gravies are often thickened with wheat flour.  By shear amount consumed, many people are becoming sensitive to wheat.

Instead, try using other grains such as quinoa flour and other gluten free flour blends for flour; brown rice pasta; ‘Nut Thins’ are tasty crackers that contain no wheat.  The term “gluten free” is a good quick clue that the food has no wheat in it.  Gluten free products are becoming more readily available in our grocery stores.  Remember, just because it says gluten free does not mean it is necessarily good for you.  It just means it does not have wheat.  J

Soy—it also seems to be everywhere.  It’s in many processed foods and the way to avoid it is eating whole foods and fixing it yourself.  It is obviously in soy sauce.  There is an excellent soy sauce alternative called Coconut Aminos.  It is made from the coconut blossom (not the nut—and therefore does not taste like coconut) and makes a wonderful 1 to 1 substitution.  If you find soy in one brand of food, check another brand as it is not necessarily used in all formulations of a food.

Dairy—dairy is in a lot of processed foods as well.  Some people are sensitive only to milk and not butter, cheeses, and cultured milk like sour cream and yogurt, while others cannot tolerate any milk products.  Try using nut (almond, cashew, etc.) or rice milk in place of milk.  It is an okay substitution but many feel it is very “watered-down”.  It is a better substitute for cooking/baking rather than drinking plain.  Coconut oil works well in place of butter.  Coconut milk and coconut cream can also make great dairy alternatives.  There are not many acceptable substitutes for cheese and I find that avoiding it all together works best (the other “substitutions” just seems to be disappointing!).

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