6 (Easy) Superfood Swaps

By Unite Fitness Retreat Brooke Bouwhuis

Sometimes we grocery shop and just get the same items each time because it’s fast and easy.  Here are a few superfood swaps you can look for the next time you are out and about that make eating well simple and effective.  These swaps emphasize lower sugar, whole food options that will be appreciated by your body but also adored by your taste buds.

1. Cinnamon for sugar – Pick up a bottle if you don’t have any on hand.  Try it first in your coffee the next time you pour a cup of joe. It is the wildest swap of the bunch but it’s one where you don’t miss the sugar when a few dashes of cinnamon adorn the top off your mug.  Don’t forget to add a scoop of collagen powder to your coffee as well.  One scoop is 10 grams of protein and it’s excellent for your skin, joints and healing your gut lining.  Cinnamon is amazing on sliced apples, pears and even peanut butter!
2. Kale or spinach for iceberg lettuce – It’s true, iceberg lettuce is mostly water and devoid of many nutrients.  Swap kale or spinach in its place to up your intake of incredible healing greens.  Both kale and spinach can be frozen if they are about to go bad in your veggie keeper.  Once frozen those crispy handfuls are perfect in a green smoothie, sautéed with other veggies or included by the handful into your bowl of steamy soup.
3. Quinoa for cereal.  Most cereals are not made of simple ingredients.  Rainbow Unicorn Circles enchanted with Donut Flavored Sprinkles don’t really shout incredible fuel for your body, do they?  Quinoa is an excellent source of protein and fiber – it’s considered a super food ancient grain and can even be purchased as fair trade and organic if you choose to seek those attributes out.  We love it as a hot cereal with nut milk, cinnamon, walnuts and blueberries – sometimes I need a little bit of real maple syrup with it and sometimes I don’t. Full, satisfied, fueled and delicious with simple real ingredients.
4. Spreadable butter made with olive oil instead of canola and used in place of margarine. Simple, whole ingredients every single time!  I prefer olive oil over canola for many reasons but first and foremost, canola oil is deodorized before it’s packaged for us.
5. Avocado for miracle whip or mayo – It’s the ultimate in simple whole food.  No chemicals or processing that doesn’t make sense. Try mashing avocado with hardboiled eggs and a splat of mustard or a few cracks of black pepper.  You will be surprised how amazing it tastes and your body will love how simply perfect avocado is for you.
6. Dark chocolate for milk chocolate – life without chocolate isn’t worth living.  Life with excellent chocolate makes living even better.  Look for 70% cacao or higher if you can stand it.  Dark chocolate is much lower in sugar that milk chocolate and if packed with gobs more health promoting flavonoids.  It’s also easier to be satisfied with less chocolate when dark is used simply because the flavor is much more intense.