When people consider giving up wheat, they often think about all the wheat-filled foods and ingredients they love. "I'd have to give up too many of my favorite foods," they lament. However, you can easily replace many common wheat-based ingredients in recipes with ingredients that provide more nutrients and better health. The following alternatives fit right into the wheat/grain-free, low-carb lifestyle. The idea isn't to re-create the chip; it's just to provide healthy alternatives to traditionally unhealthy ones. These delicious replacements will quickly become a regular part of your diet and help you forget the traditional yet harmful foods you were previously eating.
Spaghetti squash for spaghetti: This substitute provides a similar look and texture for the pasta lover to enjoy a "pasta" dish.
Lettuce for buns and wraps: Most restaurants will accommodate your request to swap out the bread product on your wrap, burger, or sandwich for a lettuce leaf.
Veggies for chips: Chips are just a vehicle for eating a dip, but that vehicle comes loaded with grains and unhealthy vegetable oils and lacks any nutritional value. Why not make that vehicle a Mercedes by using chopped veggies instead?
Coconut aminos for soy sauce: Coconut aminos are a combination of the natural sap of the coconut tree and sun-dried sea salt. The resulting product is used as a direct substitute for soy sauce (which contains wheat) in dressings, marinades, and sautés.
Black beans for flour in brownies: Pureed black beans provide the color, texture, and taste needed to completely eliminate flour from a baking recipe.
High-fat options for lowfat items: Any food items, especially dairy, should be the high-fat option instead of the lowfat or skim version. The lowfat varieties often have added sugars.
Cauliflower for mashed potatoes: You'd be hard-pressed to differentiate between the two in a side-by-side taste test. This dish doesn't leave you with that weighed-down, carb-heavy feeling.
