Looking to cut out unhealthy foods like trans fat, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup, but don’t want to give up your favorite foods? I’ve been using these simple food substitutions in my recipes for years, and continue to evolve into healthier eating habits. Don’t feel like you need to make all these changes at once. Every step towards healthier eating will benefit your body.

PANTRY ITEMS:

Using this:	Try using this:
Breakfast cereal	Cooked oatmeal, steel cut oats or cooked millet
Bread	B Free GF Bread or Schar Artisan Baker GF breads (Both are egg-free)
Bread crumbs	Ground flax seeds or baked, ground garbanzo beans
Chocolate chip	Lily’s chocolate stevia sweetened baking chips
Cocoa powder	Raw cacao powder
Coffee	Dandy Blend, Instant Herbal Beverage with Dandelion
Coffee creamer	Aroy-D coconut milk in a box and pure maple syrup
Corn chips	Trader Joe’s Grainless Cassava & Coconut Chips or Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips
Cornstarch	Arrowroot powder
Flour	Trader Joe’s GF All Purpose Flour, Bob’s Red Mill GF 1 to 1 Flour, or Namaste from Costco
Ketchup	Trader Joe’s brand, Annie’s Organic, look for one without HFCS
Pasta	Zucchini zoodles, spaghetti squash, lentil or garbanzo bean pasta, most GF pasta are ok
Soy Sauce	Coconut aminos
Sugar	Coconut sugar, date sugar, raw honey or maple syrup
Vinegar	Fresh lemon juice

REFRIGERATOR ITEMS:

Using this:	Try using this:
Bacon	Applegate Organics Uncured Turkey Bacon or Trader Joe’s brand
Butter	Coconut oil (use refined oil for no coconut flavor)
Cheese	Miyoko’s brand cheeses
Deli meat	Applegate Farms Organic
Eggs	Baking: 1 Tbsp. flaxseed plus 3 Tbsp. water, let thicken for 5-10 minutes
Ground meat	100% grass fed beef, or organic ground turkey
Mayonnaise	Follow Your Heart Avocado oil Vegenaise or Soy-Free Vegenaise
Milk	Almond milk or coconut milk
Tuna	wild-caught salmon, canned (tuna has high mercury levels)
Whipped cream	Full-fat coconut milk Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk, Aroy-D, Nature’s Charm, 365 Whole Foods Organic Coconut Milk all work well. (Don’t use Trader Joe’s brand; it doesn’t whip.)

My Favorite Places to Shop:

• Trader Joe’s, for most of my groceries
• Local market in summer & fall for produce 
• Local Health food stores:
  • Marlene’s Deli, Federal Way, WA
  • PCC Natural Markets, greater Seattle area
• Costco, lots of organic 
• Fred Meyer/ Kroger, un-remodeled stores “natural” section
• Whole Foods

Test out a few of these substitutions and see which ones are your favorite. A few simple changes can add up to big results!

For more helpful tips you might enjoy How To Keep Your Groceries From Spoiling Before You Can Eat Them.