I’m sure you’ve heard all the rage about cutting carbs and processed flour from your diet. In the modern world, that’s a lot easier said than done. What can we eat instead? In reality, what’s a healthy alternative for bread?
Why should we cut down on highly processed foods, like flour and sugar? Our bodies were made to eat whole, natural foods. When we add chemical additives and preservatives that were never supposed to be used as food, our bodies respond with things like inflammation, fatigue, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), weight gain, and other nasty symptoms.
The problem ISN’T that you choose to eat a cookie or piece of bread.
The problem IS that most diets are completely saturated with processed sugars and flours. Things like cereal, toast, pop tarts, granola bars, sandwiches, crackers, chips, rolls, noodles, and other bread products are a staple in many modern households. If you go back hundreds of years, you’ll also find bread as a staple in the lives of many families. However, they were using whole grains and grinding them into flour that they were using almost immediately. This preserved many of the nutrients we lose from flour today. They definitely were not adding in preservatives and chemicals to transform that flour into “pop tarts” or flavored chips.
One of the reasons many nutrition experts target flour specifically is because of the way the body responds to carbs. Like sugar, bready carbs cause an insulin response in the body. Carbs are great for energy, but too many carbs cause an imbalance in the body’s sugar levels.
It’s All About Making Simple Swaps
One way to combat a highly processed diet is to use these 3 simple swaps. A fourth option is to grind flour into homemade bread, which is something my family has also enjoyed. Grinding flour makes delicious bread full of so many more nutrients and health benefits than something you can buy at the store.
Right now, we’re going to focus on the simple swaps you can do instead. By simply picking up these 3 items instead of bread, you can lower the carb intake of your meals without feeling like bread is completely erased from your diet.
Low Carb Wraps
These are something my family enjoys. Some of the meals you can make with low carb wraps include normal Mexican meals like tacos, quesadillas, and fajitas. You can also do any kind of wrap: things like hummus wraps with grilled chicken and pesto with deli meat. They also make a great base for a pizzadilla=a personal pizza. It’s super easy to throw together and feels like an indulgent meal while keeping it low carb. Breakfast burritos with eggs (and you can add a little meat and cheese if you want) are another delicious option. The list is endless if you just use a little creativity. When you’re making these swaps on a consistent basis, you’ll be surprised how much better you feel. I know it has made a huge difference for me and Rusty.
Ezekiel Bread
First, I want to point out that Ezekiel bread can be found in the freezer of many supermarkets. This should help you find it, but it also reveals how it is missing many of the preservatives found in most bread products. Ezekiel bread uses sprouted grains, which has a better glycemic (sugar) response in your body than regular grains. I usually store my loaf in the freezer and put a few slices in the fridge so they’re ready to go (without having to stab it repeatedly with a knife to get a piece of bread, which I have totally done when I forgot to plan ahead). The great thing about Ezekiel bread is that you can substitute it for anything you would use sandwich bread for: egg sandwiches, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, deli meat sandwiches, toast, etc. They even have a raisin toast that is delicious. Aiden, my 4-year-old, is always stealing my raisin toast out of the freezer for breakfast. You can also use Ezekiel bread in place of a bun: for burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and BBQ. My husband even likes to toast it and grind it up to use as bread crumbs in recipes.
Veggie Crisps
What about chips? Once again, we aren’t going totally natural, homemade in this article. We’re looking at healthy options you can grab from the store that are so much better than what people normally grab. Sometimes you just want something crunchy. My entire family loves these: veggie crisps (off the beat path). They are full of veggies and give you that nice crunch when you just want something crispy and salty. They’re amazing with pretty much all kinds of dips: cheese dip, hummus, guacamole, salsa, buffalo chicken dip, and cashew cheese dip. Last night, I used it as a base for my taco salad. My boys even like to eat a plate full of them by itself, probably not the most balanced diet, but sometimes I let it slide on taco night (especially since it’s so much better than a lot of what they could be eating).
Many meals can be tweaked a little to make them fit into a healthy lifestyle. The key is to experiment and to make simple swaps one at a time. Consistency is important. This is what a healthy lifestyle is all about: making better choices and simple swaps for the things you know aren’t good for you. Since we started cutting processed foods a few years ago, it has really challenged us to make swaps and figure out new ways of making old recipes work, but in a delicious and healthier way. It’s a lot easier to follow a healthy diet when you have things like tacos, burgers, and chips you can enjoy when you’re in the mood for them. I hope these 3 swaps help you to plan meals you love in a healthier way.
