My favorite blog series is back after a long hiatus! 🙂 HTP Swaps and Additions was originally started because I hated the way certain women’s magazines suggested that health was about eliminating or restricting. As I said in the first HTP Swaps and Additions post, I hope my blog illustrates that healthy living is about changing something small or even ADDING something to your life more than it’s about taking anything away.
And because we’re NOT all the same, I’d love to hear your suggestions for HTP Swaps and Additions, too!
HTP SWAP: I love, love, LOVE jam, but a really nice change of pace is whole, fresh berries on top of toast. It tastes amazing (dare I say it’s even better than jam?) and, of course, you’re consuming less added sugar by eating the whole fruit instead of jam or jelly. My blood sugar says thanks.
HTP ADD: Haven’t really blogged about this in depth yet, but I’m getting really into meditation. For 10 minutes a day (all I can sit through so far), I visually a cleansing, white smoke filling every inch of my body with each breath I take. With every breath, the smoke goes deeper into my body, seeping from my lungs into my stomach, from my stomach into my legs, etc. When I breathe out, the smoke escapes, taking out all my bad thoughts and stresses. It’s a nice visualization and very calming. Try it! Meditation rules.
HTP SWAP: While on road trips, we usually pack our own food and stash everything in a small cooler in the back seat. First of all, this saves TONS of money. Secondly, it’s usually hard to find healthy, non-fried food on the road, and it’s even harder to find vegetarian and vegan meals. When we can’t pack our food, the Husband and I search out grocery stores. You can pick up whole fruit, pre-cut veggies, yogurt, granola bars, deli sandwiches, and other healthy food at a grocery store – and it’s usually cheaper than getting food at a restaurant, drive-thru, or gas station. Keep your eye out for a Whole Foods/Earth Fare, too – the hot bars are to die for.
HTP ADD: I think dates are an excellent pre- or mid-workout snack because they are loaded with natural sugars and easily digestible. Gu and Sports Beans are convenient, but nothing beats nature’s candy!
Tip: Tightly pack them dates in a plastic bag and safety pin it between your sports bra and shirt if you don’t have a pocket.
HTP ADD: Parsnip fries. Read my Ode to Parsnip Fries if you don’t know why you MUST add this vegetable to your life.
HTP ADD: If you are short on time during the work week, make a huge dish of quinoa with a variety of cooked veggies and a protein (tofu or beans or meat, if that’s your thing) mixed in. The quinoa mix will last three days and you can use it to create a variety of meals. For example, you can eat it plain as an entree, as a side dish, on a bed of spinach, or in a wrap. You can even beat 1 cup cheese, 2 eggs, and about 1/4 milk into 4 cups of the quinoa mix, pour it into a casserole dish, bake at 350 for half an hour or so, and make it into a casserole!
HTP ADD: Get sneaky with vegetables. When I started this blog, I actually hated vegetables – seriously. But I began to love them (learning to roast veggies properly was a HUGE turning point for me) and you can, too. :) Think of ways to sneak veggies into other dishes… like putting macaroni and cheese on top of a bed of spinach + mixing in broccoli. Ta-da!
What healthy swaps and additions have you made recently?
Check out the other posts in this series:
I LOVE this series concept. Health isn’t restrictive or all about eliminating things from your life! Thanks for sharing these great ideas.