My family has been on a journey to better health for several years, but we really ramped things up after my stroke. We are trying to eliminate foods that cause inflammation and poor gut health including gluten, dairy, refined sugar, inflammatory oils, natural and artificial flavors, and highly processed foods.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
I’m in the beginning phases of this health journey and still have a lot to learn but here are some healthier food options I’ve found for my family. Share healthier food options you love in the comments!
Healthier Food Options for Oils
One of the first things I started changing in my diet was the oils I used. I previously used vegetable oil and canola oil for everything but I learned that they increase inflammation in the body. I swapped them out for these three oils:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
I prefer using avocado oil as a substitute for vegetable oil in baked goods because of its mild flavor. I even tossed the non-stick spray I was using for a healthier option. I love this one from Chosen Foods.
Finding chips that were free of seed oils was a challenge. Most tortilla chips and potato chips are cooked in seed oils. Thankfully, we stumbled upon Siete tortilla chips at our local Costco and can now enjoy tortilla chips that are not only cooked in healthy avocado oil but are also grain free and delicious! I also love these potato chips from Thrive Market.
Healthier Food Options for Sugar
Sugar was another sneaky culprit that was negatively affecting my family’s health. I didn’t realize how much sugar was in the foods we were eating! Our favorite “healthy” yogurt had 21 grams of sugar per serving and we rarely ate just one serving. That’s a lot of sugar to start your morning off with.
Cutting out refined sugar was hard to do. Most packaged foods contain large amounts of refined sugar so I started making a lot of things from scratch and sticking to fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts for snacks. When we need some sweetener I use one of these four:
- Monk Fruit sweetener (I usually purchase it from Costco.)
- Maple syrup (I also get this from Costco.)
- Honey (Local honey is best but I also get some from Costco.)
- Coconut sugar (I purchase this in bulk from Azure Standard.)
When I get a craving for chocolate and need to do some healthier baking, I use Bake Believe Dark Chocolate Chips because there is no added sugar.
Healthier Prepackaged Food Options
Making everything from scratch isn’t possible for me so I’m thankful for these prepackaged options with healthier ingredients.
- Jovial pasta (I purchase from Thrive Market.)
- Siete enchilada sauce (I purchase from Walmart.)
- Seven Sunday’s cereal (I purchase from Costco and Thrive Market.)
- That’s It fruit bars (I purchase from Costco.)
- Chomps beef sticks (I purchase from Costco.)
- Primal Kitchen Mayo (I purchase from Costco.)
- Primal Kitchen Ketchup (I purchase from Thrive Market.)
- Kiki “milk” for those who need to be dairy free
Resources for Healthier Food Options
Searching for healthier food options can be overwhelming! That’s where these wonderful resources come in handy. First up is Shawna Holman who is always sharing cleaner products, healthier food options, and helpful kitchen hacks over on her Instagram page. I also pre-ordered her cookbook!
The next resource I have found extremely helpful is the Bobby Approved app that I have downloaded on my phone. Just scan an item in your grocery store and see if it is free of nasty ingredients.
I also found Thrive Market to be a helpful resource for healthier food options. I was able to search for food items based on our diet restrictions, order in the comfort of my own home, and have everything shipped to my door!
The last resource that I love is Azure Standard. They provide healthy food options and other household products in bulk. I order online and then pick up my order at a drop location by me.
What resources have helped you in your journey to eating healthier foods? Share in the comments.
Leave a Reply