Eat Me: Healthy alternatives for six popular foods

We all have daily cravings but the most health-damaging foods, somehow, always appear to be the most appealing.

However, compromise is always an option.

Here are seven healthy alternatives to ‘sweet’ foods that may ultimately hurt you.

Ice cream

Healthy alternative: frozen yogurt.

Ice cream is essentially churned, frozen fat and sugar. Frozen yogurt is a lot lower in fat and sugar. It also contains probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts) that are good for your health.

Try pairing it with fresh fruit or nuts if you desire a topping.

Sodas or soft drinks

Healthy alternative: if plain water is not your poison, you can mix it with squeezed lemon juice, a slice of cucumber and some mint leaves. Also try iced tea, green tea, and lemonade.

Beverages such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Sprite contain fructose-concentrated brew that could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver disease.

The human body isn’t designed to break down such a high amount of sugar.

Cereals

Healthy alternative: oatmeal, bran

Most breakfast cereals end up damaging the health due to the presence of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sweetener made from corn starch that has been processed by glucose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose.

The presence of HFCS leads to frequent hunger pangs and a spiked sugar level.

Butter

Healthy alternative: olive oil, mashed avocado, coconut butter

Regular butter consumption has been found to increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Sweets

Healthy alternative: dried fruit

Most people have a sweet tooth but high-sugar sweets have little to no nutritional value.

Replace them with healthier dried fruits like mango, apple or cherry. For a super-healthy alternative, try dried goji berries, which are full of nutrients.

Red meat

Healthy alternative: lean chicken, salmon, rabbit

Red meat contains more saturated (bad) fat and cholesterol than white meat, beans, and vegetables and hence, contributes more to increased blood pressure and consequently raises the risk of heart disease.