Learning To Make Healthy Swaps (NAPSA)—Tipping the weightloss scales in your favor may simply be a matter of trade-offs. That’s the advice from experts who say that learning to swap out certain foods for more healthful varieties could help people avoid many of the sweet, salty (and tempting) treats they encounter every day. The technique could be particularly helpful for people with diabetes, who are often on restricted diets, but with the National Institutes of Health reporting that 66 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese, it may be good for nondiabetics as well. So how do you swap out foods? The following answers to some frequently asked questions might help. They come from experts at dLife.com, a Web site dedicated to helping people manage their diabetes. Q: I can resist most foods, but french fries are my weakness. Is there a food swap that could help? A: With the right swap, french fries no longer have to be on the no-no list. Substitute sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes to make an equally (if not more) delicious, crispy batch of fries. Q: I love pizza, but I read that for many people, it causes delayed blood sugar spikes. Is there a smart swap I can make? A: You can alter the ingredients so you can still enjoy pizza. Instead of a crust made from white dough, try using pita bread. It tastes just like a thin-crust pizza, but with less carbs! Q: I’m on a diet and miss my mac and cheese. Anything I can do? A: Cauliflower is a great substitute for macaroni, potatoes or white rice because of its color and versatile texture. Use cauliflower that is steamed or boiled, chop it roughly and bake to make a roasted cauliflower casserole. Sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan and you won’t know what you are missing. Q: I love quiche, but know that the crust is filled with fats and unhealthy carbs. What would makea good substitution? A: Try a frittata instead. They’re delicious, can be made with eggs and an infinite variety of ingredients (i.e., whatever you’ve got in your kitchen), and stand alone beautifully in nice, triangularslices. Q: I’ve been cutting carbs and shedding pounds, but I really miss bread. Is there a way to bring it back into mylife? A: Check out different types of sprouted breads. Traditional bread is made from grains that are ground up and made into flour. Sprouted bread is made from grains that have been allowed to sprout before being ground. Once it sprouts, the grain contains a greater array of nutrients, and it may even decrease a bit in carbohydrates and glycemic impact. To see more than 20 Healthy Swaps or to find information on portion control and more, visit dLife.com/healthyswaps.
