7 WAYS TO SWAP OUT REFINED CARBS

Your body and brain requires a certain amount of carbohydrates to function optimally each day. Mitochondria burn sugar to produce energy for the body. Carbohydrates break down to sugar.

Unfortunately, most of the nutrition is stripped from carbohydrates such as rice and other whole grains when they’re refined or processed into ‘white’ grains and flours.

Eating refined carbohydrates can spike your blood glucose levels and leave you feeling tired and lethargic. They quickly spike your blood sugar levels because the fiber is stripped out of them. Fiber slows down the digestion of the carbohydrates.

Consuming whole grains and plenty of vegetable sources of carbohydrates ensure you’re getting way more nutrients into your meals, without a major energy slump!

Here are the 7 ways to swap out refined carbs from “Food Matters”. I have added a few of my ideas too:

1. Try lettuce cups instead of white flour tortillas - Skip the flour tortilla for crisp and hydrating lettuce cups! Use fresh large leaves for wraps or taco shells, filling them with your favorite ingredients. Large lettuce leaves can also be used for soft tacos instead of tortillas.

2. Try cauliflower pizza bases instead of white flour pizza bases - Sneak some extra veggies into this household favorite by making the pizza base out of cauliflower!

3. Try zucchini spaghetti instead of regular spaghetti - A Food Matters team favorite.

4. Try sweet potato fries instead of white potato fries - Swap regular French fries for sweet potato fries to boost your intake of vitamin A and fiber. It is better to bake the “fries” and not fry them. I marinate them first in a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, Himalayan sea salt, fresh ground pepper and paprika. If you insist on frying foods, coconut oil is your healthiest choice to fry with coconut oil.

5. Try Portobello mushroom “buns” instead of burger buns - Most burgers are usually more bun than filling! Change it up by with tasty Portobello mushroom buns. Simply brush two mushroom caps with a little olive oil, place on a pan greased with coconut oil and roast in the oven (400 F) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the stems once cooled slightly and add your fillings.

6. Try quinoa instead of white rice - Quinoa is packed with plant-based protein, fiber and essential minerals.

7. Try almond meal bread instead of refined white wheat bread - Fill up with healthy fats, fiber and protein by using almond meal as a base to homemade bread, instead of regular white flour.

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