Healthier Food Options

One of the biggest questions I get – aside from “where do you get your protein?” is “What foods can I have, just fruits and vegetables?!?”

First off, the answer to the first one I love to give is “I get MY protein where YOUR protein gets ITS protein.”  In other words, cows and chickens aren’t carnivorous – they eat grass and grains.  Yet look how muscular they are.  People are often surprised just how much protein exists in plants, beans and legumes.  Often times as much as if not more than what you’d find in meat.

I digress.  People then assume to be healthier, eating gluten-free, sugar-free, avoiding processed foods means that they have to eat “diet” foods or only fruits and vegetables.  Let me first clarify, gluten-free and/or sugar-free is NOT the same thing as diet.  Things that are gluten-free do not taste like things that typically are marketed as diet foods.  They taste THE SAME as regular foods – they just don’t have gluten as a binding agent.  That’s all.

Now, I’ve been on a plant-based diet for over 4 years, and have avoided processed foods for around 7 years.  In these past couple of years, I’ve found a LOT of great options that will help people ease into a plant-based diet.  These are what I like to refer to as “analogs.”  Similar to products you may already eat or drink now (yes, even some processed), but are much healthier.

If you are afraid to jump into a more plant-based, vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, you can at least try to transition into using these products (or similar) first.

I will be listing brands only to give ideas of what people may currently be having, and things I have found that taste closest to the regular options.  You may find other brands you like better, but these will give you a place to start.

Food/DrinkCategory	Regular versions	Healthier versions
Bread	Mrs. Baird’s	Ezekial 4:9
Breakfast bar	Most brands	NuGo Smart Carb(recommend Peanut Butter Crunch)
Breakfast sausage	Jimmy Dean’s	Applegate
Cereal	Most brands	Erewhon, Perky’s, Nature’s Path
Milk/creamers	Any dairy	So Delicious Coconut milk; Almond milk; Silk soy milk; Rice Dream rice milk(most come in creamers as well)
Waffles	Eggo	Van’s brand (wheat, gluten, dairy & egg free)
Chips	Doritos, Tostitos, Cheetos	Terra chips; Food Should Taste Good brand tortilla chips; Beanitos brand chips; Michael Season’s brand cheddar cheese puffs
Sodas	Dr. Pepper Fruit flavored sodas	Dr. Zevia Cascade Ice (recommend Black Currant)
Energy drink/electrolytes	Vitamin Water Gatorade/Powerade	Vitamin Water Zero; ONE coconut water
Beer	Most brands	Redbridge, Bard’s, Green’s
Hot dogs	Oscar Meyer	Boarshead(gluten & sugar free)
Pizza	Most brands	Amy’s, Glutino
French fries	Most brands	Alexia, OreIda—both have sweet potato fries
Shredded cheese	Dairy-based	Rice or soy based “cheddar” or “mozzarella” cheeses
Ice cream	Most brands	Coconut BlissSO DeliciousNada Moo
Chocolate	Candy bars	Chocoperfection
Sugar	Any brand	Truvia (stevia)Xylosweet (xylitol)
Condiments	Heinz ketchupSalsaSalad dressingPancake syrup	Organicville ketchupAmy’s organic salsaOrganicville salad dressingsMaple Grove Farms salad dressing;Maple Grove FarmsVermont pancake syrup
Soy sauce	Kikkoman	San-J,Coconut Secret