Sweet Thursday – Top 5 Replacement Foods

For today’s rendition of Sweet Thursday, I’m providing a list of 5 healthy foods certain to deliver a nectarous experience. These foods aren’t candy, so you’ll have to slow down, chew, and savor the experience to encounter the full burst of flavors. You’ll feel more present as a result and perhaps even experience the nutrients entering your bloodstream.

Note: FIHIWCO = Food I hope it will “crowd out”.

1. Sweet potatoes and yams are delectable members of the dark orange vegetable family and rule when it comes to vitamin A content. Try a baked sweet potato (also brimming with vitamin C, calcium and potassium) in place of a baked white potato. Add some grass fed butter, and enjoy the sugar that naturally matures as your spud is baked .Want ‘em even sweeter? Try overcooking them just a tad and eating the following day.

FIHIWCO: French Fries

2. Berries pack an incredible amount of nutritional goodness into a bite-size package. These bad boys are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Their high water and fiber content assists in blood sugar regulation.  The vivid color stimulates us visually, while their nutrition satisfies for a fraction of the calories in processed, sugary snacks. Blueberries in particular kick ass because they are among the highest sources of aforementioned antioxidants and are available just about everywhere at nearly every time of year, even the organically grown variety.

FIHIWCO: Candies like these

3. Kiwis are among the most nutritionally dense fruits. Like berries, they are full of antioxidants. One large kiwi supplies a boatload of vitamin C, so go ahead and throw out that bottle of “C” pills. We are all looking for good sources of potassium, fiber and vitamin A, all of which are found in kiwis. They are also one of the only fruits that dole out Vitamin E, not an easy vitamin to come by. Slice this guy in half and eat it with a spoon to derive the sensory experience that accompanies some less healthy snacking.

FIHIWCO: Sugar filled yogurts like this

4. Raw, or at least organic, whole milk contains beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, is high in protein and delivers two quick jabs of vitamins A and D. More good news, it may help you stay lean. From npr.org:

In one paper, published by Swedish researchers in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, middle-aged men who consumed high-fat milk, butter and cream were significantly less likely to become obese over a period of 12 years compared with men who never or rarely ate high-fat dairy. Yep, that’s right. The butter and whole-milk eaters did better at keeping the pounds off.

Milk isn’t sweet you say? Well, not like a Milky Way, but really pay attention the next time you pour yourself a glass. For me, it’s both creamy and sugary. Sound familiar?

FIHIWCO: Ice Cream/Gelato and similar products like this gem (not really a gem)

5. Macadamia Nuts make my list of terribly underrated foods. These satisfying little dudes are a solid source of important trace minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, chromium, manganese and zinc. You’ll derive a nice hit of protein through your consumption and debunk yet another diet myth along the way. Folks often avoid grabbing macadamia nuts thinking that they’re laden with fats and cholesterol. However, some studies suggest the monounsaturated fats contained within promote weight loss (not a goal at kaplifestyle.com, but you get the picture). The fatty acids in the nuts will satisfy alone, but add some sea salt and you get that mix of sweet and salty we all desire from time to time. Like milk, you’ll need to be tuned in to experience the sugar, but its there.

FIHIWCO: Chips

Would love to hear your list in the comments below.

Take good care,

Kap