Healthy Food Swaps to Make in 2022

Vowing to completely overhaul what we eat and drink is certainly a dramatic way to kick off a new year — but that momentum is tough (and often miserable) to maintain. “When I’m talking to patients about making beginning-of-the-year changes, I’m never going to say there’s something you can absolutely never have, because this is life. There has to be some kind of middle ground,” says Alejandra Ellison-Barnes, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. When it comes to making health-conscious changes, “making little shifts bit by bit is much more sustainable over time than trying to do something radical and cutting out all of your favorite food for all time.”

So what’s the recipe for a healthy, realistic new plan? Replace less-than-optimal items and ingredients with appealing alternatives. “Your swaps shouldn't feel like a sacrifice,” says registered dietitian-nutritionist Samantha Cassetty, co-author of Sugar Shock. “They should feel fun and tasty and fit within the way you enjoy eating.” Consider the 15 tweaks we highlight here for what you can eat and drink going forward. Implement these expert-approved changes as often as you can, and you’ll be going strong when another new year rolls around.

When you find yourself craving something savory and crunchy, scratch the itch with a handful of nuts (about one ounce) instead of a greasy pile of chips. You’ll be consuming healthy unsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats, and you’ll skip the blood-sugar spike (and crash) associated with refined carbs. “Nuts are great,” Ellison-Barnes says. “If I have to work a long shift I take along a little container of nuts and then [I have] something that’s easy to eat on the go that’s not messy.” Her snack has well-documented benefits: A 2017 study that analyzed data from more than 200,000 subjects for up to 30 years found that regular consumption of nuts was associated with a 13 percent to 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 15 percent to 23 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease in particular.

A 2020 swap-specific study crunched three decades’ worth of dietary and disease data from more than 40,000 subjects to find out how substituting protein sources might reduce our risk of coronary heart disease — and found that plant-based proteins, whole grains, dairy and eggs all lowered that risk when they replaced processed meat. Fancy a stick-to-your-bones breakfast that provides a wallop of flavor and those health benefits? Try shakshuka, a spicy, saucy egg dish that’ll start your day with a bang.

Another delicious way to replace meat? Umami-packed shrooms. “Red, processed meats have been connected to an increased risk for certain cancers as well as the development of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), a condition that impacts one-quarter of Americans,” explains Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. “Sauteed shiitake mushrooms that are cut thinly are an amazing bacon replacement. Plus, fungus has been shown to be a major benefit to gut health.”

“Fruit yogurts in the store often have a ton of added sugar, fillers, things that just don’t need to be there. True yogurt is just cultured milk,” notes Ellison-Barnes. "So if you can find a plain yogurt that’s as close to that as possible and then add any toppings that you want — either fresh fruit or frozen fruit — then you have the same outcome while cutting out a lot of sugar and fillers that aren’t necessary. That’s a swap that I use both for myself and my son.” Cassetty recommends a similar trick: “Try heated frozen fruit mixed with chia seeds instead of jam,” she says. “I use this in oatmeal, over pancakes and on top of my toast spread with nut butter. This is packed with fiber, omega-3s and antioxidants, and unlike jelly or jam, has no added sugar.”

Speaking of breakfast upgrades, “packaged instant oatmeal is another product that has a ton of sugar and fillers in it,” Ellison-Barnes says. “And is very easy to substitute: Just microwave plain oatmeal and add what you want. Oatmeal is a great healthy breakfast if you can do it without the sugar; add fruit, nuts and a tiny bit of maple syrup and cinnamon, something that can give you that cinnamon-sugar flavor without the actual sugar that’s so heavy in commercial products.”

Want to take it to the next level? “To get the most bang for your nutritional buck, intact grains are the way to go,” Kirkpatrick says. “Though all whole grains have benefit, intact grains may boast more fiber and protein, which slows the absorption of blood sugar and insulin response. It also may fill you up quicker and better so you don’t feel the need to eat a few hours after a snack or meal out of hunger. Steel-cut oats are the most intact, untouched kind of oat to consume.”

Now, hear us out on this one: It sounds like a big change, but if plain, processed pasta is the make-or-break ingredient in your lasagna, you need a recipe reboot anyway. “Few people meet veggie recommendations, so this is a fun and delicious way to get more veggies in your life,” Cassetty says. “It’s not about giving anything up. It’s about getting something more.” What’s the big deal about the white flour in pasta, you ask? A 10-year study with participants in 21 countries found that high intake of refined grains is associated with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke and early death.

While we’re talking pasta, might we suggest another experiment? Building on the data we just gave you, “White, refined pasta adds carbs and calories without any nutrients,” Kirkpatrick explains. “Additionally, regular consumption of white refined carbs has been shown to increase the risk for type 2 diabetes. Instead, go for major nutrient-rich bean-based pasta where you’ll get vitamins, fiber and protein, which may reduce the risk for chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes and NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).”

“I have nothing against regular pasta as part of a balanced meal, but if you want to get more protein and fiber, these pastas can help,” Cassetty says. “I like them because I don’t always want to cook a protein on the side, so I can skip that step with these.”

Draw inspiration from gourmands on the French Riviera and cook up your next pie on socca, a savory, pizza-like flatbread that’s made with chickpea flour (so it’s gluten-free). “I make a chickpea flour flatbread using just a few ingredients. It’s so simple to make and is such a healthy swap because it doesn’t contain any refined flour,” Cassetty says.

Now, this one’s not actually a swap. Researchers have found that foods like veggies and nuts that are high in protein and fiber (and fat) moderate spikes in blood sugar levels. “Reducing glycemic variability is important for diabetics (type 1 and 2) but is also important for healthy people, too, since glucose spikes are associated with vascular dysfunction,” explains Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. That means that a snack like carrots or almonds consumed shortly beforehand has a positive influence on the way your body reacts to a carb-heavy treat.

It’s not scientific fact, exactly, but we’d argue that popcorn is the most delightful of the whole grains — and it’s a fantastically satisfying stand-in for processed snacks. “Not only does popcorn provide ample fiber (something most Americans are not getting enough of), but one study showed that popcorn has an abundance of antioxidants similar to fruits and vegetables,” Kirkpatrick says. Ellison-Barnes is a fan as well: “I get the kind that doesn’t have butter flavoring or anything — just plain popcorn — and then add seasonings to that,” she says.

“Seek packaged foods with upgraded ingredients compared to traditional varieties,” Cassetty advises. “As an example, buy a pancake mix that has almond flour instead of refined flour.” She partners with Birch Benders, a brand that’s made its way into her own kitchen: “Birch Benders Keto Pancake & Waffle mix uses nutrient-rich flours, like almond flour.”

D’Agostino favors mixes that are paleo-, keto- and diabetic-friendly, as well as gluten-free: “We do our holiday baking with Yummi Foods mixes,” he says. “[Their] brownies, cookies and muffins taste amazing, and are more satiating (higher fiber) and cause no sugar spikes.”

“We are huge seltzer fans,” Ellison-Barnes says, “and so we have all kinds of flavors, whether we’re buying the cans or making our own at home. That’s a great substitution because you still get the carbonation that I think a lot of people enjoy, but you can really cut down on a lot of sugar if you switch from soda. It’s a big change and people don’t necessarily like it at first, but I’ve found — at least in some of my patients — that after a transition period when people get used to not having so much sugar both in foods and drinks, then go back to them," she says, they tend to think, "‘oh, things taste really sweet, I can’t believe I used to drink that!’ Because your palate does adjust over time.”

“At home we really love kale chips as a crunchy savory snack, that’s pretty easy to do in the oven,” Ellison-Barnes says. Baking up a cup of kale chips tossed in olive oil yields a 153-calorie snack that supplies 134 percent of your daily vitamin C, more than 600 percent of your daily vitamin K, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients your eyes need that your body can’t produce). Can they scoop salsa? Not really. But we forgive them.

Half a cup of croutons made with white bread will add crunch and about 100 calories to your salad, and that’s about it. Introduce texture, flavor and satiating protein with omega-3-packed walnuts, snappy roasted pumpkin seeds (full of sleep-supporting magnesium) or slivered almonds. To replicate that bready crunch, try spicing and baking a batch of crispy chickpeas, then sprinkling them on top of your next bowl.