There are so many new brands popping up all the time, and one thing I love is that there are more options that are made with better ingredients without compromising on taste.
For a while, “healthier” products didn’t always taste that great. Thankfully, there are so many more brands now that have figured out how to make products with fewer, better ingredients that still taste like the foods you want to eat.
I’ve found quite a few that I really like, so I wanted to share some of them with you.
These are all simple swaps for things you probably already have in your pantry. If I were grocery shopping with you, these are some of the easy switches I’d make.
01. Heinz Ketchup → Primal Kitchen Ketchup
Ketchup is one of those things where it’s easy to assume they’re all pretty much the same, but the ingredients can be very different.
Traditional Heinz ketchup is made with tomato concentrate, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and added sugar. Primal Kitchen’s Unsweetened Ketchup is made with tomato concentrate, vinegar, salt, garlic, onion and spices, without the added sugar or corn syrup.
I don’t think you need to avoid sugar completely, but ketchup is one place where it’s pretty easy to find an option that doesn’t need quite so much of it.
It tastes like ketchup should, so this is an easy one if you use it often.
02. Nature Valley Protein Granola → Lovebird Protein Granola
The word “protein” on the front of a package can make something sound like the better choice, but I always like to look at the ingredients too.
Nature Valley’s Protein Granola has whole grain oats and soy protein, but it also contains sugar, molasses, natural flavor, soy lecithin, canola and/or sunflower oil and a few other added ingredients.
Lovebird is one I really like because the ingredient list is much more straightforward: oats, maple syrup, coconut oil, fava bean protein, vanilla extract and sea salt.
It’s crunchy, slightly sweet and really good over yogurt or fruit.
03. Wheat Thins → Mary’s Gone Crackers Real Thin
Wheat Thins are a classic, but their ingredient list includes canola oil, sugar, malt syrup and other added ingredients alongside the wheat.
Mary’s Gone Crackers are made with organic brown rice, quinoa, millet and chia. I like the mix of grains and seeds, and they’re also organic and gluten-free.
They’re still thin, crispy and salty, so if you love having crackers around for hummus, veggies or a quick snack, these are a good one to try.
04. Nature’s Own Protein Wheat Bread → Base Culture Sourdough
This is another example of why I always check the ingredients, even when something has a “healthy” claim on the front.
Nature’s Own Protein Wheat Bread has wheat flour, wheat protein isolate, pea protein, canola oil, sugar and malted barley flour, among other ingredients.
Pea protein is simply protein from peas, so there’s nothing wrong with that on its own. But seeing “protein” on the front doesn’t necessarily mean the bread is made with better ingredients overall.
Base Culture Simply Sourdough has things like sourdough, tapioca, coconut oil, amaranth, quinoa, psyllium and almond flour. It’s also grain-free and gluten-free.
05. Spicy Nacho Doritos → Siete Nacho Tortilla Chips
If you’re the type who loves a good salty, crunchy chip, try this swap.
Doritos have a pretty long ingredient list, including corn, vegetable oils, artificial flavors and colors, along with a number of other ingredients used for the seasoning and texture.
Siete’s Nacho Tortilla Chips are made with cassava, avocado oil, coconut flour, nutritional yeast, tomato powder, chia and spices.
They still give you that cheesy, salty, crunchy thing you want from a nacho chip, but with a much smaller ingredient list.
You’re still eating chips, so I’m not pretending these are a health food. It’s just an easy switch when that’s what you’re craving.
06. Jack Link’s Beef Stick → Chomps
Beef sticks are such an easy snack, especially when you need something quick with protein.
Some traditional beef sticks contain things like corn syrup, sugar, dextrose and preservatives. Chomps is made with 100% grass-fed and finished beef and seasoning, with 10g of protein and no sugar.
I like having something like this around when I want a quick savory snack.
07. Nutella → Artisana Hazelnut Butter
Nutella tastes like hazelnuts, but sugar and palm oil are the first two ingredients, with hazelnuts coming after them.
One thing to pay attention to when reading an ingredient list is the order. Ingredients are listed from the largest amount to the smallest, so in this case, sugar and palm oil make up more of the product than hazelnuts.
Artisana puts the hazelnuts first, so you get much more of that naturally nutty flavor without the sweetness of Nutella.
It’s definitely less sweet, but if you love hazelnuts, I think it’s a really good option. You could also add a little cacao if you want more of that chocolate flavor.
08. Quest Protein Bar → PRIMA Bar
If you like protein bars, this is another one where I’d look past the protein number and check the ingredients.
Quest has 20+ ingredients, including milk and whey protein isolates, soluble corn fiber, erythritol, sucralose and natural flavors. PRIMA has a shorter list, with protein from grass-fed collagen and whey, plus ingredients like cacao, coconut and honey.
A lot of the extra ingredients you see in protein bars are there to create the sweetness, texture and chewiness that make them taste more like a treat. That doesn’t automatically make them bad, but it’s something I like to be aware of.
I talk more about what to look for in a protein bar and some of my other favorites brands in a previous blog here.
09. SkinnyPop → LesserEvil Popcorn
Popcorn is such an easy snack, and there are so many brands to choose from in the chip aisle.
SkinnyPop isn’t a terrible option, but it contains sunflower oil and natural flavors. Natural flavors are flavoring ingredients derived from natural sources, but the term can cover a wide range of ingredients, so I prefer products where I can see exactly what’s being used.
LesserEvil keeps it really simple with organic popcorn, organic extra virgin coconut oil and Himalayan salt.
10. Silk Almond Milk → MALK Almond Milk
Silk’s Unsweetened Almond Milk contains almonds, but also ingredients like sunflower oil, natural flavor and gellan gum, which helps keep the milk smooth and prevents the ingredients from separating. It also contains added vitamins and minerals.
MALK’s Unsweetened Almond Milk has just three ingredients: filtered water, organic almonds and Himalayan pink salt.
Both work the same way in your coffee, cereal or smoothies. If you’re buying almond milk regularly, this is a really easy one to switch.
11. Chips Ahoy → Simple Mills Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sometimes you just want an easy cookie and not have to make a batch. I’m with you.
The popular one in the snack aisle is Chips Ahoy with a long list of ingredients, including refined flour, oils, sugars, syrups and more. The alternative is the brand Simple Mills, which uses almond, coconut and flax seed flour blend, coconut sugar, coconut oil and chocolate chips.
They’re still good crunchy, chocolatey cookies that you can grab when you want something sweet.
A Few Simple Swaps
You don’t need to change everything in your grocery cart. These are just a few common products you might already be buying and some alternatives I personally prefer.
The next time you’re shopping, look past the claims on the front of the package and have a quick look at the ingredient list. You might be surprised by what you find and by how many alternatives are now available.