Dancer-Friendly Ingredient Swaps

August 26, 2014

Looking for a way to take your favorite recipes to the next level? Here are three easy ingredient swaps that can do your body a whole lot of good with just a small bit of effort. 

 

1. Swap out soy sauce for liquid aminos.

Why: Liquid aminos contain 16 of the 20 amino acids, which help serve as the building blocks of muscles. It tastes like a subtler soy sauce, and a half-teaspoon serving contains 160 milligrams of sodium, compared with 533 milligrams in a low-sodium soy sauce. Bragg brand liquid aminos are available at most grocery stores.

2. Swap out pine nuts for hemp seeds in homemade pesto.

Why: Hemp seeds are cheaper than pine nuts, and they’re packed with protein, fiber, magnesium and essential fatty acids. Plus, the nutty flavor is similar to that of pine nuts.

3. Swap out regular vinegar for apple cider vinegar.

Why: Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is made with fermented apples, and the pectin in the apples aids in digestion. Try adding some to tea with honey, lemon and cayenne to give your immune system a boost. It’s also a tasty addition to baked porkchops.