Look, I’m a freak about the kinds of food I eat, and maybe you are too. I don’t want weird seed oils in my food, I don’t like processed sugars, I eat everything organic, and hey – if the meat in my homemade hamburger patty is from a regenerative farm, that’s even better. If you’re in a place in life where you’ve decided what you put in your body matters, and you’re ready to make some changes then you’re in the right place. By the end of this blog post, you’ll know my top favorite healthy food swaps for clean eating that you can find at most healthy grocery stores or online.
Because truthfully, I absolutely love food, and as much as I want to eat clean, I don’t want to sacrifice my favorite snacks and meals.
Like, you can bet if I’m craving something I’m gonna eat it – I’m just gonna find a healthier version of it. If you’re in the same boat, keep reading.
And if clean ingredients are your jam, check out my post on affordable non-toxic, clean skincare and beauty brands!
But what does “clean eating” mean?
Clean eating means different things for different people. For the sake of this post, I want you to know: these are not necessarily “low calorie” healthy food swaps.
These recommendations are, however, more nutrient-dense, free of artificial flavors (and some are even free of natural flavors!), made with as many whole ingredients as possible, don’t contain fillers or fake sugars, and will honestly make you feel sooo much better than their original version.
And for the most part, none of these healthy swaps I’m sharing with you will contain seed oils – if they do, I will highlight them for you. (Spoiler alert: the only thing with a seed oil is the kettle korn mentioned in #4, which contains sunflower lecithin.)
Why are we avoiding seed oils again?
It took me a while to get on the No Seed Oil Train, but now that I’m here, I put a lot of effort into staying on this sucker.
Look, there’s a lot of controversy on whether or not seed oils are bad for you (seed oils being sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, etc.). You honestly don’t need to take my word for it.
But in my experience, I have felt so much better and healthier overall when I’m avoiding seed oils. My stomach doesn’t hurt or get bloated, my skin is so much clearer, and my knee pain goes away.
(I know, I sound like an 80-year-old grandmother complaining about her bad hip… just leave me and my old lady knees alone).
The discussion re: seed oils
Anyway, there’s been a lot of discussion about how seed oils can contribute to chronic inflammation and may create free radicals which in turn are linked to various cancers. Some are also said to cause rapid blood sugar spikes.
Then there are those who will laugh in your face and tell you that seed oils are perfectly safe, and that you’re ridiculous for avoiding them.
Regardless, this is my blog post and sharing foods that are seed oil-free is what I’m doing. So there ya go.
Now, let’s dive into my list of super easy food swaps you can make for healthier choices in your kitchen.
I often use affiliate links in my blog posts! That means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I might earn some money (which I will use to buy the coffee that fuels me to write even MORE content for you —superduperfast), at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support and allowing me to share my favorite things with you!
#1 Swap pre-made protein shakes for clean protein powder
I used to just grab a protein shake from the grocery store after my workouts. It’s a reasonable choice – they usually taste okay and they’re convenient.
But a closer look at the ingredients of these protein shakes shows all kinds of weird stuff – fillers, additives, extra sugars, gums, artificial flavors, etc. Plus, those protein shakes always hurt my stomach and made me bloated because (apparently) I’m sensitive to whey protein.
So when I discovered a clean protein powder made with beef isolate protein, I was hyped.
I tried it and instantly fell in love. Since it’s made with beef protein, it never upsets my stomach, and I love knowing I’m getting 21 grams of bioavailable complete protein in every shake I make.
(And it doesn’t taste like beef at all – swear. It tastes like dessert.)
Made with no added chemicals, fillers, binding agents or artificial junk, this is the absolute best clean protein swap to make.
Note: I alternate between different flavors each time I order, but my absolute favorites are the chocolate (duh), salted caramel (a new fav), and iced coffee. They taste like a treat, with none of the fake, funky flavor that so many other protein shakes have.
And if you need more convincing, just check out my full review of Equip Prime Protein here.
Where to buy
You can buy Equip Prime Protein straight from their website! You can try Prime protein for 15% off your first order here, or just use code SAVDUFFY at checkout <3
#2 Swap regular cream cheese for Nancy’s probiotic cream cheese
Your girl loves a bagel on the weekend (or like, every day), so having a clean cream cheese in the house is a must.
And I’m not trying to hate on Philadelphia cream cheese (I meannnn), but why is there whey protein concentrate, carob bean gum, and vitamin A palmitate in it?
I highly recommend swapping your run-of-the-mill cream cheese for Nancy’s probiotic cream cheese instead.
Nancy’s organic probiotic cream cheese is made with pasteurized cream, pasteurized nonfat milk, salt, and 4 strains of lactic cultures (live probiotic cultures).
It tastes just as creamy and thick as regular cream cheese, so you won’t even notice the difference. Plus, I love any time I can find a healthy food swap that gives you added health benefits.
Where to buy
Basically any healthy grocery store – and some regular stores too! Sprouts, Whole Foods, Frazier Farms, Lazy Acres, Jimbo’s Naturally (granted, most of these are in San Diego County. If you need help finding Nancy’s near you, just use their store finder!)
#3 Swap your chips for avocado oil- or coconut oil-based chips or snacks
Most of the chips you find at the grocery store contain lots of weird additives or seed oils. Doritos, Lay’s, even Late July chips – they all contain canola oils, soybean oils, vegetable oils, etc. Dorito’s and Lay’s especially contain more fillers and preservatives.
My favorite chips to eat when I’m craving that Dorito-like crunch is Siete chips.
All of their chips and snack products are made with avocado oil, as opposed to seed oils.
Personally, it’s their Dairy Free Nacho chips that have me in a chokehold. Made with cassava flour, cassava starch, avocado oil, and other natural, whole ingredients and seasonings, this chip is as clean as you can get without sacrificing any delicious flavor.
And if potato chips are more your thing, Siete Chipotle BBQ chips and Salt & Vinegar potato chips are insanely addictive… Which might not be the goal since we’re talking about health, but hey – chips are pretty addictive by nature.
Where to buy
Sprouts, Target, Vons, Ralph’s, Costco, and of course the usual healthy grocery stores like Whole Foods, Jimbo’s, Lazy Acres, etc. Use their store finder to find Siete near you!
#4 Swap your popcorn for Lesser Evil or GHEElish
Like Siete chips, Lesser Evil has been around long enough that you’ve probably already tried it, or at least seen it at the store.
I have exactly one qualm with Lesser Evil – and that’s that their Himalayan Sweetness (Kettle Korn flavor) contains sunflower lecithin.
Other than that, both Lesser Evil and GHEElish make their popcorn with minimal ingredients, maximal yumminess, and either coconut oil or ghee.
It’s also worth noting that these are a fairly low-calorie snack, unlike some of the other tasty options I’ve mentioned in this post.
Where to buy
Sprouts, Target, Vons, Ralph’s, Costco, and of course the usual healthy grocery stores like Whole Foods, Jimbo’s, Lazy Acres, etc. Use their store finder to find Siete near you!
#5 Swap your soda for Olipop or Poppi
Yes, Olipop and Poppi are those cute, colorful, aesthetic “soda alternatives” that everyone raves about online.
Personally, I prefer Olipops. I feel like Poppi is just too sweet for me, but to each their own.
Both Olipop and Poppi are prebiotic soft drinks (not probiotic, like kombucha is). I love that drinking these satisfies the craving for soda, but gives you extra health benefits with minimal weird ingredients and wayyy less sugar.
Swap your usual Dr. Pepper for Olipop’s Dr. Goodwin, or your Coca-Cola for Olipop’s Vintage Cola. Or just try any of their flavors, ‘cause I genuinely like all of them.
Pro tip: Make a root beer float using Olipop’s Classic Root Beer and my favorite mega-delicious clean ice cream, Ice Cream for Bears. (More about this ice cream in #10!)
Where to buy:
Literally almost any grocery store. Target, Sprouts, Walmart, Costco, yada yada. Of course, here’s a handy-dandy store finder for Olipop and for Poppi!
#6 Swap your candy bars for Hu Kitchen or Alter Eco chocolate
If you’re a dark chocolate fanatic like me, but you’re avoiding unnecessary fillers and seed oils in your chocolate, then you’ll love these 2 brands.
Hu chocolate
It’s kind of embarrassing how stocked up we keep this chocolate at our house.
Hu chocolate bars offer several insanely good flavors while prioritizing organic, clean, fair trade ingredients.
Made with no palm oil, soy lecithin, gluten, cane sugar, emulsifiers, etc, you won’t find a cleaner, tastier chocolate brand than this one. (Except maybe the second one I’m about to mention).
My top favorites: Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean, Hazelnut Coffee, Cashew Butter + Orange Vanilla, and Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa.
Where to buy:
Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart, Amazon, and more. Store finder here!
Alter Eco chocolate
Similar to Hu Kitchen, Alter Eco is organic, fair trade, and never contains weird ingredients or seed oils.
Even their truffle thins (which I can’t recommend enough), contain clean ingredients and are made with coconut oil instead of seed oils. No soy, no additives, no artificial sweeteners, etc, these chocolate bars are the perfect treat for anyone craving indulgent chocolate.
Where to buy:
Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Frazier Farms, and more. Use their store finder here!
#7 Swap your canned tuna for Safe Catch Elite
Safe Catch tuna is my top favorite way for super easy, delicious, and high-protein snacking.
The best thing about this brand of tuna is that every single tuna they use is tested for mercury. They have the lowest mercury of any brand, and their tuna is wild, sustainably caught.
If convenience is the name of the game for you, I highly recommend their Garlic Herb or Chili Lime tuna. Pre-seasoned and with 21 grams of protein, all you have to do is knead the bag to work in the natural oils, then rip open the bag and eat.
I like to eat it on toast, or use it in a salad, but there are tons of other creative ways you can eat it!
Where to buy:
Ralphs, Walmart, Costco, Food 4 Less, and more. Use their store finder to find Safe Catch near you!
#8 Swap your condiments for Primal Kitchen
If you and I ever go out for dinner together, get ready for me to ask for like, 3 extra sauces on the side. I want it all. I want ranch, BBQ, ketchup, and honey mustard. If it’s a sauce, I want it.
The thing is, so many condiments contains sooo many weird things. Usually seed oils, unfortunately.
Not everyone is gonna feel me on this, but try to start swapping your condiments at home for Primal Kitchen. Their condiments contain ZERO seed oils, artificial ingredients, or fillers.
Plus, they’re all MUCH lower in calories, if that’s something you’re looking for.
Personally, my favorite is their unsweetened Spicy Ketchup, BBQ, Mayo, and their Alfredo sauce for pasta.
It might take an adjustment to go from Heinz to Primal Kitchen, but it’s worth the swap for your health.
Where to buy
Sprouts, Target, Vons, Ralphs, and more. Check out their store finder!
#9 Swap your pre-sweetened yogurt for plain yogurts and honey (high protein, clean ingredients)
So many yogurt brands that are marketed as “healthy” are packed with extra sugars, additives, artificial flavors, and other junk that’s doing more harm than good.
For instance – the sweetened Yoplait yogurts contain kosher gelatin, corn starch, natural flavor, and pectin. Like. Whyyy do we need all that in there?
While Chobani yogurts are on the cleaner side, their sweetened yogurts still contain guar gum, locust bean gum, and natural flavors. While that might not be the worst ingredients, why not just keep it simple and sweeten your yogurt with honey and real, whole fruit?
So, let’s get to it.
My all-time favorite yogurt brands are Straus Family Creamery or Painterland Sisters.
Both brands have incredibly clean, plain yogurt. While I love to eat both of these yogurts plain, you can always add some honey, berries, or even protein powder to mix in.
Straus plain Greek yogurt: Simple, creamy, tart
If you like your yogurt to be tart and tangy, then Straus Plain Greek yogurt is your best bet. We usually get the whole milk yogurt, but they have low-fat and non-fat options as well.
Straus plain yogurt is made with only two ingredients – their organic milk and live, active cultures.
It’s delicious by itself, and I love the texture of the whole milk Greek. (I can’t stand watery yogurt, so this brand gets my Thicc Stamp of approval!)
Painterland Sisters Organic Skyr yogurt: High protein, thick, lactose-free
If you prefer your plain yogurt to be less tart (while still having that thicc, creamy texture) then Painterland Sisters is a great option.
Besides the texture and taste, Painterland Sisters is my favorite because of its high-protein to low-calorie ratio.
Their organic Skyr yogurt is made with real dairy, while having the benefit of being lactose-free for those with dairy sensitivities.
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic style of yogurt that’s thicker, smoother, and more nutrient-dense than other yogurts. Plus, it’s packed with protein and billions of probiotics, while being naturally low in sugar.
A travel-sized plain Skyr yogurt (5.3 oz) contains only 140 calories, and 18 grams of protein! Which is honestly wild.
If protein and clean ingredients are important for your health journey, this is the healthy food swap you want to make.
#10 (my favorite) Swap your ice cream for Ice Cream for Bears
DON’T. Even get me started on this. It’s an addiction, and I don’t want to be saved.
Ice Cream for Bears is most easily found at your local Sprouts and is hands-down the BEST, most decadent and clean ingredient ice cream you’ll try.
Grass-fed, regenerative, and sweetened only with honey, this ice cream tastes incredible and will easily satisfy your midnight ice cream craving.
They have a 3-ingredient base: 1) grass-fed dairy from cows living happily on big ole farms, 2) raw, unfiltered honey, 3) eggs.
Yup. That’s it. Crazy, right?
While I’ve tried and loved every flavor, my top recommendations are Chocturnal (triple chocolate), Honey Honey (love this with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt on it), and Bearista (French coffee ice cream with cacao nibs).
As much as Ben & Jerry’s raised me and got me through many PMS cycles, it’s time to say good-bye (at least for most of the time!), and say hello to Ice Cream for Bears.
Trust me on this one. You won’t regret it.
Where to buy
Ice Cream for Bears is most easily located at Sprouts, but you can use their grocery store finder to see if it’s carried at other locations near you. They also offer nationwide shipping if you want to buy online!
Conclusion to my favorite, easy healthy food swaps for clean eating
Okay boo, that’s it for my top healthy food swaps in our kitchen! I hope you found at least one new clean eating product you’re excited to try, and if not then keep an eye out because… I’m literally constantly finding new healthy food swaps to share about!
Remember, everyone’s “healthy food” or “clean eating” standard is different.
Mine just happens to focus on organic, no seed-oils or soy food products.
I know it’s not for everyone, and even if you’re just dipping your toe into the no seed oil lifestyle, that’s great!
The last thing I want to do is to make you feel like you’re doing something wrong, or to add another “self improvement” task to everything else you’ve already got going on.
This list is to simply share some of my favorite products that I love and have made a regular part of my diet, and hopefully help you discover some new healthy swaps you love, too.
The best thing you can do for your health is to create sustainable habits that make you feel your best and that nourish your body – without guilt-tripping yourself.
Sending you SO much love, friend.
