10 Easy Pantry Swaps To Help You Feel Better

When I first started cutting out certain ingredients, I focused on what I had to give up, such as dairy, seed oils, refined sugar, all the fun stuff. I was reading labels like a detective, Googling ingredients I couldn't pronounce and realizing just how many things weren’t going to work for me anymore. But what helped the most wasn’t obsessing over what to avoid. It was figuring out what I could add to replace those things with.

I’m not someone who wants to source niche ingredients from six different stores. I just wanted a few basics I could count on. So I started slowly upgrading my pantry with allergen-friendly staples.

I put together a quick infographic of the top 10 pantry swaps I swear by. These aren’t fancy or hard to find. They’re just simple changes that help make me feel better without sacrificing the flavors I am familiar with.

Here are a few of my favorites from the list:

• Coconut aminos instead of soy sauce: Tastes close enough but is better for you.

• Avocado oil instead of seed oils: Great for high heat and doesn’t cause inflammation.

• Vegan butter instead of dairy butter: I still get the richness and can make indulgent deserts without the inflammation that comes from normal butter.

Over time, these swaps have become second nature. They’ve made it easier to cook food that I love without sacrificing how it makes me feel.

You can check out the full list below. Feel free to share it if you think it might help someone else trying to figure out what to eat when the usual staples don’t cut it. And if you’ve found your own go-to swaps, I’d love to hear them as well.