Recently we talked with my friend Pat Bissell on the podcast. She shared a variety of ways she stays healthy by adjusting her mindset and with several types of exercises and food swaps.
One food swap that really caught my attention was the idea of swapping out butter with a flavored red balsamic vinegar. Pat told us that gets her favored vinegar and gourmet oils at Olive My Heart, a near by independent shop that has a wide variety of choices.
I mentioned in a post a few months ago that I have been watching my cholesterol. One of the ways I have been doing that is by using a little bit of olive oil in place of butter on my toast. I’ll admit, it does taste a little different and really takes some getting used to, but now I’m going to try balsamic vinegar instead. I like trying new flavors and I also like seeing good lipid results with my lab tests.
Until I heard Pat mention it, I hadn’t really considered using a flavored balsamic vinegar, but I think it’s a great idea.
Since vinegar has zero calories, compared to butter with 9 calories per gram, it tastes great and saves calories.
Have you figured out a good way to replace regular butter in your daily meal?
Just to be clear, I don’t mean margarine, which I believe is worse for my health than butter. I grew up as a kid in a household that only ate Blue Bonnet, but it’s not something I’d consider now. (Cue the song.)
Dry toast, or a plain baked potato is fine, but sometimes I feel a bit deprived. To be honest, that feeling of depriving myself is a really bad trigger for future success with keeping the weight off. It’s often easy to just skip a food, but once in a while, I need an indulgence, however I’m always looking for a healthier swap that I enjoy. How about you?
Let me know if you have made the switch and what you use in place of butter. Do you like flavored vinegars? Leave a comment in the space below.