15 Food Swap Ideas for Weight Loss

By Joanna 30/09/2016 In
Knowledge
Nutritional Tips

What we want to focus on is to learn to make small manageable and sustainable changes that will have a huge long-term impact. So I want to share with you 15 simple food swap ideas that will help you slash the calories without making huge sacrifices to your favourite food and flavours.

  Swap This Eat This Calorie Saving  
1. Granola
(1/2 cup = 300Cals)
Muesli
(1/2 cup = 144Cals)
156Cals

Granola may sound like a healthy breakfast option. It might shock you to know that just ½ cup of granola has about 300Cals. It is high in oil, butter and sugar.

Swap it for Muesli instead. Muesli has the same raw ingredients as Granola, but WITHOUT any oil, butter or added sugar. You’ll be saving about 156Calories!

2. 12oz Cappuccino or Latte (200Cals) 12oz Americano or Tea (0Cals) 180Cals

A 12oz Latte with whole milk has an average of 200Cals. That’s 10% of your daily calorie recommendation!

Swap it for a cup of Americano and you’ll be saving 200Cals!
If it’s too strong for you, you can always add a shot of semi skimmed milk.

Or swap it for a cup of green tea.

3. 1tbsp Mayonnaise
(94Cals, 10g Fat)
100g Greek Yoghurt
(14Cals, 0.9g Fat)
585Cals

1 tbsp of mayo has a whopping 94Cals and 10g of fat. It’s high in calories but low in nutrients.

Swap it for Greek Yoghurt instead. 1 tbsp has 14 Cals and under 1g of Fat. You’ll be saving 80 Calories!

Use it as salad dressing or dips, mix it with tuna, eggs, chicken or potato, or used it as the base of a creamy dessert.

4. Creamy Salad Dressing
(1tbsp = 70Cals)
Oil & Vinegar-based Dressing
(1tbsp = 15Cals)
55Cals

The dressing you choose may ruin a healthy salad. 1 tbsp of creamy salad dressing has a whopping 70Cals, it’s loaded with saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Waaping

Keep your salad healthy and swap for oil and vinegar-based dressings instead. You’ll be saving 55Cals plus you will be adding healthy fats into your meal.

5. Crisps
(1 small 30g packet = 170Cals)
Air-popped Popcorn
(110Cals)
1Cup = 31Cals
 

1 small packet of crisps has 170Cals and close to zero nutrients. They are high in saturated fats, calories and salt!

Swap it for plain or lightly seasoned air-popped popcorn.

1 cup only has 31Cals, packed with antioxidants, fibre and excellent for digestion.

6. Creamy Soup
(1 cup = 220Cals, 17g fat)
Broth-Based Soup (1 cup = 38Cals) 182Cals

Don’t be fooled by soups. 1 cup of creamy mushroom soup can rack as many as 220Cals and 17g Fat!

Swap it for homemade broth-based soup which is just 18Cals per cup.

You’ll be saving more than 200Cals and also your waistline.

7. Whole Dairy Milk
(1 cup = 148Cals)
Unsweetened Almond Milk
(1 cup = 60Cals)
88Cals

A cup of whole diary milk has 148Cals. Swap it for unsweetened Almond milk and save 88 calories.

Almond milk is also great for Vegans or those with lactose intolerance.

8. Soda Drinks
(12oz = 140Cals)
Sparking Water
(12oz = 0Cals)
140Cals

Swap soda drinks including diet soda for sparkling water.

You will still get the fizz of a can of soda BUT without the chemicals, colourings or artificial sweeteners that can lead to weight gain.

Plus you get to meet your daily requirement of drinking a least 2L of water.

You can also make it fun and add natural flavours by infusing fruits and herbs into sparkling water.

9. Baguette or Bagel
(1 mini baguette = 416 Cals)
(1 Bagel = 245Cals)
Normal Bread
(1 slice = 90Cals)
Tortilla Wrap
(1 medium 8-inch = 140Cals)
Almost 200Cals

1 mini baguette has about 416Cals. If you want to reduce your carb intake, swap it for 2 medium sliced breads. You’ll save about 236 Cals.

Or swap for 1 medium tortilla wrap and save 276Cals!

10. Tortilla Wrap
(1 medium 8-inch wrap = 140Cals)
Lettuce Wrap
(1 cup = 5Cals)
150Cals

If you want to go for a lower carb swap and increase your vegetable intake, then swap the tortilla wrap for lettuce wrap.

Lettuce is known as “free food” because it’s extremely low in calories and you can eat in abundance to fill you up, without pilling on weight.

11. Dried Fruits
(1oz = 102Cals)
Fresh Fruits
(1 cup grapes = 62Cals)
40Cals

Dried fruits are high in nutrients and make excellent healthy snack. However, if you are watching your weight and want more volume, swap it for fresh fruits instead.

A serving of fresh fruit offers more volume and contains more water, which will keep you full quicker and longer.

12. White Sugar
(1tsp = 16Cals)
Stevia
(1tsp = 0Cals)
16Cals

Sugar is one of the top causes of obesity in America. One teaspoon of sugar contains 15 calories and no other nutrients. It is also very addictive.

Swap it for Stevia. Stevia is a natural sweetener and does NOT contain any calories. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, hence only a very small amount is needed to replace sugar. It is a great sweet alternative for those with diabetes.

13. Dairy Ice Cream (1/2 Cup = 140Cals) Gelato
(1/2 Cup = 110Cals)
30Cals

A 3.5oz of dairy ice cream has 125 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 14 grams of sugar.

The main ingredients are heavy cream and egg yolks.

Swap it for gelato instead. Gelato uses more milk than cream and fewer egg yolks.

A similar portion of gelato packs in just 90 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 10 grams of sugar.

Remember to indulge in moderation.

14. Meat
(3oz = 213Cals, 13g fat)
Fish
(steamed cod fish, 3oz = 75Cals, 1g fat)
138Cals, 12g Fat

Red meat is an excellent source of protein and iron but can be high in saturated fat. Consuming too much of red meat can cause high cholesterol and also cardiovascular diseases.

Limit red meat to once a week and swap it for fish instead. Fish is high in protein, omega-3 but low in calories and saturated fat.

15. Chocolate cake (1 slice = 400Cals) Jello Pudding (1 4oz container = 150cals) 200Cals

Desserts tend to be high in calories. At 400Cals per slice of cheesecake, it can contain more calories than your dinner!

Swap it for jello pudding instead. 1 serving has 150Cals. You’ll be saving 250Cals, plus your effort in the gym!

All of these little swaps can add up to some big calorie savings! So start practicing these 15 simple food swaps and you will start to notice a difference to your body and also how you feel.

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