14 healthy food swaps for weight loss

Let’s be honest, ladies; how many of us decide to go on a diet, spend two weeks eating salad and then quit the whole thing? It can’t just be us, right?!

But your weight loss goals and eating healthily doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to your favorite meals and cutting out tasty foods. Below we’ve compiled a list of 14 healthy swaps to help you enjoy delicious meals whilst sticking to your healthy eating goals!

The easiest way to make real changes to your life, create new habits and maintain motivation is to make small and easy swaps that don’t feel like you’re depriving yourself of anything! This way, making progress doesn’t feel quite so grueling.

14 healthy food swaps

Choose oats over breakfast cereals

Is there a more versatile food than oats? We’re not sure! They’re filling, comforting and there’s just so much that you can do with them. Serve them with fruit and nuts for nutritious oatmeal. Or bake some rolled oats to create your own granola, adding some dried fruit and honey to sweeten it.

Not only can you control what goes into your breakfast, but oatmeal has around a third of the calories of other breakfast cereals.

Swap to zoodles

What are zoodles, we hear you ask? It’s short for zucchini noodles! Using a spiralizer, you can quickly turn any vegetable into noodles.

For example, zucchini, carrots, beets, cabbage, cucumber, butternut squash and sweet potatoes can all be spiralized into noodles.

As these are all lower in calories compared to regular pasta or noodles, you can get the same comfort from a pasta dish but without the calories.

Eat avocado toast

There are some misconceptions around avocados and how they’re high in fat, which is true – but they’re high in the good kind of fats.

If you fancy a slice of toast and want to ensure you’re adding some fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your diet, try adding a tablespoon of avocado to your toast. Dial it up with some salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon!

Choose whole fruit over smoothies

We’ve said it before, how often would you sit down and eat a banana, half an apple, a pineapple, four strawberries, an orange, and a bag of spinach in one sitting?

Probably not very often, right? But when you’re drinking a juice or smoothie, that’s what you’re doing.

When you’re looking to lose some weight, how satisfying you find your food is an essential factor and if the satiety value is low, it won’t curb your cravings. Plus, when we blend fruit, we destroy the fiber and make it more difficult for our body to detect the calories.

Smoothies and juices are great for a treat, and they certainly beat a soda, but just be mindful of what you’re actually drinking.

Bake fries instead of frying them

When you’re on a diet, there’s a lot of fear around carbs, particularly potatoes. But did you know that you don’t have to avoid potatoes just because you’re on a diet?

It all comes down to how you prepare them. Baking potatoes to make fries or baked potatoes is much healthier than frying them. And you should skip adding any extra oils, butter, cream and cheese, as these additives all add up.

Our favorite way to eat potatoes is to cut them into strips, season with salt, pepper, garlic seasoning and maybe some paprika and cook them in the oven at 350 degrees for about half-hour!

Comforting, satisfying and healthy!

Swap dairy milk for almond milk

Did you know that a cup of milk, even when opting for 0% milk, has 83 calories? In comparison, unsweetened almond milk has just 36 calories per cup. Plus, it’s super easy to make at home.

Opt for veggies on your pizza

Missing your favorite take out? Well, make your pizza healthier by skipping any fatty toppings like pepperoni and instead opting for lots of veggies.

This way, you’re eating delicious comfort food, but you’re also getting lots of vegetables in.

Switch out refined sugar

We all know that we should probably cut down on our sugar intake, especially refined sugars.

Also Read: Is it possible to eat cheese and still lose weight?

But how do you sweeten up your meals without using sugar? Use fruit or cinnamon instead! Dates, bananas and mangoes are all great for adding sweetness to your recipes. And try sprinkling a little cinnamon on your oatmeal to sweeten it up.

Use applesauce instead of oil or butter

Sure, when you want to cut out the calories, you can swap avocado for butter on toast, but what about cooking? Well, applesauce is an excellent substitute in recipes that call for butter or oil.

Not only does it only have 100 calories per cup, but it’s also very low in saturated fats.

Roast beans for a tasty snack

There’s no denying that nuts are good for you; they’re little powerhouses full of lots of good things! However, they’re also very calorie-dense.

If you’re looking for a crunchy, savory snack, instead of choosing chips or nuts, roast some chickpeas or edamame beans with some spices for a tasty, protein-packed snack. A cup of roasted beans has around 200 calories, while a cup of nuts will have a whopping 800+ calories.

Swap your regular cheese sauce for a bean sauce

Hear us out, we know this sounds strange. But beans and veggies are the perfect base for creamy sauces and add an extra way to get in more vegetables.

Creamy sauces are typically very fatty and rich, tripling the calories of your favorite pasta. Whereas making a creamy sauce from veggies using cauliflower or carrots with nutritional yeast can bring down the calories of the whole meal.

Also Read: Here’s how you can change your life with our eight motivational tips

The secret star here is nutritional yeast, packed full of creamy flavor, but without the calories, it’s a must-have for your pantry.

Ditch the mayo

Want to add some flavor to your sandwich without adding in lots of extra calories? Then try swapping your mayo for hummus or mustard instead. Hummus has 75% fewer calories than mayo!

And mustard only has around 20 calories per ounce, making it a great way to add flavor without unnecessary extras.

Make your own oil-free salad dressings

When we’re trying to eat healthily, many of us opt for salads. And salads can be very nutritious whilst being low cal; for example, leafy greens are high in several minerals, can fill you up, and they’re very low in calories.

However, all your good work can go out the window once you add an oil-based dressing. One tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories – more than all your salad ingredients combined!

Instead, we recommend creating or choosing a low-fat, oil-free salad dressing made with mustard, vinegar, beans, avocado, or seeds instead.

Make a bean chili

We’re not sure about you, but chili is one of our ultimate comfort foods. Have you tried making a meat-free version with a selection of beans? Not only are beans very low in fat, but they’re also full of slow-releasing complex carbs as well as being a great source of protein.

Also Read: How to shape up this Spring

Plus, beans have 50% fewer calories than the same amount of lean, ground beef.

So, there you have it, 14 healthy food swaps you can make to reach your weight loss goals. You’ve got this, ladies!

Use Zotrim

We know that armed with these healthy food swaps, you’ll be well on your way to smashing your goals in no time. But if you need a little help in supporting your weight loss, Zotrim is always here to help you achieve your goals faster than ever before.

Our 100% natural ingredients have been carefully selected to help you burn fat, reduce cravings, and boost your metabolism.

Ready to start losing weight?

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Jane

Jane

Jane is our resident health, diet and wellness expert. She loves putting together articles packed full of the latest facts, science and advice from reputable sources within the health and wellness industry. If you have any questions please get in touch via our contact page.

Want to lose weight? Check out Zotrim

Why Zotrim?

Free delivery icon

Free Delivery

Natural herbal ingredients icon

Natural Herbal Ingredients

Vegan Friendly icon

Vegan Friendly

Money back guarantee icon

100% Money Back Guarantee​

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