Lose More Weight by Making These Simple Food Swaps!

Just because you are eating healthy doesn't mean you can't still enjoy your favorite foods! You can still eat all your favorite dishes like pasta, tacos and burgers just by thinking outside of the box a little and making a few simple swaps in your favorite recipes to make them more figure friendly!  Making these simple food swaps in your diet will save you hundreds of calories daily and pay off on the scale! These are some of my favorite food swaps I have learned along my journey and at this point, except for a rare occasion, I really don't even miss or crave the original ingredient I have learned to swap out!   So be a little adventurous today my friends and don't be afraid to try new things or experiment in the kitchen, you may pleasantly surprise yourself!

 Instead of olive oil- low sodium Chicken Broth

Substituting low sodium chicken broth in place of olive oil is great in recipes such as hummus and pesto sauce, which generally call for a considerable amount of oil, by replacing some or all of the oil with chicken broth, you will save hundreds of calories in these recipes. You can also use chicken broth in place of oil for sauté’s and stir fry’s. One of my go to methods to spruce up veggies such as green beans or broccoli is to sauté them in chicken broth with fresh minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Instead of taco shells, buns or bread- Romaine lettuce leaves

Enjoy taco Tuesday without the guilt, by replacing your traditional shells with lettuce you will save about 170 calories (even more if you've been frying your shells)! You can also use lettuce in place of buns on your burgers and bread on your sandwiches.

Instead of rice or potatoes- riced cauliflower

At first I was skeptical when I read of others substituting cauliflower for rice and potatoes in recipes but I promise you, it really does taste similar and you will save a lot of calories and carbs! You can purchase cauliflower already riced at specialty stores like Trader Joe's or you can make your own simply by placing roughly chopped cauliflower into a food processor and pulsing it until it has a similar texture to rice, be sure to squeeze out any extra liquid in the "rice" before cooking. Here are some Skinnytaste recipes that I recommend trying that substitute cauliflower for rice or potatoes-Mexican Cauliflower Rice, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Loaded Cauliflower Mash.

Instead of milk-Almond Milk

Swapping traditional milk for almond milk will save you 100 calories. I use almond milk in place of milk in recipes and also in my protein shakes.

Instead of pasta- spiralized zucchini 

If you haven't invested in a vegetable spiralizer, I highly recommend getting one! They are inexpensive (about 10 dollars) and can be purchased at any major box store. By ditching your pasta and trading it for spiralized zucchini or squash you will save 200 calories per serving, not to mention all the carbohydrates! You can top your veggies with your favorite sauce, my favorite to use is a simple marinara sauce. 

Instead of Mayonnaise or sour cream- Non-fat Greek yogurt

This swap comes in handy in recipes such as chicken salad that generally calls for quite a bit of mayonnaise. You can also use non fat Greek yogurt to make healthier cream based dressings such as ranch.

Instead of breadcrumbs- Parmesan cheese

When breading meat and veggies, the calories add up quickly when using breadcrumbs as most recipes call for. I've found that substituting Parmesan cheese works just as well as far as creating that "crispy" effect when used under the broiler and it will cut down on the calories and carbs you are consuming. I use this method to make healthier versions of chicken Parmesan, baked "fried" zucchini and eggplant Parmesan. 

Instead of Ricotta Cheese- Blended Low-fat Cottage Cheese

I'll be honest, I was really skeptical about this replacement when I saw it listed as an ingredient in a lower fat and carb lasagna recipe I was trying, but I gave it a try and was sold! For this replacement, simply blend the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth and then add to the recipe you are preparing. This is a great substitute in lasagna, baked pasta dishes, cheesecakes, etc.