15 easy food swaps that will help you lose weight
Making small changes is the easiest and most achievable way to lose weight if you are on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. In fact, choosing healthy foods is WAY easier than you could even imagine!
These smart swaps will make you and your family feel healthier and get you kicking your weight loss goals.
15 easy food swaps
1. Crisps for dried bananas
If you fancy something crisp and crunchy and want to reduce your fat intake steer clear of crisps, which contain 250 calories per serve.
That’s a lot for a snack. Instead try munching on dried fruit which is much better for you. And the best bit is you’re also getting one of your 5 a day!
2. Milk chocolate for dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains less than half the sugar of milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is roughly 255 calories per bar while dark chocolate has around 70 calories. Try dark chocolate in these 3 ingredient coconut and macadamia chocolates. They’re a winner.
3. Vegetable oil for coconut oil
Try swapping vegetable oil for coconut or olive oil.
While olive oil is still universally acknowledged as one of the healthiest oils to cook with, coconut oil is hot on its heels and is popping up in recipes like this one.
4. Pasta for spiralled vegetables
Cutting out starchy pasta, which is also heavy, is a great way to lose calories from you meal. In this veggie packed bolognese, we’ve replaced your standard noodles with courgette noodles (recipe available in the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge recipe hub)
5. White bread for brown bread
Flour is more processed in white bread than it is in brown. Removing the bran in white bread also removes key nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, protein, and fibre.
There are around 73 calories in one slice of brown bread, whereas there are 79 in one slice of white.
6. Beef mince for turkey or chicken mince
Lean chicken or turkey mince has around 100 calories per 100 grams while beef mince has 124 calories per 100 grams. The differences aren’t huge, but the biggest difference is that turkey is leaner, has less fat and is higher in protein – which is great to help with weight loss. We use chicken mince in our super tasty Thai Chicken Meatloaf.
7. Granola or processed cereals for porridge
There can be around 225 calories per serving in a bowl of commercial granola. But porridge only has around 150 calories per serving better for your heart, and it can also help to lower your cholesterol.
8. Mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower or sweet potato
Swapping white potato for cauli or sweet potato (or a mix of both) is a great way to cut some calories and up the nutrients of a meal. Sweet potato and cauliflower are less heavy and starchy than normal spuds. We use mashed sweet potato in our 20 minute Devilled Sausage and Mash recipe and it’s a family favourite.
9. White rice for brown rice
Brown rice has several layers and contains lots of nutrients. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and the top layers, the result is a whiter rice. This white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely removed of its original nutrients.
The fibre in brown rice is much easier to digest and it also makes your stomach feel fuller quicker, which means you’re more likely to eat a smaller portion. Check out our super easy and delicious Spanish Rice with Chorizo which replaces white rice with brown.
10. Cheese and crackers for cheese and apple slices
Save at least 100 calories altogether by ditching crackers and using apple slices with your cheese.
11. Cheddar cheese for cottage cheese
100 grams of cottage cheese has 98 calories – which is amazing for cheese. Standard cheddar has 402 calories per 100 grams.
12. Ice cream for Greek yogurt
Swap after dinner ice cream treats for Greek yogurt with some berries or a little honey instead, or even these delish yogurt berry mini-cheesecakes. The protein in the yogurt will fill you up and the sweetness of the berries and honey makes it a delicious and healthy dessert option! Use frozen berries to enjoy these year-round.
13. Couscous for quinoa
Quinoa is a very simple swap for rice and cous cous. Not only is quinoa a delicious gluten free ‘grain’ option for breakfast, lunch and dinner it is high in protein and although we eat it like a grain it is actually a seed. We love using quinoa in recipes like Macro Bowls or even as a substitute for oats in porridge.
14. Fizzy drinks for water
Ditch fizzy drinks for water, and you will find you will feel less bloated while also reducing your sugar intake. Fizzy drinks contain a high level of sugar and also cause damage to your teeth, as well as syrup – which could cause you to develop diabetes. You can easily jazz up water with fresh lemons or limes.
15. Cappuccino for white tea
A cappuccino contains 150 calories, whereas a cup of white tea is only 3 calories. And you really can’t beat a cuppa!
More on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge
Our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is a family-friendly, breastfeeding-safe program designed FOR MUMS to help them lose the baby weight.
Every week you are given a different meal plan to follow and each month we add NEW recipes to our Challenge Recipe Hub. That way, you’ll never get bored and stay on weight loss track while digging into healthy, yummy recipes.
Learn more about our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge HERE.