Simple Swaps for Healthier Eating

Written by Jenn Giamo

Most of us have been at home, self quarantining for the past month - maybe more. If you’re anything like me, when I am not in a routine (i.e. work), my eating habits tend to be a little a lax. Okay, a lot lax. While it may be difficult to stick to a strict diet plan during this challenging time, I decided to come with some simple strategies to help lessen the damage a bit. Below are some of my favorite (& effective) ways to cut calories and fat with very little effort:

BREAD

Sometimes that second piece of bread is just unnecessary. By eating your sandwich open-faced (meaning just one piece of bread), you cut out 120 calories. And if you eat it with a fork and knife, you'll eat more slowly, allowing your body to tell you when you feel full before you've scarfed down the whole thing.

MAYO vs. MUSTARD

Speaking of sandwiches...Just one tablespoon of mayo can add 90 calories to your sandwich, but spicy mustard has zero calories! Using the right condiments is one of the easiest weight loss tips.

NUTS

While nuts might be the perfect snack to hold your hunger, if you’re eating them by the handful that means you’re eating way too many. If you love snacking on nuts, try pistachios. Shelling the pistachios will help you snack slower and therefore get full faster, saving you precious calories. For example: 1oz of pistachios is 160 calories (which is about 45 pistachios!) while the same serving size of walnuts (at about 190 calories) is only 14 walnuts.

DRIED FRUIT

Dried fruit like craisins & apricots in trail mixes can be super high in sugar and calories. This is because in the drying process, the water is removed and leaves only the sugar. So instead of dried fruits, go for fresh ingredients that provide natural sweetness and higher water content like grapes. You’ll save on calories and sugar!  

Grapes have only 69 calories per 3.5 oz
Craisins have 325 calories per 3.5 oz
This swap saves 256 calories

SUGAR SUBSITUTES

If you start day with sugar in your coffee (artificial or not) - your body will be craving it all day long. So, instead, sprinkling in cinnamon in your coffee which regulates your blood glucose, keeps your cravings down AND stimulates your metabolism! It’s a win-win!

Cinnamon: 6 calories (1 tsp.)
Sugar: 16 calories (1 tsp.)
This swap saves 10 calories and the cravings!

PAN SPRAY vs. OIL/BUTTER

Next time you make an omelette, use pan spray instead of oil or butter. Even using "just a little" bit of regular olive oil in the pan can add 120 calories.

Olive Oil Spray: 5 calories
Tablespoon of Olive Oil: 120 calories
This swap saves 115 calories

VEGGIE NOODLES (ZOODLES)

This is one of my favorites ... instead of carby pasta for dinner, try veggie noodles. You can make them yourself with a spiralizer, or just buy them from your grocery store (online of course). You can use zucchini, butternut squash or spaghetti squash which will save TONS of calories and won’t spike your blood sugar. A cup of zoodles contains 25 calories as opposed to spaghetti, which can contain about 200!

1 cup of Zoodles: 19 calories
1 cup of cooked Spaghetti: 200 calories
This swap saves 181 calories

SAUCES: RED vs WHITE

When it comes to sauces, stick with red. White sauces tend to be loaded with cream, butter or cheese (or all of the above!) while reds are filled with vegetables and spices. Red also tends to have fewer calories and sugar compared to white sauces.

1/2 cup of red sauce: 60 calories
1/2 cup of white sauce (alfredo): 80 calories
This swap saves 20 calories

PEANUT BUTTER vs PB Powder

Instead of the nearly 200-calorie per two-tablespoon serving of peanut butter, try stirring some PB2 peanut powder. The powder roasts and presses the peanuts to remove 85 percent of the fat and calories. The powder is definitely a healthy and less-caloric alternative to traditional peanut butter but you still want to use it somewhat sparingly.

PB2: 50 calories
Jif Creamy Peanut Butter: 190 calories
This swap saves 145 calories