When it comes to healthy, sustainable weight loss, sometimes all it takes are some super simple and easy food swaps to make all the difference!
Have you tried going on a diet only to feel SUPER restricted when it comes to what you can and can’t eat? Come on ladies, say it with me…restrictive dieting and quick fixes are not the way to reach your weight loss goals!!!
One of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss or health in general is that you have to give up entire food groups or avoid certain foods like the plague…*cough* carbs *cough* But lucky for you, I’m here to tell you that is NOT the case!
One of my favorite roles as a registered dietitian is helping busy ladies realize it’s not about CUTTING out foods, but focusing on what you can ADD to feel awesome.
And I love teaching the women I work with how to do just that while still including delicious, fun foods that they enjoy. It’s something that’s at the top of my priority list as a dietitian 😉
We’ve all been there…you know, at the point where we think losing weight has to be super complicated and miserable. But honestly, simple food swaps can make a big difference for weight loss!
These are some of my fav swaps to recommend that won’t sacrifice your sanity 🤪
- Try swapping out bottled olive oil with spray olive oil instead! You’ll get the same bang for your buck without using as much which means overall calories will be reduced.
- Low calorie Caesar or ranch dressing instead of regular will help you reduce calories and fat without sacrificing taste when it comes to salads or dips. Pro tip: get your low calorie dressing from the refrigerated section of the grocery to avoid extra additives and preservatives of shelf stable options that could make them taste funky!
- Swap your all or nothing mentality around sweets and sugar for a little treat that fits easily into your daily routine such as a mini ice cream sandwich or some dark chocolate! These are some of my favorite treats when I’m craving something sweet!
- Nonfat zero sugar or low sugar yogurt will help you boost your protein intake for the day at meals or snacks. And you’ll avoid the extra fat and blood sugar spike from regular, full sugar yogurts.
- Instead of regular cheese as a snack, try light cheese sticks instead. It tastes just as great with only half the calories. Some women digest light cheese better than regular as well!
- Swap your mid-afternoon snack of chips or candy for something with more protein to keep you full and energized! Protein bars and these dry roasted lentils are great examples!
- Instead of a high fat fast food breakfast or even worse, NO breakfast, try to incorporate a quick, high protein and fiber breakfast. Some examples would be turkey sausage with toaster pancakes or yogurt and toast!
- Protein pasta or a legume based pasta instead of regular pasta is an easy option to bump up your protein and fiber intake for the day!
- Try out a high protein and high fiber cereal in place of granola. Bonus points for this swap because typically the serving size is larger for less calories and is still delicious and crunchy like granola!
- I love swapping out chicken or turkey sausage instead of pork breakfast meats because it’s typically leaner AND tastes just as good (if not better 😉)
- There are tons of frozen pizza options you can try instead of takeout pizza that have a little more protein. PLUS you can add your choice of protein to the side or on top and your choice of veggies too!
Remember that it’s the little habits every day that make a BIG difference for weight loss.
And these swaps can be a game-changer in the results that you see and how you feel without you even noticing. The goal is for you to not miss or even notice the swaps. Making changes WITHOUT feeling deprived is important. So don’t you dare swap something you love for something you hate. Got it?
