Easy Food Swaps You Can Make for a Healthier 2017

Easy Food Swaps You Can Make for a Healthier 2017

January 6, 2017

If you’re looking to start 2017 off as a happier, healthier new you, then it’s time to take a look at your diet and make some changes. Snacking on sugary, unhealthy foods is part of the reason why many of us fail with our diets, often not knowing where we went wrong. To help get you into shape and to adopt some healthier habit, here are some simple food swaps you can make for a healthier new you.

Switch to ‘low fat’ versions of your favourite foods

Switching to lower fat versions of your favourite foods such as butter to margarine, mayonnaise to light mayonnaise, regular soft drinks to diet soft drinks and more will help you cut calories easily. Making small changes like this will barely be noticeable to your taste palette, but your waist linje will certainly notice.

Choose different foods to snack on

Whilst everyone loves tucking into a packet of crisps or their favourite chocolate bar, they don’t add any value nutritionally to your diet and just add more calories and fat. Instead, try snacking on other foods such as dried fruits and unsalted nuts which feature the right kind of fats and proteins in order to help you feel fuller and lose weight.

Cut down on processed meats

We can’t always be sure what is put into our meat, which is why experts recommend choosing unprocessed, organic varieties. Support your local butcher by choosing your meat from them which will retain much more of its natural nutrients as well as vitamins and minerals. Swapping to leaner meats such as chicken, turkey and lean beef as well as adding more fish to your diet is a great way to cut out fats and add more protein.

Use clever alternatives to pasta

Pasta is carbohydrate-rich and whilst it tastes great, and is filling, those extra carbs will only turn into pounds unless you burn them off. You can try using alternatives to pasta such as couscous, quinoa and other grains which are proven to be much better for you. Many food bloggers are finding clever alternatives to pasta such as courgetti as an easy to make dish using a julienne peeler to make spaghetti shapes out of a courgette. You’ll save on calories and carbohydrates as well as enjoy a vitamin boost.

Bread free sandwiches

Who doesn’t love a sandwich at lunch time? If you want to avoid the bloated, full feeling often caused by bread, then using a salad as a base for your sandwich is a great idea. Using either large leaves to wrap around your filling or even some seaweed, you can create a suitable alternative to a bread sandwich. You can still add your favourite filling to create a satisfying lunch.

Ditch the meat once in a while

Some people claim to not feel satisfied unless they’ve had a portion of meat with their dinner. This simply isn’t true. Foods like sweet potato, butternut squash, peppers and tomatoes served with salad, rice, couscous or other food can make a great, filling dinner without the need for meat. Try it once a week and we bet you won’t even notice it’s missing.

Making your diet healthier is all about adapting and changing your current eating habits in order to boost the amount of vitamins and minerals, protein and good fats we consume and reduce the amount of bad fats and sugar we put into our bodies. With some sensible planning you can still enjoy your favourite foods, and change your approach to eating.