Have you tried making extreme
changes to your eating habits and found yourself failing over and over again??
The truth is making drastic changes and expecting results is very difficult and
will give you short term results. So by changing just a few eating habits you
can make a big difference to your diet. It is the healthiest and most
achievable way to lose weight and stay healthy.
Instead
of granola eat oats
Instead
of having granola for breakfast, opt for oatmeal. ½ cup granola contains
300calories and it’s high in oil, sugar and fats. Instead eat oats which gives just
144 cals for ½ cup.
Lose soda
Swap
cola, soft drinks and diet sodas for water or fresh fruit juice without added
sugar.
Swap
sodas for sparkling glass of water. You will still get the fizz of can of soda
without chemicals, colorings, artificial sweeteners that can lead to weight
gain. Drink at least 2L of water daily.
Snack
smartly
1
packet (30g) of chips contains 170cals. They are high in saturated fats and
salt. Instead go for air popped popcorn which can be easily made at home. You
can munch on it guilt free as 1cup contains just 31cals and is filled with lot
of antioxidants and fiber.
Swap
creamy soup for homemade broth soup
1cup of creamy mushroom soup contains about 220cals
and 17g of fat. So swap it for homemade vegetable or chicken broth which will
be 18cals and 85cals respectively.
Go
for fish
Red
meat is rich in protein and iron but is high in saturated fat. Eating too much red meat can cause high
cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases. Limit red meat to once a week and swap
it for fish. Fish is rich source of protein and omega-3- fatty acids and quite low
in calories and also saturated fats.
Swap
a coffee for black coffee or green tea
Latte
made with whole milk consists of 200 cals which is nearly 10% of your total calorie
recommendation. Swap it with black coffee or make "skinny" coffee with
semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. You can also go for green tea as a better
option.
Instead
of milk chocolate go for dark chocolate
Beat
your sugar cravings with good quality dark chocolate containing at least 70%
cocoa. Dark chocolate has several health benefits and contain a relatively
small amount of sugar.
Fried
chicken is covered with sodium-filled soy sauce and is deep fried while
tandoori chicken is cooked with just drizzle of oil. Thus you will save lot of
calories by swapping fried chicken for tandoori or grilled chicken.
Instead
of cooking with butter, choose extra virgin olive oil
Both
contain fats, but all fats are not made equally. Butter is a rich source of saturated
fat leading to artery-clogging while extra-virgin olive oil has healthy
unsaturated fats.
Substitute
yogurt for mayo
Mayonnaise is commonly used in dips
and as toppings, however, it is has 10g fat and 94cals per tbsp. Substituting yogurt
(1tbsp=14cals) significantly reduces calories and increases protein while
providing great flavor.
Almond
butter instead of peanut butter
Most
commercial peanut butter contains added sugars and oils. An organic almond
butter can give the creamy texture you crave without the excess sugar and fat.
Swap
sugar for stevia
Sugar
is one of the top causes of obesity all around the globe. 1tsp of sugar
contains 15cals and no nutrients. Swap it for stevia which is a natural sweetener
and contains no calories. It’s a great sweet alternative for those with
diabetes.
All
these food swaps can reduce huge calorie intake and these small changes will
give big results. Start practicing it in your daily life and you will notice
the difference to your body and also how you feel. What are the food swaps you
have tried? Let me know in the comments below.
All
the best! Keep it healthy!
References:
1. www.nhs.uk
5. www.rd.com
