Often the hardest part of dieting is finding healthy food that you will actually eat. We’ve made it simple with this guide to healthy food swaps, to help you satisfy your cravings without sabotaging your healthy diet.
Try popcorn. High in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, air-popped popcorn makes for a great healthy snack in the of place salty, fried potato chips. Popcorn also happens to be extremely high in fibre, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer, regulates your digestive system, and even reduces the risk of diseases like obesity and heart disease. Even better, you can eat six cups of popcorn for the same calories as a single cup of chips! Use a variety of herbs and spices to give you extra flavour with minimal calories.
Try frozen fruit. Grapes and bananas have a creamy texture when frozen, making them great to satisfy your cravings for a sweet iced treat, while frozen peaches and blueberries make for yummy snacks that stay in season all year ‘round. Naturally low in sodium, fat, and calories, fruits are a fabulous diet food to have on hand at all times.
Try avocado. Omega 3 rich avocados are an easy, healthy trade for butter in your cooking. Half the amount of butter in your recipe and swap it for mashed avocado for a nutritious trade that slashes some serious calories; 250g of butter, which weighs in at 1750 calories, can be traded for 125g mashed avocado at a minuscule 200 calories! Avo ‘butter’ also tastes fab spread on warm toast in the place of questionable spreads like margarine.
Try kombucha. Kombucha is a kind of fermented tea that is packed with health benefits. The fermentation process releases probiotic bacteria which supports gut health, lessens inflammation, and eases disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, while research suggests that this fizzy drink can prevent the growth and spread of cancer cells, due to its high concentration of polyphenols and antioxidants. Reach for a soda flavoured bottle of kombucha next time you’re craving something fizzy.
Try wholegrain pasta. Carbs are an important (and delicious!) part of your diet, but refined flours used to make white are a poor source of vitamins. Wholegrain pasta contains high quantities of B vitamins and minerals, such as copper, selenium, magnesium, and manganese, plus plenty of fibre (one cup of cooked whole grain pasta will provide you with 25% of your daily fibre needs!).
Try boiled or poached eggs. Eggs are a delicious way to get a bunch of important nutrients into your diet, but frying them in unhealthy fats often outweighs the benefits. If you trade an egg fried in a tablespoon of butter for a poached or boiled egg five times a week, you will be saving yourself roughly 500 calories per week, or 3.5 kilos per year!
Try beetroot hummus. You might be fooled into thinking that yummy beetroot dips are a great way to add some extra veggies into your diet, yet store bought varieties are often made with loads of heavy cream cheese. Hummus is a great source of plant based protein, plus several essential vitamins and minerals, meaning that creamy beetroot hummus will actually help you reach your five a day without relying on loaded fillers like cheese and oil.
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