What are your favourite healthy food swaps to cut calories?

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catceol
catceol Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay mine are:

spaghetti -> zero cals pasta (<40cals)
chocolate -> low cal hot choc (40cals)
General sweets that I would munch on ->2-3 marshmallows (<50cals)
Fajita wraps -> ice berg lettuce (<10cals)

I would love to know yours! If you have calories sure through them in!
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Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I don't swap foods. I only swap if it's not going to fit into my macros. E.g. if I wanted chocolate peanut butter on my pancakes but that doesn't work because of the carbs, I'll swap it for.. idk, margarine or something.

    But my caloric goal is quite reasonable, which enables me to not worry that much about swapping for lower-calorie options.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Spaghetti ---> Spaghetti squash
    Pizza ---> English muffin pizzas
  • legowrangler
    legowrangler Posts: 229 Member
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    salad dressing ---->hummus (until recently when I discovered bolthouse yogurt dressing)
  • kitkatkarr
    kitkatkarr Posts: 97 Member
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    Noodle->Shirataki (0 cal)
    peanut butter->pb2(powdered peanut butter) (45cal for 2 tbsp)
    Snack->seaweed (very low cal)
    Protein->Egg(~70cal each)
  • catceol
    catceol Posts: 31 Member
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    legowrangler wrote: »
    salad dressing ---->hummus (until recently when I discovered bolthouse yogurt dressing)

    oh I <3 hummus... and salsa... I use salsa on EVERYTHING how... and hummus. Together they are divine.
  • fearlessleader104
    fearlessleader104 Posts: 723 Member
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    Popcorn at the movies
    > ice cubes (I ask the concession stand for 2 cups of just ice) and crunch away
  • catceol
    catceol Posts: 31 Member
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    kitkatkarr wrote: »
    Noodle->Shirataki (0 cal)
    peanut butter->pb2(powdered peanut butter) (45cal for 2 tbsp)
    Snack->seaweed (very low cal)
    Protein->Egg(~70cal each)

    Seaweed? How do you eat that... I always wanted to be able to eat it but, I find it super hard!
  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
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    hot chocolate --> special dark cocoa w/ splenda for a cup of yummy cocoa for less than 20 cals
    mashed potatoes --> mashed steamed cauliflower w/ basil & garlic and lots of pepper. maybe with a butter substitute or nondairy milk if i'm feeling like it

    also i'm a fiend for tortilla chips & salsa.. so i'll try to fill up on carrots chips, bellpepper slices and celery to dip in my salsa instead. mmm
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
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    PB2 instead of peanut butter or Nutella, since I really only like it as a dip bananas or other fruit anyways. Greek yogurt ranch instead of regular ranch (I love the Litehouse OPA brand) to dip my veggies in or put on wraps. I switched to turkey burgers & turkey sausages & pretty much turkey everything because it tastes the same as the "real thing" to me, & sometimes the calorie difference is pretty significant. Sweetened vanilla almond milk instead of regular milk is so good in cereal & overnight oats, & I love that almond milk last so much longer than cow milk. Dryers Slow Churned Rocky Road is my favorite ice cream ever. I'm sure there are a million more.

    All of my switches happened gradually after I started counting calories. I just really enjoy trying lower calorie versions of things & seeing if they taste good enough for me to want to eat. I don't believe in cutting things out or not eating things you like just because some people decide to label it as 'bad'. If you like something & can fit it into your goal, eat it yo!
  • catceol
    catceol Posts: 31 Member
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    squishprincess wrote: »
    hot chocolate --> special dark cocoa w/ splenda for a cup of yummy cocoa for less than 20 cals
    mashed potatoes --> mashed steamed cauliflower w/ basil & garlic and lots of pepper. maybe with a butter substitute or nondairy milk if i'm feeling like it

    also i'm a fiend for tortilla chips & salsa.. so i'll try to fill up on carrots chips, bellpepper slices and celery to dip in my salsa instead. mmm

    Love the cauliflower thing how long so you boil it for to get it lovely and soft?
  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
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    catceol wrote: »
    kitkatkarr wrote: »
    Noodle->Shirataki (0 cal)
    peanut butter->pb2(powdered peanut butter) (45cal for 2 tbsp)
    Snack->seaweed (very low cal)
    Protein->Egg(~70cal each)

    Seaweed? How do you eat that... I always wanted to be able to eat it but, I find it super hard!

    you can eat seaweed diff ways depending which form you get it. some people make seaweed salads (yummy) or use dehydrated seaweed in soups or noodle dishes. i love it in miso or ramen
  • Torontonius
    Torontonius Posts: 245 Member
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    pasta -> zucchini strings cut on a mandoline - yummy, nutritious, low cal
  • ncscott11
    ncscott11 Posts: 100 Member
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    Laughing cow cheese wedges (lite) replaces cheese and mayo on things!
  • squishprincess
    squishprincess Posts: 371 Member
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    catceol wrote: »
    squishprincess wrote: »
    hot chocolate --> special dark cocoa w/ splenda for a cup of yummy cocoa for less than 20 cals
    mashed potatoes --> mashed steamed cauliflower w/ basil & garlic and lots of pepper. maybe with a butter substitute or nondairy milk if i'm feeling like it

    also i'm a fiend for tortilla chips & salsa.. so i'll try to fill up on carrots chips, bellpepper slices and celery to dip in my salsa instead. mmm

    Love the cauliflower thing how long so you boil it for to get it lovely and soft?

    tbh sometimes i forget about things when i'm cooking LOL but the good news is i keep things cooking on low. so i'd say about 20 mins on low to make it nice and soft or about 15mins on med/high. and then throw it in a food processor to make it all nice and moosh. or just use a mashing tool if you dont have a processor :)
  • bxue
    bxue Posts: 3
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    When baking, I always use apple sauce to substitute oil and butter! They taste exactly the same, but are definitely healthier.
  • chriscolh
    chriscolh Posts: 127 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Planning for thanksgiving has got me wanting some pumpkin pie, but I just don't have room in my calories for it today. Instead, I grabbed a can of pumpkin, put all the yummy pumpkin spices in it, sweetened it with splenda, and thinned it out with just a little bit of milk. So yummy, satisfied the craving, and was only 55 calories for 1/2 cup. Isn't there a quote out there about desperation being the father of invention... guess I need to look that up!

    eta: I guess the quote is "necessity is the mother of invention" ~ attr. to Plato. Still applicable. I really needed a pumpkin treat!
  • cblue315
    cblue315 Posts: 3,836 Member
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    Cauliflower "crust for my pizza. Way fewer carbs and lower in cals.
    Lettuce for wraps on my fresh rolls instead of the rice wraps.
    Light and fit Greek 80 yogurt. So yummy and 90 less cals than the regular.
  • catceol
    catceol Posts: 31 Member
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    cblue315 wrote: »
    Cauliflower "crust for my pizza. Way fewer carbs and lower in cals.
    Lettuce for wraps on my fresh rolls instead of the rice wraps.
    Light and fit Greek 80 yogurt. So yummy and 90 less cals than the regular.

    tell me more about this cauliflower pizza crust...

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Salad dressing-->homemade salad dressing made with mustard, red wine vinegar or similar low calorie items

    Sour cream (in various uses)-->fat free Greek yogurt

    Vehicle for pasta sauce/toppings-->roasted winter squash (not really a substitute, but it serves the same purpose)

    Any dessert-->small bit of high quality chocolate or TJ's mocha or chocolate yogurts

    I still eat desserts, sour cream, and pasta too, though.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I swap. But usually it's for lower sugar and SLOWER burning carbs.

    But, I do the sour cream for yogurt one at times.

    And, yes, I love the cauliflower pizza crust (but again, that's about being slower carb)

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