Food swaps

Mawzermummy

What are some good ideas for healthy food swaps?... best one ive come across so far is cottage cheese instead of butter on toast sammirs in mash etc :-) looking for some others thanks!

RodaRose

What is sammirs in mash? And what kind of swaps are you looking for? Options that are lower calorie than what you had been eating?

kellyjellybellyjelly

RodaRose wrote: »

What is sammirs in mash? And what kind of swaps are you looking for? Options that are lower calorie than what you had been eating?

I think they meant sammies as in sandwiches & mash as in mashed potatoes, but I could be wrong.

TeaBea

Greek yogurt is good in place of sour cream. Great as a starter for dips, or on baked potatoes.

Mash cauliflower in with potatoes for reduced calories.

Look up veggie spiralizer. I don't have one but many people use zucchini in place of noodles. Spaghetti squash works too.

I won't swap out certain things....ie: lettuce wraps for sandwiches. I just eat bread. Lettuce doesn't cut it for me. I either eat less pizza, or make my own. Sauce on top of tortilla is not pizza to me. You need to find where your limits are. Lifestyle changes.

New_determination

Avocados instead of butter or mayo

mygnsac

I like using things like mashed avocado, mashed sweet potato, or mashed beans mixed with a little salsa, as a condiment on sandwiches when I don't want to use mayo. Tzatziki (a greek yogurt dip) and baba ghanoush (an eggplant dip) also make a good swap for mayo.

I usually roast up some veggies (carrots, brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc.) on the weekend to use the coming week and sometimes eat those in place of chips or add to sandwiches for added flavor.

Oven baked potato or sweet potato fries is a good alternative to deep fried potatoes.

IILikeToMoveItMoveIt

I use small amounts of Horseradish sauce instead of mayo on sandwiches. (20 cals per tsp.)

kbmnurse

"I use small amounts of Horseradish sauce instead of mayo on sandwiches. (20 cals per tsp.)" Me too.

robertw486

I can't do the lettuce wraps either, but using a tortilla is often lower calorie than using bread. Because you only use a single tortilla, and the right ones can actually hold a lot of stuff.

Horseradish and many mustards are also very low calorie and low or no sugar as well. I love mayo but you pay the price for using it.

Some of the flavored Greek yogurt is good for dips, and you can buy it in various fat and sugar levels depending on where you want or need to cut back.

We've actually found some regular and tortilla chips that have chia seeds, quinoa, and other such goodies in them. As well as a sweet potato chip they sell locally. Not much lower in calories at all, but more nutrition for equal or slightly lower calories, and they are really tasty. They aren't as salty either, so it's easier to have a few and walk away.



And I often swap hard exercise time to indulge in the things I would crave and make me break my eating habits. It's a fair swap to me, as a hard bike ride can earn me a trip to the food trucks and a beer or two.

Karen_can_do_this

I use lemon juice instead of salad dressing.
Sliced up banana with milo sprinkled over it if I'm dying for something chocolate like.

lalabrucey

I have started squeezing half a lemon over a salad in place of dressings. *Wonderful* taste! Lime juice works well too

Mawzermummy

Thanks guys some great ideas here!

seltzermint555

Now when eating sandwiches or burgers I get brown spicy mustard or yellow mustard instead of mayo. I never realized what a huge calorie difference it is, especially when you're at a sandwich shop or burger joint. While it may only save me 30 calories off my sandwiches at home, at a restaurant their mayo and portion sizes can mean it saves me ~100 calories or more.

Salsa is another friend. On eggs and salads, I often use salsa instead of dressing.

When I am craving a chocolate bar but don't wanna actually have one...a small amount of peanut butter, unsweetened coconut flakes, and ~5 semisweet chocolate chips satisfies my craving pretty well. Alternatively, I'll have the 5 or so chocolate chips along with 3 or 4 pecans, whole raw almonds, or walnut halves.

cdudley628

Mawzermummy wrote: »

Thanks guys some great ideas here!

I'm still wondering what sammirs in mash is, though.

SuggaD

Apple sauce for oil in most baked goods.

gigieatss

Nori Sheets = Wrap
Lettuce Boats = Wrap
Cabbage Leaves = Wrap
Portbello Mushroom Caps = Buns
Grilled Eggplant Slices = Bread
Spaghetti Squash = Spaghetti
Zucchini, Butternut Squash, Summer Squash (spiralized) = Spaghetti
Coconut Milk/Butter = Milk/Butter
Coconut Flour = Flour
Olive Oil Canned Seafood is Packed in = Salad Dressing

c1ownfishie

Cauliflower instead of potatoes is a great one!!! Also love using spaghetti squash instead of pasta!

angelacookieflynn

I use a grated apple or pear in my yoghurt and berries to sweeten it up.
Swede and carrot mash instead of pasta or rice.

RaeBeeBaby

I pretty much make a taco out of anything that used to be a sandwich or toast (corn tortillas since I'm gluten-free). Breakfast taco with eggs and veggies, lunch taco, dinner taco. Leftover meat and veggies make perfect taco fare (usually). Mash up a little avocado with salsa and use instead of mayo.

I haven't tried the cauliflower mash yet, but it's on my list. Also love my spiralizer for zucchini noodles. I mixed half zucchini noodles with half gluten-free spaghetti and added spaghetti sauce. It was a big hit with hubby and he didn't even notice the different "noodles".

TrickyDisco

Quinoa's great for a lower calorie change from potato or pasta - is tasty on its own with just some seasoning and a teaspoon or two of healthy oil (olive or rapeseed). It's also nice but obviously more calories with the oil, seasoning, a few chopped dried apricots and fresh mint, some fresh lemon juice and some toasted sunflower seeds. Sometimes for convenience and a different taste I add half a jar of sweet and sour sauce to the plain quinoa, 100g quinoa boiled in 300ml water and half a jar of sauce makes two large servings.