Surprisingly delicious lower calorie food swaps

LookingforWhatsHerName
LookingforWhatsHerName Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
With CICO being the ultimate focus, (*disclaimer, these are lower calorie, tasty swaps that may or may not fit your definition of #healthy) I have made some surprising discoveries on how to cut calories while adding taste, in my opinion anyway. I thought I'd share them and see if anyone had other clever swaps to pitch in.

1. Butter for oil in baked goods. Delicious and technically lower calorie gram for gram. Also, if you're trying to trick your family with applesauce or other such tom foolery, they are less likely to notice if you half it with tasty butter rather than oil.
2. Cashews for almonds. Cashews just taste so much richer to me and are slightly lower in calories.
3. Pork tenderloin for chicken breast. So yummy with a rosemary crust and oz for oz fewer calories.
4. Strawberries for almost any fruit. Even with added sugar these are lower than most others.

Can't wait to hear your swaps and tricks!

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Eh butter and oil are pretty much the same. What am I missing there?
    Same for cashews and almonds... I actually always thought that almonds had less calories (pistachios are the lowest I believe).
    Strawberries are awesome, but apples fill me up much longer, even if they have more calories.
  • TribeHokie
    TribeHokie Posts: 711 Member
    edited May 2016
    Um chicken breast is lower calorie than pork tenderloin. ~30 cal/oz vs. ~40 cal/oz

    edit: if you get specifically lean tenderloin it's more like 34 cal/oz but still not a lower calorie swap for chicken breast
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,964 Member
    Applesauce is way better than oil , I made two baked goods once and you couldn't tell the difference
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Applesauce is way better than oil , I made two baked goods once and you couldn't tell the difference

    See, now that's a real swap, lol. And yeah, I've done it too! It's different but still tasty.
  • hollyrayburn
    hollyrayburn Posts: 905 Member
    Hummus for mayo.

    Plain Greek yogurt for mayo.

    "Hollow out" a cucumber to replace the bread in a tuna sandwich.
  • LookingforWhatsHerName
    LookingforWhatsHerName Posts: 37 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Eh butter and oil are pretty much the same. What am I missing there?
    Same for cashews and almonds... I actually always thought that almonds had less calories (pistachios are the lowest I believe).
    Strawberries are awesome, but apples fill me up much longer, even if they have more calories.

    I just discovered brownies made with melted butter... Yum!! It surprised me when I went to change the recipe in my fitness pal that the calorie count went down. So that got me thinking about other discoveries I have made. And the difference between almonds and cashews is small, with cashews being only slightly lower, I just meant to point out that as a less heralded "health food" cashews are a good option I know I hadn't previously considered before becoming familiar with calorie counting.
    TribeHokie wrote: »
    Um chicken breast is lower calorie than pork tenderloin. ~30 cal/oz vs. ~40 cal/oz

    edit: if you get specifically lean tenderloin it's more like 34 cal/oz but still not a lower calorie swap for chicken breast

    Skinless chicken breast is, but breast as it comes is higher. That means breast pulled off of a whole rotisserie style chicken, for example. I was just trying to throw out some outside of the box options for folks who are looking for other ideas than chicken breasts and veg for dinner, that's all.

  • LookingforWhatsHerName
    LookingforWhatsHerName Posts: 37 Member
    pie_eyes wrote: »
    Applesauce is way better than oil , I made two baked goods once and you couldn't tell the difference

    It makes my brownies sponges, instead of dense and chewy
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
    Cauliflower rice make me very happy!
  • BhangraPrince
    BhangraPrince Posts: 123 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Eh butter and oil are pretty much the same. What am I missing there?
    Same for cashews and almonds... I actually always thought that almonds had less calories (pistachios are the lowest I believe).
    Strawberries are awesome, but apples fill me up much longer, even if they have more calories.

    Well aren't you just a buzz kill
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    PB2 for peanut butter. 45 cals per 2 tablespoons vs. 190. Especially useful for peanut sauce in stir fry dishes.

    Flapjacked protein pancake mix. Tastes good, 200 calories, 20g protein for about 3 medium pancakes.

    I just got my hands on a pint of Halo Top, hoping it's better than Arctic Zero.

    Bolthouse Farms ranch dressing. 45 calories for 2 tablespoons vs. 140 for regular ranch.
  • lisaconklin957
    lisaconklin957 Posts: 17 Member
    Halo top ice cream for regular. It is rocking my world.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,741 Member
    BhangraPrince wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Eh butter and oil are pretty much the same. What am I missing there?
    Same for cashews and almonds... I actually always thought that almonds had less calories (pistachios are the lowest I believe).
    Strawberries are awesome, but apples fill me up much longer, even if they have more calories.

    Well aren't you just a buzz kill

    She's not wrong. A lot of those examples had comparable calorie counts which kinda defeated the whole purpose of the thread in the first place. :)

    I don't really have any suggestions since I pretty much eat the same things every day. Maybe a rice cake instead of bread (yeah, some people think they taste like regret but I like them)?

    Egg beaters or egg whites instead of eggs in cooking? (Again, egg beaters taste like regret but the calorie count is lower).
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
    Greek yogurt for mayo or sour cream. Spaghetti squash in place of real pasta (I love squash and don't care too much for pasta anyway, but I know pasta die-hards may not like it). Low fat cottage cheese for ricotta, and I am another PB2 junkie. I like Flatout Flatbreads if I am having a sandwich, and they are good for making pizzas on. Bolthouse salad dressings - can't remember what life was like before them. They are low calorie and delicious, every flavor I have tried. I do the egg beaters too. Nothing too original here.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You can just use low fat ricotta too!

    And yeah, PB2 is awesome in a lot of things. And low carb tortillas. And definitely zucchini/spaghetti squash for pasta when I really just want the tasty meaty sauce.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    BhangraPrince wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Eh butter and oil are pretty much the same. What am I missing there?
    Same for cashews and almonds... I actually always thought that almonds had less calories (pistachios are the lowest I believe).
    Strawberries are awesome, but apples fill me up much longer, even if they have more calories.

    Well aren't you just a buzz kill

    No, she's the voice of reason in a list that only applies to the OP. It's a counter point, and really the meat of any topic.

    I'd agree that these are fun swaps, but not precisely lower calorie or better swaps. More so just fun ideas for folks which is great.

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