Helpful food swaps?

dfhoff40

Hi just wondering if anyone has found some good lower cal swaps for their old go to foods? I'll share a couple-
Mission zero tortillas I use these as hamburger buns, sandwich bread, roll ups,etc
Joseph's protein pitas- instead of usual toasted bread snack
Skinny noodles - mix pasta dish to lighten up, or also good for quick meal/lunch prep
Baked seasoned tofu- quick way to add protein to salads and grain bowls

AnnPT77

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream on tostadas or similar, to moisten deviled egg filling instead of mayo, as an ingredient in home-made creamy salad dressings, on pancakes or waffles with fruit, mixed with frozen berries and chocolate peanut butter powder as a dessert, etc.

Speaking of that, peanut butter powder anywhere one might otherwise use peanut butter for flavoring, such as in peanut sauce for stir fries or satay, in smoothies, etc.

Not lower calorie, but a better nutrient density: Blackstrap molasses to sweeten oatmeal or similar, instead of sugar or honey. (A good brand will have some surprisingly useful micronutrients.) Some people will prefer non-calorie sweeteners, but I prefer to use sensibly moderate amounts of something like this; the non-calorie ones taste off to me. YMMV.

As a generality, I think it's worth considering subs that aren't necessarily lower calorie, but that are as tasty as a more common choice, yet with a better nutrient profile.

foreverhealthy3

HERE IS MY LIST
HEALTHY SWAPS
FOOD ITEM-- BETTER CHOICE
BAGEL- ENGLISH MUFFIN
BAKING OIL- USE RECIPES WITH UNSWEETENED
APPLESAUCE
BREADING FOR MEAT- BAGGED PORK RINDS CRUSHED
BOTTLED B-B-Q SAUCE- STUBB'S ORIGINAL BAR-B-Q SAUCE
CANNED TUNA - STARKIST LIGHT TUNA
FLAVORED YOGURT- GREEK PLAIN YOGURT FRESH FRUIT
FLOUR WRAP- LETTUCE LEAF WRAP
FRUIT JUICE- FRESH RAW FRUIT
FROZEN ICE CREAM BARS- FROZEN FRUIT /YOGURT BARS
MILKSHAKE- FREUIT SMOOTHIE WITH YOGURT
MUFFINS- CROISSANT
POTATO CHIPS- POPCORN/NUTS
SANDWICH SPREAD- DO OPEN FACE SANDWICH NOT 2 BREADS
WHITE RICE- BROWN RICE

mtaratoot

foreverhealthy3 wrote: »

HERE IS MY LIST
HEALTHY SWAPS
FOOD ITEM-- BETTER CHOICE
BAGEL- ENGLISH MUFFIN

Those are not interchangeable. I love bagels, but only REAL bagels. Not those things from the grocery store. I'm fortunate that we have a really good bagel shop in my city. They closed for about 20 years but opened back up a few years ago. A good bagel is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. An English muffin is toast.

I usually get a rye bagel. It's whole grain, so that helps with the glycemic index. Bagels do have a higher glycemic index than English muffins. I can live with that. I can live with the fact that they have more carbs. It's not that big of a difference really. I like mine with hummus, cucumber, and red onion. That helps with both the glycemic index AND the carbs.

Bagels are more nutrient dense, and for sure have more protein. English muffins have saturated fat. Bagels do not unless it's a cheese bagel.

An English muffin could never replace a fresh bagel. Ever. Sometimes I just get a plain bagel without anything on it. In those cases, I look towards the kitchen to see if there's any still warm on the rack. The staff is always more than happy to get me one. They don't even put it in a bag - I just hold out a napkin, they grab it with tongs, and they put it right in my hand. There are few things better than a warm from the oven fresh bagel if that bagel is made right.

I'm glad that today I got the rye with hummus, cucumber, and onion and also brought home a bagel to eat by itself later. A good bagel doesn't need to be toasted. I've never met an English muffin that didn't need to be toasted.

meridethdodd

I swapped regular yogurt for Greek yogurt to get some extra protein. If you need something salty and crunchy, Catalina Crunch makes a few delicious alternatives that are keto-friendly. I swapped dips and dressings for hummus, and chips for sliced veggies (cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower are my faves). Roasted veggies has become a standard side dish for dinner... Just toss in a little olive oil and "Nature's Seasoning," and stick them under the broiler for a bit. YUM. Low-carb tortillas are a staple in my house, as well as cold-brew coffee mixed with a caramel-flavored protein shake (Premier Protein).

springlering62

Jordan’s Sugar free syrups and sauces

Hershey's sugar free chocolate syrup

Walden Farms zero cal honey mustard salad dressing (their other offerings are gross since reformulation)

Stubbs!!!! Oh yes! The magical BbQ sauce. And now they’re coming out with Stubbs ketchup and marinades. Their salad drsssings are too high cal, though. Kraft and Hidden Valley make some very decent low cal dressings

Sweet Balsamic vinegars. Honey ginger is great in a stir fry. Strawberry and blueberry are wonderful over fresh or frozen fruit.

Green Mountain Greek Cream Cheese- haven’t been able to find it since the pandemic though.

Cream cheese alternative: labneh, a middle eastern dish which is simply Greek yogurt strained for a couple days. Thick and spreadable like cream cheese and super low cal. Save the whey that drains off for baking. I use labneh to make a super low calorie cheesecake.

Taylor Farms stir fry kits, cooked in super hot dry pan, over cauliflower rice

Low cal mayos


Oh my gosh. There’s sooooo many.

COGypsy

springlering62 wrote: »

Jordan’s Sugar free syrups and sauces

Hershey's sugar free chocolate syrup

Walden Farms zero cal honey mustard salad dressing (their other offerings are gross since reformulation)

Stubbs!!!! Oh yes! The magical BbQ sauce. And now they’re coming out with Stubbs ketchup and marinades. Their salad drsssings are too high cal, though. Kraft and Hidden Valley make some very decent low cal dressings

Sweet Balsamic vinegars. Honey ginger is great in a stir fry. Strawberry and blueberry are wonderful over fresh or frozen fruit.

Green Mountain Greek Cream Cheese- haven’t been able to find it since the pandemic though.

Cream cheese alternative: labneh, a middle eastern dish which is simply Greek yogurt strained for a couple days. Thick and spreadable like cream cheese and super low cal. Save the whey that drains off for baking. I use labneh to make a super low calorie cheesecake.

Taylor Farms stir fry kits, cooked in super hot dry pan, over cauliflower rice

Low cal mayos


Oh my gosh. There’s sooooo many.

Not a swap, but when I was a kid we used to go get barbeque directly from old man Stubbs himself. He had a little BBQ shack in Lubbock where he developed the sauce. Just the fact that people would "cross the tracks" to get his barbeque was pretty impressive back in the day. They closed the restaurant when he was ready to retire and his kids moved him to Austin where they started bottling the sauces. Makes me smile every time I see the bottles.