What foods do you swap to save calories

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13

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  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
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    Love all these ideas!
  • sophieclarev
    sophieclarev Posts: 55
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    Cauli rice instead of rice, I cut carrots on the diagonal to make oval "crackers", I use sour cream mixed with minced chilli instead of mayo (works great in tuna salad), shave strips of zucchini instead of pasta...
  • alianf
    alianf Posts: 41 Member
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    My best substitution I've done recently is a grated zucchini pizza crust for normal crust. Saves like 200 some calories per slice, and amazingly yummy!

    Would you share your recipe please?

    Lots of good ideas. I just wish they sold some of the stuff you all talk about where I live. We don't have greek yogurt, let alone fat-free greek yogurt. And no low cal bread or tortilla options. No low cal hot chocolate either. No spaghetti squash or squash in general which is one of my favourite veggies. Oh well! I miss the variety of North America!

    Really love the idea of thinly sliced cabbage as a noodle sub for stir-fry. Definitely trying that out!
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
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    I sub egg whites for whole eggs to increase protein without increasing cholesterol. I season them with herbs and garlic. They taste really good.
  • Tisha247
    Tisha247 Posts: 849 Member
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    I swap cheese for low fat cream cheese.
  • AncientLullaby_
    AncientLullaby_ Posts: 119
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    Swap Pasta with Rice! Rice has way more less calories and is way healthier if you choose the brown, or black rice!! they are so filling and nutrious and low in cals! I lost 40 pounds with rice to be honest
    Cutting down all the drinks and drinking only water helps a lot too!
  • ladi_luk
    ladi_luk Posts: 9
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    I swapped to Almond Milk in my smoothies. It's delicious and so low in cals.
  • Mini_Medic
    Mini_Medic Posts: 343 Member
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    I use a low calorie tortilla shell with pizza sauce and 2% cheese to lake my own "pizza" bake in the oven and voila! Homemade healthy personal pan pizza. I used to drink crystal light I'm my water all the time until I got used to drinking mostly water throughout the day. I use unsweetened applesauce instead of oil in recipes and it doesn't change the taste or cake or brownies, in fact it makes them moister and yummier! I love froze yogurt instead of ice cream, just have to remember which ones are healthiest, because some around here are worse than ice cream!
  • lisalu1202
    lisalu1202 Posts: 30 Member
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    Great ideas. It's amazing what you can change with a little imagination.
  • elsinora
    elsinora Posts: 398 Member
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    Boiled egg whites
    Turkey rashers
    1cal spray
    Extra light spread
    Making your own soup
    Cooking fresh
  • mamigabby1
    mamigabby1 Posts: 1
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    Sounds great! Where can I buy these types of breads?
  • Clarissia_Nicole
    Clarissia_Nicole Posts: 79 Member
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    unsweetened almond milk instead of dairy
    whole grains instead of white bread/pasta
    sweetnlow/splenda instead of sugar
    frozen yogurt instead of ice cream
    egg whites instead of whole eggs
    cooking spray instead of oiling down pans...easier to control portions
  • AlisonL916
    AlisonL916 Posts: 4
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    Spaghetti Sqaush instead of pasta
    My family loves this! We eat it with a low calorie breakfast sausage sauce with lots of veggies, or turkey meat sauce... or just sauce and veggies. Also, I don't know if other people have said this, but Sara Lee makes a 45 calorie bread, so 2 slices is only 90 cals! It's really good and whole wheat. Also, my hubby swears by those little flat almond cookies, with a little nuttela and cool whip. I love them, they are not heavy at all and I use just a tiny but of nutella and lite cool whip. Almost guilt free dessert.
  • FizzyAndTango
    FizzyAndTango Posts: 30
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    I swap 2 slices of Bread for one Rakusen Matzo. So 79 calories instead of almost 200! They also fill me up a lot more than 2 slices of bread. Fuller for longer :) Also I swap crisps and doritos for quavers and wotsits :) Also jam and marmalade for marmite. Barely any cals in marmite. I don't even count it!

    Good luck!!!
  • scrapscot
    scrapscot Posts: 123 Member
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    Zevia (made with Stevia) no-cal softdrinks instead of regular soft drinks: no artificial sweeteners!

    Turkey bacon instead of regular
  • fatcat0908
    fatcat0908 Posts: 5 Member
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    I bulk all recipies with spinach whenever I can. I make it quite often as a side as well, but to get everyone to like it I will sweat a minced onion in 1/2 tbsp canola oil, add a ton of dried dill and the bag of frozen spinach. All three of my picky kids love it that way.
  • bl4330
    bl4330 Posts: 3
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    I agree. I kike the Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk in my shakes and GF cereals.. Only 40 calories. Just started Jan 2nd being serioous about my health again. Slow and steady.
  • Platypusimus
    Platypusimus Posts: 33 Member
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    Anything cream based (sauces, recipes, etc.) that has whole milk, heavy cream, cream cheese.....I use fat free plain greek yogurt. Works in alfredo sauces, tuna salad, chicken salad, cajun-cream pasta sauce, buffalo chicken anything... I could go on forever.

    Also- when I get a craving for pizza, I use a whole wheat pita (100 cals) reduced sugar sauce, fat free cheese, and load up on all the veggies I want (if I'm feeling frisky I'll throw on some canned shredded chicken and Frank's or some turkey pepperoni). I usually get a decent sized personal pizza for less then 150-200 cals.

    this! greek yogurt is an awesome way to cut cals while adding in a ton of protein. you can even substitute greek yogurt for eggs/oil in cake mixes and such.

    Definitely this!
    I got a cookbook for Christmas that is chock FULL of recipes for healthier versions of comfort foods. From the homemade microwave popcorn with significantly less oil and "seasoning" to the amazing blueberry muffins that are bursting with blueberries and low in fat and calories because of natural unsweetened applesauce that replaces most of the sugar, and low fat or fat free milk and (greek, in my case) yogurt that replaces most of the fats.
  • kayc6670
    kayc6670 Posts: 13
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    i do the same thing at subway, get a salad and put light mayo and mustard instead of dressing. seem weird, but really the same as eating a sub just without bread.
  • Tammyinbali
    Tammyinbali Posts: 56 Member
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    unseetened almond milk > dairy milk
    noodles made from zuchinni > spagetti pasta
    vanilla flavored unsweeted almond milk > coffee creamer
    cauliflower rice > rice
    mashed cauliflower > mashed potatoes
    fat free tzatziki > mayo
    green smoothies > fruit smoothies
    almond butter > peanut butter
    fat free yogurt > regular yogurt/sour cream/cooking cream
    mio w/water > fruit juices/soda
    wholewheat/bran wheat > white flour
    egg whites > whole eggs
    water when frying food > oil when frying food
    fat free frozen yogurt > ice cream
    quinoa > rice

    I also try to add chia seeds to most things I eat/drink...the added fiber helps to fill you up & makes everything that much healthier :)

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