Food swaps

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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!

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  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    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? :grey_question::grey_question:
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
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    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? :grey_question::grey_question:

    I think they meant sammies as in sandwiches & mash as in mashed potatoes, but I could be wrong.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited November 2015
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    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
    New_determination Posts: 1,460 Member
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    Avocados instead of butter or mayo
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
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    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
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I use small amounts of Horseradish sauce instead of mayo on sandwiches. (20 cals per tsp.)
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    "I use small amounts of Horseradish sauce instead of mayo on sandwiches. (20 cals per tsp.)" Me too.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    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
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    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
    lalabrucey Posts: 244 Member
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    I have started squeezing half a lemon over a salad in place of dressings. *Wonderful* taste! Lime juice works well too
  • Mawzermummy
    Mawzermummy Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks guys some great ideas here!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    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
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
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    Thanks guys some great ideas here!

    I'm still wondering what sammirs in mash is, though.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Apple sauce for oil in most baked goods.
  • gigieatss
    gigieatss Posts: 60 Member
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    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
    c1ownfishie Posts: 82 Member
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    Cauliflower instead of potatoes is a great one!!! Also love using spaghetti squash instead of pasta!
  • angelacookieflynn
    angelacookieflynn Posts: 5 Member
    edited December 2015
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    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
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    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
    TrickyDisco Posts: 2,869 Member
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    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.