Eating healthy can be an intimidating task. You have to change your mindset, how you cook, and what you buy at the grocery store. But eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to completely throw away all your favorite food- you just have to make them healthy. Finding healthy food swaps for your favorite meals and snacks is a simple way to adjust to healthy eating without completely changing your diet. So if you’re trying to eat better but don’t know where to start, try out these easy healthy food swaps:
Instead of mayo, choose mustard
Mayo on a sandwich is delicious! But, so is mustard. Plus, it’s easy to overdo it on mayo and add tons of calories. Choosing mustard over mayo saves you some calories and is still as good.
Instead of sour cream, choose greek yogurt
Trust me on this one, for wherever you’d put sour cream on, greek yogurt does the trick. It’s lower in calories, more nutritious, and high in probiotics, which is good for your gut health.
Instead of packaged popcorn, pop it yourself
Popcorn is undeniably a great snack, but pre-packaged popcorn usually comes loaded with salt and butter. You can still enjoy your favorite movie snack, just invest in an air popper and some kernels and pop it yourself! That way, you can control the amount of salt and butter you put.
Instead of spaghetti, choose zoodles
I love a good traditional spaghetti, but if I’m in the mood for something lighter, zoodles are a great alternative. Zoodles are basically just spiraled zucchini that takes place for spaghetti. You can add whatever sauce, protein, and vegetables you like, and it tastes very similar to the real thing!
Instead of chips, choose veggies
If you’re in the mood for chips and dip but don’t want to eat a bunch of chips, choose vegetables instead! Vegetables like celery, cucumbers, and peppers still give you crunch like chips but are way more nutritious. Make yourself a colorful spread with all your favorite veggies and a delicious dip.
Instead of store-bought dressing, make it yourself
Store-bought dressings are delicious, but they often come with a ton of unnecessary additives. Instead of buying it at the store, just make it yourself! There are tons of easy dressing recipes online, or you can just stick to the simple olive oil and vinegar.
Instead of soda, drink seltzer
If you love yourself a good carbonated drink, go for seltzer instead of soda. It’s way lower in sugar and better for you overall. You can buy it flavored or add some lemon or lime and flavor it yourself.
Instead of white rice, choose cauliflower rice
If you’re looking for a lighter option for white rice and need to get some veggies, go for cauliflower rice instead. It’s lower in calories and packed with vitamin C and potassium.
Instead of sweetened almond milk, get it unsweetened
Getting your almond milk sweetened just adds a ton of unnecessary sugar. Instead, go for the unsweetened kind with no sugar added. That way, if you’re adding it to oatmeal or smoothies, you can add your own healthy sweeteners, like maple syrup or agave.
Instead of gummies, choose dried fruit
Dried fruit is basically just nature’s gummies anyway! Dried fruit is naturally sweet and way better for you than gummy candy. If you’re craving something sweet, go for dried mango, pineapple, or dates.
