11 Food Swaps to Help You Lose Weight

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Swap so you can drop

Losing weight is tough (here’s why you’re having trouble). But, there are a few easy tweaks you can make to your diet that can make a huge difference. To drop a pound, you need to eliminate 3,500 calories, by burning them off and/or cutting them from your diet. Just by eating 500 fewer cal­ories per day, in theory you will lose a pound a week. We rounded up some easy changes you can make. Pick a few swaps, and the scale will start to shift.

And remember, when introducing a food swap, give yourself time to get used to it, advises Robin Anderson, a registered dietitian with Revive Wellness, a coalition of health practition­ers in Edmonton. “The higher in salt, fat and sugar a food is, the more addictive it is,” she says, “so when you eat something different, your taste buds need time to adjust.”

1. Make toast

Replace a bagel (354 calories) or bran muffin (410 calories) with 2 slices of whole-wheat toast (164 calories). Skip the butter, but you can add a tablespoon (15 mL) of honey (64 calories) or 1/2 cup (125 mL) of fat-free cottage cheese (90 calories).

You’ll save: Up to 246 calories.

Add it up: Make this change once a week and you’ll cut almost 12,800 calories a year—that’s more than 3 pounds.

2. Be a regular Joe

A Grande Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream at Starbucks is 370 calories and 15 g of fat. Instead, choose a regular coffee. Alone, it has no calories, but even with cream and sugar it’s a much better choice: You’ll add 24 calories and 3 g of fat per tablespoon of cream, and 16 calories per teaspoon of sugar. (Also, find out the best time of day to have coffee.)

You’ll save: 330 calories and 12 g of fat.

Add it up: Make this swap once a week and you’ll cut 17,160 calories a year, which adds up to almost 5 pounds. (Think of all the money you’ll save, too!)

3. Skip a yolk

Nix just 1 yolk from meals that require 2 eggs (think omelettes). A whole egg has 75 calories and 5 g of fat, but there are only 16 calories in the white and no fat.

You’ll save: 59 calories and 5 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and cut out 3,068 calories a year, which is almost 1 pound.

4. Swap your soup

Instead of dishing up a 280-g serving of cream of broccoli soup, which has 160 calories and 9 g of fat, choose a bowl of chicken noodle soup instead. You get just 110 calories and 2 g of fat for the same-size serving. (Or, try our Tofu Noodle Soup.)

You’ll save: 50 calories and 7 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and cut out 2,600 calories a year, or more than half a pound.

5. Snack smart

Tame your munchies with popcorn instead of chips. A 28-g snack-size bag of chips has 150 calories and 10 g of fat. Swap that for a cup (250 mL) of air-popped popcorn at 31 calories and 0 g of fat. For a flavour boost, spritz popcorn with butter-flavoured spray (0 calories) and toss in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese (27 calories). (Did you know popcorn has health benefits?)

You’ll save: Up to 119 calories and 10 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you’ll cut out 6,188 calories a year—that’s almost 2 pounds.

6. Drop the pop

Replace just one can of pop a day with a glass of iced water (0 cal­ories)—add a squeeze of lemon, cucumber slices or mint leaves for a nice refreshing flavour, or try one of these flavoured water recipes.

You’ll save: 140 calories.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you’ll slash 7,280 calories a year, which adds up to more than 2 pounds.

7. Sweeten the deal

Need something sweet? Rather than reaching for 1 cup of premium strawberry ice cream at 500 calories and 16 g of fat, opt for 1 cup of strawberries at 56 calories. Still crave something creamy? Even 1/4 cup (60 mL) of light whipped cream (the kind in a can) adds only an extra 30 calories and 2 g of fat.

You’ll save: Up to 444 calories and 16 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you will cut out 23,088 cal­ories a year, which adds up to almost 7 pounds.

Image: Shutterstock

8. Lighten up liquor

Instead of regular beer, which has 150 calories per bottle, opt for its lighter version at less than 100 calories. And instead of a 5 oz (150 mL) glass of Pinot Grigio at 120 calories, cut the calories in half by making a wine spritzer. To make: Combine equal parts wine and soda water.

You’ll save: 50 to 60 calories per drink.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you will cut out 2,600 to 3,120 calories a year, which could equal almost a pound.

9. Substitute your sub

A 6-inch meatball sub is 580 calories and 24 g of fat; a turkey breast sub is only 280 calories and 3 g of fat. Or take it a step further and opt for a veggie sub at just 230 calories and 3 g of fat.

You’ll save: Up to 350 calories and 21 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you’ll cut out up to 18,200 calories a year, which equals more than 5 pounds.

10. Spritz your salad

Two tablespoons of ranch salad dressing racks up 140 calories and 16 g of fat. Using a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette spritzer, on the other hand, packs a lot of flavour but only 1 calorie a squirt (10 calories for an individual-size salad) and only 1 g of fat.

You’ll save: 130 calories and 15 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and you’ll cut out 6,760 calories a year, which is about 2 pounds.

11. Go fish

If you normally have beef a couple of times a week, change one meal to fish instead. A 75-g serving of broiled steak has 230 calories and 14 g of fat. Compare that to the same-size serving of broiled cod at just 80 calories and 1 g of fat. Here’s the best fish to eat if you’re health-conscious.

You’ll save: 150 calories and 13 g of fat.
Add it up: Make this change once a week and slash 7,800 calories a year, which adds up to just over 2 pounds.

Swap & Drop Diet

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