5 Healthy Food Swaps To Clean Up Your Diet

If you’re feeling like you need a boost, it’s likely you need to rethink your eating habits.

Take a look at our 5 easy food swaps to clean up your diet, and enjoy the big benefits of a little extra nutrition.

Swap out: bagels and muffins
Swap in: whole wheat toast

While we all know of the happiness this baked good can bring to your morning routine, a bagel also comes with additional baggage nobody wants to carry around. At an average of 300 calories (minus any extra toppings you find yourself piling on top), a bagel has around the same amount of carbohydrates as 3 or 4 slices of bread.

Similarly, muffins are a small breakfast treat that packs a deceivingly huge punch – of sugar, carbohydrates and fat.  If you’re insistent upon making them a regular part of your diet, make them yourself, so you are aware of exactly what you are ingesting.

Swap your bakery goods with whole wheat toast, topped with some almond butter, egg or peanut butter and banana. Along with a reasonable amount of carbs, you’ll be getting a good hit of protein to sustain you through the morning. 

Swap out: mayonnaise and butter
Swap in: mashed avocado

When it comes to sandwich or salad making, most of us don’t think twice when topping our creations with a layer of butter or generous swirl of mayonnaise. But let’s think logically about this – at around 90 calories per tablespoon, one serving of mayonnaise contains roughly 4.5% of your daily caloric intake, and 10 grams of total fat (15.4% of your daily intake).

Replacing your mayonnaise with a layer of mashed avocado will ensure you still retain that creamy texture you desire while removing the unwanted amounts of saturated fat.

When baking, substitute half of the required amount of butter with mashed avocado. You’ll enjoy the benefits of fewer calories and a generous serving of protein, fibre and vitamins B, E and K. 

Swap out: salt
Swap in: herbs and spices

Stop shaking the salt on top of your meats, home baked fries and vegetables, and go for a sprinkle of herbs and spices instead.

Lemon, chilli, ginger and garlic are perfect for quick and fresh meat marinade alternatives, with dried oregano, parsley and rosemary a flavoursome addition to your baked vegetables.  

Swap out: flavoured yoghurt
Swap in: plain Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit

Pick up a tub of flavoured yoghurt and it’s likely you’ll be indulging in a high calorie concoction of sugar, fructose or corn syrup. Very few flavoured yoghurts actually contain fruit, making them a fast selling dessert under the aura of a ‘healthy choice’.

Instead, make an easy food swap and replace that tub with fat-free Greek yoghurt, and get creative with your toppings. Fresh berries or fruit with a drizzle of honey is a much healthier alternative.

Swap out: 100% ground beef
Swap in: 50% ground beef and 50% grated vegetables

A tried and tested trick for sneaking vegetables into children’s meals, swapping half of your ground meat with half grated vegetables is an easy food swap to fulfil your daily vegetable needs – and get more from your meal.

Use your ground beef and vegetable mixture in dishes including spaghetti bolognese, shepherd’s pie and tacos.  

Find out more about the benefits of good nutrition with the 10136NAT Diploma of Nutrition. Call 1300 616 180 today!