Finding simple food swaps is a much more sustainable way to change your eating habits for the better than making a major overhaul to your diet.

Giving up the foods you love can be tough, and it may not even be necessary at the macro level if you can make a bunch of smaller changes to your usual foods that can add up to some big nutritional benefits and calorie savings.

Here are 15 great food swaps to help you eat better!

  1. Oats instead of other cereal: If you love the ritual of having a bowl of cereal for breakfast, switch out those sugary cereals with artificial ingredients with heart-healthy oats. They’re easy to prepare and super versatile – check out my overnight oats recipe!
  2. Veal instead of beef: While turkey or chicken might be the go-to healthy animal proteins, I know this can get kind of old, so how about veal? It’s leaner than beef and has less fat, not to mention more nutrients.
  3. Brown rice instead of white rice: Some dishes go so well with rice that it’s hard to give it up completely, so go for the brown variety, which has more fibre and is more filling.
  4. Wholemeal pasta instead of white pasta: Avoid carb crashes with fibre-rich wholemeal pasta, or try some of the other health-conscious versions like lentil or pea pasta.
  5. Oat milk instead of milk: Oat milk is my go-to not only because oats are so healthy but because I find it to be one of the creamiest plant milks, but you might also try almond or coconut milk.
  6. Light cheese instead of full-fat cheese: Giving up cheese is pretty much impossible for most of us, but you can cut down on some of the saturated fat and cholesterol without compromising on flavour by choosing low-fat varieties.
  7. Evaporated milk instead of cream: You can’t whip it, but it may surprise you how well evaporated milk works in dishes like creamy soups and sauces, and it’s much lower in calories than cream. 
  8. Ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef: When you’re making foods like chili, tacos or lasagne where there a lot of other flavours going on, you can get away with using a leaner minced meat and save on calories and cholesterol.
  9. Wholemeal bread instead of white bread: I’m sure you’ve heard of this simple food swap before, but it’s popular advice for a reason: wholemeal bread is less processed and contains more vitamins, minerals, fibre and other compounds that promote good health. 
  10. Spray oil instead of traditional bottled oil: When it comes to healthy food swaps for cooking, you can totally get away with using spray oil instead of oil from a bottle. You’d be surprised how much less oil you’ll be using, which means you’re consuming a whole lot of less fat.
  11. Greek yogurt instead of mayo: You’d be surprised at how many different dishes you can use Greek yogurt in instead of mayo and have them turn out just fine. Whether it’s a dip, sandwich spread or creamy dressing, Greek yogurt nails the texture and is much healthier than mayo.
  12. Open-faced sandwiches instead of traditional sandwiches: Sandwiches are just so convenient for a snack or meal, but all that bread can really wreak havoc on your waistline. If you make your sandwich open-faced, you’ll cut the amount of bread (and carbs) you use in half, plus you’ll be able to taste the flavours of your sandwich filling so much better!
  13. Cauliflower instead of potatoes: White potatoes don’t bring a lot to the table nutritionally, so consider making dishes like cauliflower mash or using cauliflower in soups that call for potatoes as thickener. Even people who aren’t fans of cauliflower on its own often don’t mind it when it’s mixed with the other ingredients in these dishes. You can even go half and half.
  14. Wholemeal tortillas instead of white tortillas: Much like with bread, opting for whole grain tortillas is a great way to get more fibre and nutrients in your diet. As an added bonus, they crisp up surprisingly nicely when you’re making things like quesadillas, and they have a much better texture when you’re eating them cold in wraps.
  15. Sparkling water instead of soda: If you can’t give up the idea of washing down your meals with a fizzy drink, switch out your soda for sparkling water. It hits all the same bubbly notes without the sugar and calories, and you can always jazz up the flavour with some orange, lemon or lime slices.

These simple food swaps can make all the difference when it comes to improving your diet – and with time, you’ll often find that you enjoy the healthier versions even more!

Being a member of The Dinner Plan is an immense help in this area. Did you know our nutritionist vets each recipe and suggests food swaps to make each one healthier? This is over and above her recommendations to make recipes easier on the waistline, and appropriate for those following a gluten free/dairy free/lactose free/vegetarian diet.
You’ll be able to join as of January 25th. Doors are open for one week!