Yes, you know that eating fewer calories and burning more through exercise is usually the key to weight loss… But all of your favorite foods are so heavy in calories! How can you cut back on your energy consumption, while still enjoying your cravings?
One method is to trick your taste buds, by substituting healthier alternatives for your favorite ingredients. Try some of the following tricks to reduce your overall caloric intake, while still enjoying a satisfying eating plan.
Ready for breakfast? One quarter-cup of granola will add 150 calories to your daily count, while ¼ cup of muesli only contains 110 calories. Little differences add up!
You love sour cream… Swap it for Greek yogurt. One quarter-cup of Greek yogurt contains 45 calories, as opposed to 125 calories in the same serving size of sour cream.
Speaking of condiments… Two tablespoons of mayonnaise will pack an additional 180 calories into your diet. Is the creamy goodness really worth it? Hummus lends a similar texture, and two tablespoons only contains 60 calories.
Need a half-cup of canola oil for baking? Swap ¼ cup of oil plus ¼ cup of applesauce. You’ll reduce the calories from 960 down to 505.
Speaking of baking… Swap one stick of butter for a half stick of butter, plus ¼ cup of mashed avocado. You’ll slash your calorie count from 810 to 505.
Hungry for pasta? Substitute one cup of zucchini noodles for one cup of regular pasta. You can reduce your calorie count from 220 all the way down to 25!
Want some sauce on that pasta? A half cup of jarred alfredo sauce packs a whopping 160 calories, but you can reduce that down to 35 calories by subbing cauliflower sauce (look online for a recipe).
It’s dessert time, and you’re craving ice cream… But a half-cup serving of chocolate ice cream contains 150 calories. You can satisfy that craving with chocolate banana “ice cream” (just blend frozen bananas and cocoa powder in your blender). The same serving size of this healthier option only contains 105 calories.
Of course, you still need to decide how many calories you should be eating each day. Come see us, and we’ll help you analyze your body type and health goals, and together we’ll make an eating plan for success.
