Easy Meal Swaps

We all know, don’t we, that ‘dieting’ for weight loss typically involves avoiding certain types of food or skipping calories?  In fact, pretty much all diets will involve some cleverly disguised form of cutting calories – be it skipping meals in preference for juices or shakes, limiting overall food consumption between certain hours of the day, or days of the week, or counting points or sins.

Whilst this type of diet does have its place and can be good for some. For most of us, it is also possible to achieve great health and physique by doing the exact opposite – by adding in great stuff to your diet.

Without telling yourself you can’t have something (because we all know that only makes you want it more!), try swapping some of the low nutrient, highly processed foods (like breads, pastas, take-aways, juices and sodas, burgers, chips, crisps and packaged snacks) for some good, natural whole foods instead (vegetables, meat, fish and legumes). Eating these types of foods will instantly make you feel more nourished and satiated and less likely to be looking for more inappropriate foods to fill that gap in your tummy, to lift you out of your energy slump, or give you the sugar hit you’re craving.

But I don’t need to tell you this, you know it already don’t you?  So what’s actually stopping you making the changes?  Sometimes the only thing getting in the way of change is having the ideas to replace your existing habits, so here’s a few easy swaps to get you on your way.

SWAP

• High sugar breakfast cereals FOR homemade granolas, freshly made porridge, overnight oats, chia porridge
• The breakfast fry-up FOR poached eggs, spinach, avocado, grilled tomatoes or homemade baked beans
• The lunchtime sandwich FOR freshly made salads with leftover meat/fish from your evening meal
• Traditional lasagne FOR a lighter version using butternut squash, courgette, aubergine or spinach instead of a pasta layer and a little mozzarella instead of the bechemal sauce
• Spaghetti bolognese FOR bolognese with courgette noodles (spiralised or simply julienned)
• Fish n Chips FOR a healthier homemade version of grilled, poached or baked fish with celeriac, parsnip or sweet potato chips
• Take-aways FOR homemade versions such as my ‘sticky chicken and cauliflower rice’ or ‘chicken jalfrezi’
• Mashed potato (including where used as a pie topping) FOR vegetable mash such as celeriac, parsnip or cauliflower
• Fried potato chips FOR vegetable versions such as celeriac, parsnip, carrot, courgette
• Rice FOR cauliflower rice
• High sugar, high processed desserts FOR homemade alternatives (search the blog category for ideas) or fresh fruit
• Packaged and processed snacks and cereal bars FOR real food alternatives such as boiled eggs, cooked meats, nuts, fruit and vegetables or homemade flapjacks and protein balls

You don’t have to give up everything you love to achieve health and weight management, but the more good stuff you can add in will limit the overall amount of bad stuff you take on board and gradually lead you towards a more favourable body and mind. Yes, it can take a little more input or effort for you to plan, prepare and provide fresh, real food alternatives instead of shop bought ones, but ask yourself if it’s worth it for the potential rewards AND what the cost of not doing so might be.  So if you’re ready to make the change, do some planning, search the blog for ideas and get swapping!!