Most people fail to eat clean and lose weight because they can’t give up their favorite treats. Diet slip-ups are a common thing. Regardless of how motivated you are, nobody can stop you from craving cookies or chocolate. Fortunately, there are ways to lighten the foods you love and make your recipes healthier. Simple tricks, such as swapping cream for Greek yogurt and pasta for zoodles, can help you cut calories.
Follow these five steps to make your favorite foods healthier:
Skip the Cream
Homemade macaroni and cheese, tuna salad, and sandwiches wouldn’t taste so great without cream. Not to mention sauces and salad dips! Unfortunately, heavy cream is packed with calories and fat. You can either replace it with Greek yogurt, or make a lighter version using one cup of skimmed milk and four teaspoons of all purpose flour. Mix everything and whisk over medium heat.
Eliminate Sugar
It’s no secret that sugar contributes to weight gain and chronic illnesses. This ingredient lacks nutrients and provides empty calories. Replace it with stevia to cut calories and make your snacks more nutritious. When cooking cake or other sweets, use whey protein, vanilla essence, applesauce, or cinnamon instead of sugar.
Cut Back on Fats
One gram of fat boasts nine calories. Cutting back on fats is one of the easiest ways to reduce your calorie intake. Use a non-stick pan, switch to unrefined vegetable oils, and ditch the margarine. Add half of the butter or oil than the recipe suggests.
Swap Ingredients
If a recipe calls for bread crumbs, use rolled oats instead. Replace bacon bits with smoked paprika, mayo with mashed avocado and mustard, white flour with coconut or almond flour, and buttermilk with low fat plain yogurt. These simple ingredient swaps can reduce thousands of calories each week.
Cook Your Own Treats
Recreate your favorite snacks and treats at home using healthier ingredients. From chips and cookies to pizza, you can try just about anything. Stick to whole, natural ingredients, use less salt, and bake, grill, or steam your food instead of frying it.
