7 Diet-Friendly Food Swaps That Taste Great—with Less Calories!

Losing weight never feels quite as easy as it seems in theory. Most of the time, a good plan calls for a complete diet change, which usually means you have to stay away from all your favorite foods!

When it comes to weight loss, you can’t really have your cake and eat it too (no pun intended!), but that doesn’t mean you have to swap your usual scoop of chocolate ice cream for a celery stick.

The worst part about starting a big diet is depriving yourself of everything you love, which only makes it harder to stick to one.

So, why put yourself through all that? Instead of forcing yourself to stay away from all your favorite foods, try making some healthy swaps!

Here are 7 of the healthiest (and most delicious) food swaps to start making today:

1. Sugar VS. Cinnamon: Even if you only use a little packet of raw sugar in your morning coffee, that extra sugar really adds up. Cinnamon, on the other hand, tastes just as sweet—plus it can boost your metabolism.
2. Diet Soda VS. Sparkling Water: There’s truly nothing healthy about a can of diet soda. With all the artificial sugars, it will only end up making you feel bloated and gassy. Instead, try drinking a bottle of sparkling water. With delicious flavors like lemon-lime and strawberry-kiwi, you won’t even miss that sugary soda!
3. Cheese & Crackers VS. Cheese & Apple Slices: When you snack on cheese and crackers, you’re really just looking for something crunchy to enhance the taste of your cheese. But crackers are loaded with carbs and sodium that you just don’t need in your diet. Try swapping those salty crackers for sliced apples. Not only are they crunchy and sweet, but apples are packed with fiber to help you feel full faster.
4. Butter VS. Olive/Canola Oil: The saturated fat in butter will really help you pack on the pounds. But not all fat is necessarily bad! The unsaturated fats found in olive and canola oil are actually good for you (in moderation). If you need a little extra flavor when you cook, opt for a bottle of garlic olive oil.
5. Chips VS. Air-Popped Popcorn: Love salty chips? Then you’ll probably love air-popped popcorn with a little extra salt! You can snack on a whole cup for just 100 calories—a way better deal than five greasy potato chips.
6. Iceberg Lettuce VS. Spinach: A pretty good rule of thumb when making a salad is the greener the leaves, the healthier the meal. Rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and fiber, spinach is a go-to salad choice for anyone trying to stay healthy—and satisfied!
7. Sour Cream VS. Greek Yogurt: If you put a dollop of sour cream on just about everything you eat, try swapping out this creamy topping for a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt. With the same consistency and tart taste as sour cream, Greek yogurt is a delicious substitute—with less calories and more protein!

Do you have any healthy food swaps to add to the list? If so, tell us in the comments!

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