Easy Swaps for Lightening Up Meals

I love comfort food. For dinner tonight, we had potato salad and burgers and ice cream. Yum. I also am watching what I eat. I'm a calorie-counter, and things like butter and potatoes and mayonnaise and ice cream and bread can eat up my calorie budget in no time. Here are the easy swaps that save me calories without sacrificing taste.

• Ground turkey instead of beef

All those delicious burgers? They're actually ground turkey. It's lower calorie, and also cheaper at the grocery. It's also just as delicious and comes in various fat percentages, just like beef.

• Almond milk over regular

I prefer the taste and texture of regular old cow's milk. Yep. But, in many recipes where milk is an ingredient and not the main focus and is there to add liquid, this is often an easy swap. I also switch it out in my coffee and tea, and can't tell the difference.

• Nonfat Greek yogurt instead of mayo, or sometimes eggs in baked goods

Anything that has mayo could benefit from using nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Also, on top of that, it makes a good substitute for eggs in several baked recipes. 

• Applesauce instead of oil in baked goods

High-oil recipes, like brownies, can have some, if not all, that oil replaced with applesauce. It also can help cut out some sugar too!

• Blended cauliflower instead of potatoes

Mashed potatoes can often be replaced with mashed cauliflower. I actually like the taste of potatoes, so I'll usually cut it 50-50. 

• ....or pasta

Baked pasta dishes like mac and cheese? And if you're not baking your mac, you should be! You can replace some of the mass of pasta with vegetables without noticing, 

• Vegetable rice instead of white

Can you tell that we eat a ton of cauliflower? Rice is often not the main element of the dish, right? So putting it underneath meat or sauce or other vegetables doesn't really matter, and it can be used to provide that same texture.

There you go! These are swaps that honestly no one will notice, and they make a huge difference in my diet, especially when you're counting calories.

Let me know, what do you do to lighten up your favorite comfort foods? And, are you interested in more content about my food and fitness journey?