There are many meal ideas swaps you can make and still enjoy the taste of your meals.
You can still enjoy your favorite comfort meals without trashing your weight or fitness goals. You can reduce fat and carb content without sacrificing the taste.
All you need is simple substitutions and healthier ingredients. This will satisfy your tastebuds and your cravings too.
Here are 10 meal ideas swaps that you and your family will love.
PIZZA SWAPS
Pizza is amongst the top 10 most wanted treat meals. This favorite treat can easily be modified by using whole wheat thin crust, adding lots of veggies and sticking to the red sauce or olive oil.
If you are adding cheese, stick to a spattering of low-fat mozzarella or a light crumbling of feta or few savings of parmesan.
Good meat options include lean proteins like chicken breast and nitrite-free Canadian bacon. Few torn basil leaves sprinkled on the top completes this favorite dish.
BURGERS
Who does not like a good burger? They can be enjoyed by using extra lean ground beef, ground turkey or chicken.
Choose a whole wheat or whole grain bun, or a sourdough one even better. Go careful on the mayo, and add the usual lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
Alternatively, you can remove the top bun and enjoy it as an open burger or remove the bun completely and have a naked burger with extra slices of avocado, and some barbeque sauce.
Both will add a fat-like richness that helps overcome the dryness that some lean burgers have.
This burger treat is full of muscle-building protein and plenty of carbohydrates to fuel the body.
FRENCH FRIES
I crave French fries all the time. How about you? If so you can make them with sweet potato, however the preparation here is what matters.
The best bet here is to hand-cut the potatoes in fingers and cook them in the air fryer. Alternatively you can lay them in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and placed them in a preheated oven at 425F oven for 15 minutes before flipping them over and baking them for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
CHIPS AND GUACAMOLE
Munching while watching TV is many peoples weekend enjoyment. Have you tried baked tortilla chips and guacamole instead of the usual chips and dips? However, with baked chips you need to keep in mind that most of them provide more sodium than traditional chips.
Fresh avocado makes a great dip as it contains plenty of healthy fats and it’s rich in antioxidants.
You could go one better and swap the tortilla chips for sliced cucumber or sweet peppers.
GRANOLA
I do enjoy a bowl of granola for breakfast! If you are buying it instead of making it at home, choose a healthy one. Make sure it’s filled with nuts and dried fruits. Enjoy it with a splash of low-fat milk or alternative like almond or coconut milk, which is my favorite one.
Granola is typically made of oats so it’s a good source of carbohydrates, while the nuts provide plenty of healthy fats for a powerhouse breakfast.
However, watch those labels. Despite its healthy reputation, some granola, are very high in saturated fat. Be sure to choose a variety that has 7g or less of fat and 4g or less of sugar and ideally 3g or more of fiber.
BRAN MUFFINS
Another great treat are Bran muffins made with quality ingredients like honey, blueberries, and walnuts.
Bran is high in fiber and added to nuts and fruit, provide plenty of antioxidants and healthy fats to make it well worth it.
Served with a glass of milk and you will be hard press to find a healthier and more satisfying breakfast or snack.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate is the most popular after dinner snack for many people. Make it healthy by choosing one that is 70% or more dark chocolate over milk ones.
Dark chocolate is also full of antioxidants, and it’s known to improve both your heart rate and brain health.
Saying that, try to stay within the recommended portion of 50g, usually one square.
If a square it’s not enough, try mixing a cup of plain Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of cocoa and a tiny squeeze of honey.
If you like you can toss in some dried cranberries and chopped walnuts for some extra antioxidants, and a little texture.
PASTA
Spaghetti Bolognese or spaghetti and meat balls, mmm… delicious. To make it healthier, you can use spelt spaghetti, whole wheat or quinoa pasta topped up with a no-added sugar red sauce. You could also use zoodles which are noodles made of courgette.
Your meat balls should be made with lean ground chicken, lean ground turkey, or 95% lean ground beef.
If you are hungry for pasta and you are vegetarian, you could mix two cups of fresh cherry tomatoes, (halved), with some chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and freshly chopped oregano.
Let it stand at room temperature for an hour and press slightly with a fork to extract some of the juices. Cook the pasta or spaghetti and toss the tomato mixture to lightly coat it. Grate some fresh parmesan on top of it, and you won’t believe how flavorsome this dish is.
WINE
I look forward to a glass of wine at the weekend. However I have learnt to choose red over white which can provide more antioxidants and might even help to increase HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol) or good cholesterol as its also known as, when consumed in moderation on a regular basis.
Red wine is also known to fight free radicals with a substance called resveratrol. It might even slow the absorption of glucose through the intestines and prevent blood sugar spikes.
PANCAKES
Morning breakfast is the perfect time to indulge in healthy carbohydrates. You can not beat fresh of the griddle whole grain or whole wheat pancakes, specially when topped with a lightly drizzle of organic maple syrup. You can accompany them with some fresh berries and Greek yogurt.
