10 Food Swaps That Save Major Calories

Nobody likes to count calories, especially when you’ve got a million other things on your plate. Without letting calories control your life, there are some simple everyday food swaps you can be mindful of to improve your healthy eating habits. Achieve a healthier lifestyle and use these simple food swaps so you can lessen your calorie intake—and ensure the calories you do spend are worthwhile to your diet.

Consume your calories in smarter ways with our 10 simple food swaps:

1. Eggs

To kick off our food swaps, ditch two scrambled eggs and one slice of American cheese (274 total calories) for two boiled eggs with avocado (1 Tbsp. is 180 total calories). Eggs are much healthier to consume boiled, and with a creamy serving of avocado, you’ll enjoy a nice protein boost in the morning without getting weighed down by a heavy breakfast.

Calories Saved: 94

2. Sweeteners

Use cinnamon as a tasty way to sweeten your coffee, oatmeal and other foods without any of the excess calories from added sugar.

Calories Saved: 10

3. Creamy Salads

Swap chicken salad with mayo (100 g. is 260 calories) with tuna fish and avocado (100 g. and 1 Tbsp. of avo is 152 total calories). You can make protein-packed tuna fish mixed with avocado to get your healthy helping of omega-3 fatty acids and many other essential antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Calories Saved: 108

4. Munchies

One ounce of Potato chips and one tablespoon of sour cream is 164 total calories. Swap this out for one ounce of carrots and one tablespoon of cottage cheese for 24 total calories. The filling combo of carrots and cottage cheese can replace any snack and offer numerous nutrients to benefit your healthy lifestyle.

Calories Saved: 140

5. Beverages

Swap soda (12 oz. is 140 Calories) with Seltzer (0 calories). No matter which way you look at it, soda is bad for you and full of empty calories and excess sugar. Get your fix for bubbles with some refreshing zero-calorie seltzer with a lemon slice for flavor.

Calories Saved: 140

6. Condiments

Swap mayo (1 tbsp. is 100 calories) for mustard (1 tbsp. is three calories). Complement your sandwich with some low-calorie yellow mustard instead of fattening mayo and save calories with this simple condiment switch up.

Calories Saved: 97 

7. Side Dishes

Swap grain rice (1 cup is 248 calories) with cauliflower rice (1 cup is 34 calories). You can easily put a head of cauliflower in the food processor to make your own nutrient-rich rice. It has the right consistency and added flavor to enhance any dish!

Calories Saved: 214

8. Sweet Treats

Swap craisins (100 g. is 325 calories) with pomegranate seeds (100 g. is 86 calories). Satisfy your sweet tooth with antioxidant-rich pomegranate seeds instead of reaching for over-sugared dried fruits.

Calories Saved: 239

9. Burgers

Swap a burger (4 oz. ground beef) on a potato roll (462 total calories) with a turkey burger (ground turkey breast) on a whole wheat sandwich thin (220 total calories). Enjoy a healthy twist on a classic burger by substituting a ground turkey breast and healthy whole wheat sandwich thins.

Calories Saved: 242

10. Salad Toppings

Swap Italian salad dressing (1 Tbsp. is 35 calories.) with hummus (1 Tbsp. is 25 calories). Try bean-based hummus dip as a new salad dressing alternative to lessen the calories from normal heavy dressings. You’ll get a great boost of protein, vitamins and nutrients with your salad!

Calories Saved: 10

All calorie estimates come from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Composition Database.