We all know that indulging a little here and there won’t hurt you, as long as you take care of your body the other 90 percent of the time. However, there are also plenty of ways to ensure you’re making good choices every day—and that starts with proper nutrition.

Follow these easy food swaps that won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out on your favorite treats!

 

Juice on the left, fruit on the right

Skip the juice, eat the fruit 
Not all juices are created equal, but if you’re looking to keep the high fiber content and lose the sugar, you’ll need to eat the piece of fruit.

Instead of this: 12 oz. glass of OJ
Try this: 1 orange
Saves 100 calories, 21 grams of sugar, and has 2.1 grams of fiber.

 

Cheese and crackers on the left, green apples on the right

Replace the carbs with fruit and fiber 
Cheese and crackers is a beloved combo, but if you want to get in your daily dose of fiber and skip the carbs and sugar, try replacing them with apple wedges.

Instead of this: 5 crackers
Try this: 1 medium apple, cut into slices
Saves 5 calories and has 17 percent of daily fiber intake.

 

Potato chips on the left, cucumbers on the right

Keep the crunch, lose the fat 
Sometimes it’s the crunch and salt we crave in potato chips, not so much the taste. Try sprinkling radish or cucumber slices with a pinch of sea salt for low-cal version.

Instead of this: 1 small bag of potato chips
Try this: ½ cup cucumber/radish slices with sea salt
Saves more than 100 calories and 80 milligrams of sodium.

 

Soda on the left, black coffee on the right

Get the same caffeine jolt without the sugar 
Soda is loaded with sugar, and we do mean loaded. One 12 ounce has about 3 tablespoons! Coffee is just as high in caffeine, and if unsweetened with sugar or cream, is low in calories and fat, too.

Instead of this: 12 oz. soda
Try this: 1 cup of unsweetened coffee
Saves 150 calories, 39 grams of sugar, and has 64 more milligrams of caffeine.

 

Cereal and milk on the left, greek yogurt on the right

Build a better breakfast 
Traditional breakfast foods, like sausage and eggs, and even a bowl of cereal, can be full of sugar and sodium. Instead, go with a bowl of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit, or an egg white omelet with veggies.

Instead of this: Bowl of cereal and milk
Try this: 8 oz. Greek yogurt with fresh fruit
Saves 50 calories, 20 grams of carbs, and has 4 grams of protein.

Instead of this: Sausage and eggs
Try this: 3 egg white omelet with ½ cup fresh veggies
Saves 1,000 calories, 2,500 milligrams of sodium, and has 14 grams of protein.

 

4733 Views