Calorie saving swaps

When it comes to losing weight, your body needs to be in a calorie deficit (i.e. your need to be using more calories than your are consuming). Instead of trying to make drastic changes with your diet, making small changes  to your current diet which you can stick to is much more sustainable in the long term. Here are a few swaps to help you get started if your goal is to reduce your calorie intake, without restricting or eliminating your favourite foods. 

Bear in mind these are approximate calories so depending on which brand or product you purchase, the caloric difference will be different but it should help you to gage how much you calories you could be saving towards however many calories your body needs in a day. Calorie counting can be a great tool in helping to achieve weight loss through enabling you to become more familiar with the nutritional content of foods but is by no means necessary. 

Try swapping pasta with...

Who doesn't love a good hearty spaghetti bolognese?

If you want to increase your intake of vegetables whilst reducing your caloric intake to meet your caloric needs then you can look at swapping pasta with courgetti noodles. This swap can help to save approximately 300 kcals. Courgette, also known as zucchini, has many vitamins required for good overall health, including vitamin B, vitamin C and potassium.

Try swapping your boxed cereal with...

Having Coco pops in moderation is fine but if it's a meal you consume every day of the week, try swapping every other day with a porridge, which is packed with fiber and low in sugars (provided you don't add extra sugars in).

Boxed cereal can often be made of refined carbs and can be high in sugar. Porridge can be a great alternative as its complex carb which can help to keep you feeling fuller for longer. With this swap you can  save approximately 32 kcals which might not seem like much but if swapped for a long period can add up.

Try swapping your bag of rice with...

We're not trying to say you need to avoid carbs in order to achieve weight loss because it is an essential macro nutrient group which should be included as part of a healthy balanced diet but it can be often be easy for many to over consume carbs like rice when trying to achieve fat loss. One alternative to help you reduce your calorie intake can be to swap your basmati rice with cauliflower rice, which is packed with Vitamin C.

For the same serving size, you can save approximately 150 kcals with this swap and increase your fibre intake which can help you to feel fuller for longer.

Try swapping your pork sausage with...

Instead of having pork sausages for breakfast how about trying chicken sausages? Choosing a leaner choice of meat can help you save calories. While it might not look like much of a change, making this swap can help you save nearly 200 kcals but be sure to check the nutrition label beforehand as calories with vary between brands. 

Try swapping store bought pizza with...

We all love a good pizza and could probably agree that a fresh made pizza tastes better than a store bought pizza, which is often dense quite calorific. Next time you think of enjoying a pizza why not try packing your own pizza using a tortilla wrap as your pizza base? It's super easy to make and only takes about less than 10 minutes in the oven - perfect for a movie night in!

If you're wanting to indulge in something but want something light at the same time this meal can be a great swap to enjoy! All you need is some tomato passata, tomato paste, pizza toppings and some cheese. This pizza swap can help you can save about 200 calories (although this would depend on the toppings and tortilla wrap you use) To make it an even healthier swap, use wholewheat tortilla instead of white tortilla, which can help you feeling full for longer. Plus, it adds a hearty taste to the pizza too!

For more recipe and healthy meal ideas, check out our Nutrition section.