Starting this series has really pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and try new foods that can be used as potential swaps for my lifelong journey in fitness and cutting body fat. While there were definitely some blatant failures, there were a few diamonds in the rough that I will be sharing in this post.
Welcome to part 3 of my 1 to 1 calorie swaps series. In this series, I discovered food substitutions that help me reduce calories without compromising flavor or texture throughout my weight-loss journey. The lower-calorie options taste just as good, if not better, than their higher-calorie counterparts, hence a 1 to 1 swap. Here are three swaps I've been using recently to cut hundreds of calories while still enjoying my meals:
Swap #1: Spaghetti
Original Item I Used to Consume:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 210
Protein: 7g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 190
Protein: 14g
This swap is more of a protein swap than it is a calorie-reducing swap (although there is a 20-calorie drop that can't be overlooked!). At the end of the day, if you are genuinely committed to fat loss, it is all about the protein-to-calorie ratio of the foods you are consuming, and this "Trader Joe Organic Spaghetti" falls much closer to the 1:10 protein-to-calorie ratio than "Rao's Spaghetti." Now, I know I am walking on a thin line coming after the famous Rao's, but trust me, once you add your sauce and protein of your liking, al dente Trader Joe's pasta will taste no different than any other spaghetti. With a much higher protein content and lower calorie content, the noodles provide me with much more flexibility in creating a pasta dish that fits into my macros for cutting. Here is an image of my high-protein, low-calorie pasta dish with tomato basil marinara sauce, diced vegetables, Italian-seasoned grilled chicken breast, and, of course, the Trader Joe's Spaghetti.
Macros of my dish: 800 calories, 110g of protein
Swap #2: Chicken Nuggets
Original Item I Used to Consume:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 260
Protein: 12g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 140
Protein: 16g
When I was overweight and used to eat the higher calorie alternative, I would eat about 15-20 nuggets at a time. As a 260+ pound individual, I thought 20 chicken nuggets were just a snack. However, fried foods, particularly meat, truly have a tremendous number of hidden calories, even though growing up, we are told it is at least "real food." I never really knew what 84g of chicken nuggets was in terms of portion size. However, that is equivalent to about 5 chicken nuggets. That means my 20 chicken nugget "light snack" before dinner had about 1300 calories, not even including the hundreds of calories in sauces I used. Just like that, 17000 calories for a snack. Wow—no wonder I kept gaining weight!
Pursuing this weight-loss journey has really made me cognizant of portion sizes, particularly the weight associated with a given serving size. Even when consuming these lower calorie "Kirkland Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks," I am really cognizant of how many pieces I am consuming; even if it is a "lower calorie alternative," the calories can add up very quickly if you aren't paying attention. Regarding the Kirkland nuggets, 84 grams, or about 4-6 nuggets, depending on the size, still packs 140 calories. I am not saying that is a lot of calories, but mindless overeating of these nuggets can keep you questioning why you are not losing weight even with active lifestyle and diet changes.
Nevertheless, if you wanted Chick-fil-A nuggets but didn't want to break the bank, these lower-calorie nuggets are a game-changer (on a side note, just a general message: be careful with Chick-fil-A signature sauce: 2 tablespoons have 160 calories).
A large proportion of calories are reduced in the swap because the nuggets are not fried in oil like typical chicken nuggets, but rather baked in an oven or air-frier. That means the best parts of the chicken nugget—the breading and meat—are still there! These honestly taste so much better than the "Tyson Panko Popcorn Chicken" that I would actually prefer the lower-calorie version if I knew about it sooner. The Kirkland nuggets are extremely versatile, as I use them for salads, sandwiches, and homemade nachos (stay tuned for a future post on some of my own personal high protein-low calorie recipes).
Swap #3: Pita Bread
Original Item I Used to Consume:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 150
Protein: 6g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 60
Protein: 6g
It wouldn't be a calorie swap post unless there was at least one bread swap. This swap has to be one of the most dramatic calorie drops—cutting the original item's calories by 60 percent while maintaining the same amount of protein. I don't know how "Joseph's Pita Bread" does it, but I am not here to question their methods. The swap has the same exact properties as a higher-calorie pita bread—the same texture, chewiness, flavor, etc. The only notable difference is that the lower calorie swap is thinner; however, that only gives you more reason to eat another one!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have always viewed bread as a vessel for more noticeable stars of the show—meat, vegetables, and sauces. When packing this lower-calorie pita with these ingredients, the taste is just as delicious as "Toufayan Pita." I used Toufayan's products for virtually my whole life growing up. It makes me wonder how many calories I could have saved had I used Joseph's products instead. All in all, this swap helps you save hundreds of calories without even noticing a difference, a hack that I see very few other foods capable of doing.
So there you have it. These are some lower-calorie swaps I have been leveraging to keep my calories at bay, not my taste buds. Have any low-calorie 1 to 1 swaps of your own? Feel free to comment them down below. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!
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