When trying to make healthy food swaps to lower your caloric intake, often times the swaps taste significantly worse compared to the original food. For example, personally, I can never, and I mean ever, substitute a bowl of starchy goodness of al dente pasta with zucchini noodles.
While often times swapping foods for their lower calorie alternative often means foregoing taste or flavor, in some lucky instances in my fitness journey, I have found food swaps that allow me to cut my calories without losing any flavor or texture of the food. The lower calorie alternative tastes virtually exactly, if not better, than its higher calorie counterpart. Hence, the title “1 to 1 Calorie Food Swaps” is self-explanatory—here are the three swaps I’ve used in the past few months to help me save hundreds of calories while still enjoying what I eat:
Swap #1: Flour Tortillas
Original Item I Used to Eat:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 210
Protein: 6g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 70
Protein: 6g
This one is a no-brainer and has been a swap I have been making almost every day. As an avid taco lover myself, I find these “Mission Carb Balance Taco Size Soft flour Tortillas” to taste virtually the exact same, if not better, than a typical flour tortilla. Same taste, but you save 140 calories per tortilla, receive the same protein, and more fiber! You can have 3 of these lower-calorie tortillas for everyone 210 calorie tortillas. How "Mission" did it, I do not know, but I am not here to question such an amazing product.
They also have mini versions of a similar carb balance tortilla, called “Mission Zero Net Carbs Original Tortillas,” perfect for macro-friendly street tacos I make at home:
Swap #2: BBQ Sauce
Original Item I Used to Eat:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 60
Protein: 0g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 15
Protein: 1g
BBQ sauce is a versatile condiment I use on so many different types of foods for a quick flavor boost. Typical BBQ sauces range from 60-70 calories a serving. While that may not seem like a lot, it is usually for a small amount of sauce, roughly 30 to 40 grams of BBQ sauce. I’ve taken the time to actually measure out what 30-40 grams of sauce is, and trust me, it is barely enough to get you through 15 fries. In reality, I often find myself using 2 to 3 portions of sauce per meal.
If I use the sauce 2 times a day roughly, that can be up to roughly 420 calories a day extra just for sauce! Secret calories like these are what only slowed my progress down.
However, I have found a legitimate BBQ swap for significantly lower calories that actually still tastes like BBQ sauce (in my opinion). The go-to sugar-free BBQ sauce for many was “G Hughes Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce.” However, after giving this sauce many tries and trying to like it, I could not deny the fact that I did not like the sugar alcohol taste and texture. Instead, I opted for “Sweet Baby Rays No Sugar Added Original Barbecue Sauce.”
This option actually tastes like BBQ sauce in terms of flavor, sweetness, and texture. Adding smoky flavors to all my foods, from eggs for breakfast to chicken breast for dinner, has been a life-savor. At only 15 calories a serving and 1 g of protein, I can seamlessly fit it into my diet and stay on track without sacrificing taste whatsoever.
Swap #3: Greek Yogurt
Original Item I Used to Eat:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 140
Protein: 10g
Lower Calorie Swap:
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
Calories: 80
Protein: 12g
When anyone thinks of Greek yogurt, they think of "Chobani".
Now, I am not here saying Chobani Greek yogurt is necessarily unhealthy: it is not. However, with 140 calories for a 150g serving and only 10 grams of protein, it is indisputable that there are going to be alternatives with better calorie-to-protein ratios.
While there are a lot of Greek yogurt versions, even from Chobani, that have lower calories and higher protein, I find they often taste like sugar alcohols or have a funky aftertaste. However, the “Light + Fit Nonfat Gluten-Free Greek Yogurts” taste amazing, even better than their higher calorie counterparts! My favorite flavor currently is the toasted coconut vanilla addition, but with so many fun flavors like Boston creme pie or strawberry cheesecake, you can’t go wrong. Better macros, better taste, better portion sizes, and better overall. I have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of calories over the months using this brand.
These are just a few of the recent swaps I have made. Feel free to let me know some of your favorite swaps. I will share some new swaps I find as I continue my fitness journey. Feel free to check out my other related content on my weight loss journey!
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