We hear the term diet all the time. Mainstream media touts trend after trend of what current popular diet can give you the body you’ve always dreamed of having. We start this article with this: your body is the body you’ve always dreamed of. We come in all shapes and sizes, and all are beautiful. While we don’t support the idea of people trying to stay on trendy diets, we do believe in making healthy eating choices. After all, there is a science to losing weight in a good way for our bodies. This article will discuss a few healthy food choices that can help us healthily cut calories while still feeling full and fulfilled.
Easy and Healthy Food Choices and Substitutions
The reality is that most people who use a strict diet to try to lose weight won’t succeed. With just a few healthy food choices daily, however, you can feel better and eat healthier, leading to weight loss without a strict diet. Here are our favorite easy healthy food choices:
Portion Control
Portion control isn’t some groundbreaking diet choice; you’ve probably heard of it before. The simple fact of the matter is that many people, especially those in the United States, eat larger-than-necessary portions. A simple healthy food choice is to limit your portions. Follow serving size recommendations from reputable health organizations.
Fresh Foods Over Processed
Another way to lower your caloric intake without giving up all your favorite foods is to choose a lower-calorie, healthier option of the same food. For example, dried fruit might seem healthy, but it usually contains more calories and is less filling than fresh fruit. Swap out dried fruit for fresh fruit, and you will feel fuller, longer while consuming fewer calories.
Lower Calorie Options
Instead of ingesting a high-calorie choice, choose a healthier food in the same group. For example, eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice. This simple change is effective in lowering our daily caloric intake.
Smart Swaps: Smart and Healthy Food Choices
Some of the best healthy choices we can make take a little thinking. We can change out foods like butter for healthier alternatives in our recipes. Here are some of our favorite simple, healthy food choices:
Replace Mayonnaise With Avocado
Avocados are made of healthier fat than mayonnaise and still taste just as incredible in tuna or egg salad, on a slice of toast, or in a wrap. These superfruits have tons of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and fiber. Avocados can reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation.
Spaghetti From Spaghetti Squash
Try making spaghetti with spaghetti squash instead of pasta noodles. This healthy food choice saves you plenty of calories and provides vitamin C, fiber, and folate. To round out the Italian-themed dinner, add tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, with roasted eggplant and broccoli on the side. Another alternative to spaghetti noodles is “zoodles,” or noodles made from zucchini. A half-cup of cooked pasta has the same amount of calories as FIVE cups of zoodles, so eat as much veggie pasta as you want!
Sub Sparkling Water For Soda
With too much sugar and no nutrients, it’s no secret that soda isn’t healthy for us, but we drink it anyway. Sugary soft drinks, sweetened iced tea, and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of extra calories in the American diet. Making the healthy food choice to drink water or even seltzer water can save you hundreds of calories. You can flavor your water with lemon, orange, mint, or cucumber slices.