Tasty and Smart Diet Trade Offs

It’s a given that something has to give when you’re dieting. Goodbye to loads of sugar, carbs and saturated fats. But, flavor and satisfaction do not have to be on the list of things to avoid. In fact, you can lighten your load by making smart substitutions and still keep your taste buds happy.

Here’s a rundown of common foods that can be lightened up or traded for something else:

Calorie Saving Cocoa
Who doesn’t love the rich, creamy flavor and goodness of a cup of cocoa? But, when you prepare a mug from the powdered mix you buy in the supermarket, it can add up to a whopping 250 calories—before even adding the low-fat milk! Try this variation instead:

Gently heat 8 ounces of low-fat (or non-fat) milk with a whole cinnamon stick. Then pour the hot milk (without the cinnamon stick) into a cup. Add one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, a dash of vanilla extract, and stir until blended.

Wrap it Up
Substitute whole leaves of romaine lettuce for bread next time you make a sandwich and you can shave off 150 or more calories from your lunch. The crunch of the lettuce provides extra munch value too, helping you to feel more satisfied.

Beans for Beef
Leave the chuck in the freezer use ground chickpeas or lentils in your favorite ground beef recipes instead. The beans have about the same calories as beef per ounce, but a LOT less fat.

Tastier Toast
We all love the buttery goodness of toast in the morning, don’t we? Add some jam and we’re really cookin’! But, there’s a lot of calories, fat and extra sugar lying on that bread. Instead, try spreading a tiny amount of honey on your toast. A little goes a long way and adds so much flavor!

Move Over Mayo
Sometimes, a sandwich simply needs something moist between the layers. But, instead of mayonnaise, try spreading a thin layer of non-fat cream cheese.

Tweak the Tuna
When it comes to tuna, always buy the kind that’s packed in water instead of oil. In addition, instead of mixing tuna salad with mayo, combine it with a little lemon juice and chopped onion. You’ll have great tasting tuna salad that’s a few hundred calories lighter.

Swap the Soda
Instead of popping a can of fizz, go for flavored water instead.

Put the Freeze on Ice Cream
Put your ice cream scoop to work on some frozen yogurt instead.

No Cheese, Please
Try pizza sans the cheese and loaded up with roasted veggies instead. One average slice equates to about 250 calories and only 2 grams of fat compared to 450 calories and 13.5 grams of fat.

Wild Turkey
Sometimes, ya’ just gotta have a burger. Make yours from ground turkey and you’ve got half the fat of the ground beef version.

Smart Snack Stash
Pass on the potato chips and scoop up a handful of pistachio nuts instead. They’re flavorful, crunchy and they satisfy the craving for salt, but without all the fat and calories of chips.