It’s known that making small changes is more sustainable than changing your whole habits around. If you’re used to a sedentary lifestyle, then working out every day for two hours isn’t reasonable. Instead, it’s better to walk three times a week for half an hour. The same goes for diets. Instead of making life-altering changes, make these easy swaps for a healthier everyday diet. They not only will help you in the long run, but also encourage you to start branching out of your comfort zone to try new things. Let’s dive into the easy swaps for a healthier everyday diet.
6. Change Your Pasta Noodles
No one wants to give up pasta when they’re working on a healthier lifestyle. But that also doesn’t mean that you can’t make positive changes while still enjoying the comforting flavors. One of the many easy swaps for a healthier everyday diet is your pasta noodles. You can either opt for the various brands of protein pasta that are lower calorie, or you can make your own zucchini noodles, which are spiralized strips of zucchini. They’re mild in flavor but with a satisfying crunch that makes them all the more delicious.
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5. Try Cauliflower Rice
Another vegetable substitute that you might enjoy is cauliflower rice. Instead of eating the carb-heavy rice for dinner, you can grab a bag of frozen shredded cauliflower or even make your own. It’s a lower-calorie option that is perfect for those who want to make positive diet swaps. It’s delicious when creating taco bowls with ground beef or sliced chicken, or for Chinese dishes with beef and broccoli.
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4. Eat Popcorn More Often
Yes, you read that right. Eat more popcorn! Surprisingly, suggesting eating popcorn over snacking on potato chips. Popcorn offers more fiber and is a lower-calorie food item. While it’s not recommended to grab the box of popcorn that boasts the highest butter content out there, a lot of brands offer lightly buttered and salted popcorn that is the perfect midday snack.
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3. Stock Up on Cottage Cheese
Instead of grabbing a container of ricotta or cream cheese, choose cottage cheese instead. Not only does it give you a boost of protein and is good for gut health, but it still offers that creaminess that you look for in the other products.
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2. Substitute with Greek Yogurt
Another easy substitute that offers ample protein and is great for gut health is Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is one of the many easy swaps for a healthier everyday diet. It can be replaced with a variety of items, like sour cream. It’s also a great base if you want to create your own sauce. If you add Greek yogurt to taco seasoning and some salsa, it’s a great high-protein sauce for tacos. You can also make a high-protein alfredo sauce with Greek yogurt when adding Parmesan, garlic seasoning, and pepper.
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1. Always Have Fruit and Vegetables
One of the best easy swaps for a healthier everyday diet is just keeping fruits and vegetables stocked up in the fridge. Some of the best options include spinach, tomatoes, cherries, and apples. Spinach is an easy addition to pastas, or can be a quick salad to fill up on fiber. Cherries are a great antioxidant that helps improve sleep quality and fight off inflammation. Eating some fruit or vegetables before meals is a great way to fill up faster and provides more vitamins.