When you’re building a healthy new lifestyle, changing your diet can seem daunting. It doesn’t need to be, if you just take simple steps and shift a little bit at a time. These healthy snack swaps are easy and won’t make you feel deprived.
- Swap your bagel for an English muffin. These offer better portion control and fewer calories.
- Forget the fruit juice. It’s better to eat fruit than drink fruit juice, which has fewer nutrients and no fiber. If you just want a drink, slice fruit and let it infuse into your water for a burst of flavor that will help you stay hydrated.
- Rather than chips, choose popcorn. When air-popped or lightly oil-popped, popcorn can satisfy your crunch craving while supplying healthy fiber and polyphenols.
- Ditch the white bread in favor of sprouted grain bread. The refined carbs in white bread can spike your blood sugar but sprouted grain bread is nutrient-dense and loaded with fiber.
- A little mayo is fine sometimes, but avocado is better. Avocado makes a delicious, buttery spread and it’s packed with monounsaturated fatty acids and fiber.
- Be smart about yogurt. Yogurt-covered treats can be loaded with sugar, but pretzels or fruit dipped in yogurt make for a healthy snack. When you’re grabbing a yogurt to eat, choose plain instead of flavored and add your own fruit.
- Instead of granola, pick high-fiber cereal. Granola is often full of sugar, but low-sugar, high-fiber cereal can be just as crunchy and provide you with healthy and filling fiber.
- Skip the cinnamon bun and go for sprouted cinnamon raisin bread with low–fat cream cheese. You’ll still get the delicious flavor of cinnamon without using up a day’s worth of calories, fat and sugar.
- Consider swapping your tortilla chips for a crunchy veggie. Most Mexican restaurants will substitute jicama or another nutritious vegetable to dip in your guac instead of high-sodium, high-calorie, non-nutritive chips. While you’re at it, choose salsa over queso.
- Freeze some grapes instead of snacking on candy. Sometimes, a craving for sugar means you’re a little bit dehydrated. Frozen grapes give you something sweet and hydrating while providing vitamins and antioxidants.
- Choose nuts in the shell instead of already shelled. Nuts are good for you, full of healthy protein and fiber, but it’s easy to eat too many. Pistachios in the shell take longer to eat, making portion control easier.
- Pick fresh fruit over dried. Dried fruit is nutritious but can be higher in sugar than fresh fruit.
- Dip cucumbers in your hummus instead of crackers. Hummus is good for you, and crackers aren’t bad, but cucumber slices will provide vitamins, minerals, and hydration.
When you’re trying to reach your fitness goals, a supportive environment can enhance the experience. At the Wellbridge Family of Athletic Clubs, we offer world-class training that keeps up-to-date with the latest in health and wellness. At our clubs, you’ll be greeted by our friendly team before you’re challenged and motivated by top-notch instructors in our fitness classes. You’ll make new friends because you belong here. Join today or contact us to learn more.