Food Swaps For Weight Loss

Smart Swaps for Lower Calories, Same Satisfaction!

Losing weight doesn’t mean giving up the foods you love—it’s about making smarter choices to create a caloric deficit. A deficit of 250 calories/day (or 1,750 calories/week) can lead to about ½ pound of weight loss per week. Double that, and you’re looking at 1 pound per week. Remember, this is just one piece of the puzzle—consistent habits and balanced nutrition are key!

Here’s how you can enjoy your favorite foods while cutting calories:

Easy Ingredient Swaps

  • Pasta: Mix half regular pasta with zucchini noodles for more volume and fewer calories.

  • Rice: Combine rice with riced cauliflower to lighten up your meals.

  • Cheese: Use a blend of reduced-fat and regular cheese to cut calories without sacrificing flavor.

  • Cream: Swap heavy cream for almond milk, skim milk, or Greek yogurt in recipes.

  • Sweeteners: Replace sugar with sugar-free alternatives like stevia or monk fruit.

Portion Control Tips

  • Half-and-Half: Reduce portions of calorie-dense foods by pairing them with lower-calorie options (e.g., half fries, half salad).

  • Volume Eating: Add veggies like spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms to meals to increase fullness without adding extra calories.

Start with Your TDEE

Before making changes, it’s important to know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)—the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. Use an online TDEE calculator to find your number, then aim to consume 250–500 calories less per day to create a sustainable deficit.

Small changes add up! By swapping ingredients, adjusting portions, and staying mindful of your TDEE, you can enjoy the foods you love while working toward your goals.

You need to know your TDEE first.

Food Swaps For Weight Loss
Out with the… Save In with the…
1 tbsp Jiffy Peanut Butter 188 calories 153 PB Fit & Water 35 calories
1 tbsp Hellmann's Mayo 94 calories 79 Kraft Reduced Fat Mayo 15 calories
1 Hot Dog Hebrew Nation Hot Dog 151 calories 106 Hebrew Nation 97% Lean Hot Dog 45 Calories
1/4 cup Maple Syrup 220 calories 200 Ms. Butterworth Sugar-Free Syrup 20 calories
1 pint Haagen Daz Chocolate Ice Cream 825 calories 585 Nick's Choklad Ice Cream 240 calories
32oz Frost Glacier Gatorade 140 calories 140 Gatorade Zero Glazier Freeze 0 calories
2oz Pasta Elbows 200 calories (7g protein) 10 Banza Pasta Elbows 190 calories (21g protein)
2oz Spaghetti 200 calories (7g protein) 180 Pasta Zero Spaghetti 20 Calories
2 slices Brownberry 100% Whole Wheat 220 calories 150 Healthy Life 100% Whole Wheat 70 calories
1 cup Skim Milk 90 calories 65 Cashew Milk 25 calories (*I did this one. I drank a lot of milk; now I kind of don’t)
3/4 cup Greek Yogurt 170 80 Fat Free Greek Yogurt 90 calories
2 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch 130 calories 85 Bolthouse Ranch 45 calories
2 tbsp Sweet Baby Rays BBQ 70 calories 55 Sugar-Free Sweet Baby Rays BBQ 15 calories
2 tbsp Sweet Baby Rays BBQ 70 calories 65 G Hughes Original BBQ 10 calories
1 Count Mission Flour Taco Tortilla 140 calories 70 Carb Balance Mission Flour Taco Tortilla 70 calories
4 Count Entenmann’s Brownie Bits (260 calories) -20 Fiber One Chocolate Brownies 280 calories (**This a single pack of small brownie bites compared 4 good sided brownies. It’s way more food.)
1 Cup White Rice 160 calories 133 Cauliflower Rice (27 calories)
1/4 Lb 80/20 Hamburger 244 calories 114 96/4 Hamburger 130 calories
17 chips Lay’s Salt and Vinegar Chips 160 calories 50 Ritz Crisp & Thins Salt and Vinegar 111 calories
3/4 cup Rice Krispies Treat 120 calories 80 Jayone Sweet Crunchy Rice Snack 40 calories
28g (1 serving) Munchos Chips (16 chips) 160 calories 10 Trader Joe’s Veggie Crisps (26 chips) 150 calories
28g (1 serving) Cheetos Jalapeno Cheddar 160 Calories 30 Pop-Corner’s Spicy Queso 130 calories
1 Count Butternut Hamburger Bun - 12 Oz 110 Calories 20 Natural Ovens Bakery Keto Friendly Buns 90 Calories (it’s okay I’m not KETO either)
1 Count Haagen-Dazs Fudge Bar 210 Calories 110 Healthy Choice Organic Fudge Bars 100 Calories
1 Slice Martin’s Potato Bread 85 Calories 40 Live Light Potato Bread 40 Calories
2 tbls of Reddy Whip 15 Calories 10 2 tbls of Reddy Whip Fat Free 5 Calories
1 Serving of Fruity Pebbles and 12 oz 2% Milk 305 Calories/13g protein 75 1 Serving of Fruity Pebbles and 12 oz vanilla protein shake 230 Calories/ 25g protein