Healthy food swaps

Choosing healthier foods is easier than you may think. By changing just a few eating habits you can make a big difference to your diet.

Healthy eating and getting active can help you lose centimetres and prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases such as some cancers, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

There are some simple everyday changes you can make to get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle without losing all the things you love.

The great thing is, you don’t have to stop it, just swap it. Swap inside for outside, or a big meal for a small meal for instance. It’s easy and these basic changes can make all the difference.

Plus, the best thing is, you can make them as you go about your everyday life at work, at home or even while out shopping. We’ve included some great swap tips below.

It's all about eating fewer foods that are high in calories, fat, salt and sugars and swapping them for something healthier, including more fruit and vegetables and wholegrains. Remember, small changes can add up to make a big overall difference to your diet.

Swap sugar on your breakfast cereal for a topping of fresh or dried fruit.

Food and drink swaps

Try these small changes when you have your next meal or drink, or when you open the cupboard or fridge for a snack.

Once you've got started, try thinking of your own healthier swaps, too. Food labels can help you to choose healthier options.

Breakfast

• Swap from whole milk to semi-skim, 1% fat or even skim milk.
• Swap a sugar-coated breakfast cereal for a wholegrain breakfast cereal such as porridge or shredded wholegrain wheat cereal, with no added sugar.
• Swap a sprinkle of sugar on your breakfast cereal for a topping of fresh or dried fruit.
• Swap full-fat Greek yoghurt for fat-free Greek-style yoghurt or natural low-fat yoghurt.

Lunch

• Swap white breads, bagels and muffins for wholegrain varieties.
• Swap butter and cheese in your jacket potato for reduced fat spread and reduced salt and sugar baked beans.
• Swap a tuna melt panini for a tuna salad sandwich on wholemeal bread, without mayo.
• Swap a cheddar cheese filling in your sandwich for reduced-fat hard cheese.

Dinner

• Swap creamy or cheesy sauces for tomato- or vegetable-based sauces on your pasta, meat or fish dishes.
• Swap mashed potato made with butter and whole milk for mash with low-fat spread and a lower-fat milk such as semi-skim, 1% fat or skim.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat, for example, swap streaky bacon for back bacon.
• Swap the frying pan for the grill when cooking meat.

Drinks

• Swap your usual coffee made with whole milk to a 'skinny' coffee made with skim milk.
• Swap your cordial for a cordial with no added sugars.
• Swap a few of your sugary drinks for a glass of water.
• Swap hot chocolate made with whole milk and served with whipped cream for a hot chocolate made with skimmed milk and no cream.

Snacks

• Swap an iced coffee for a small fruit frappe.
• Swap yoghurt-coated raisins for plain raisins.
• Swap salted nuts for unsalted nuts.
• Swap chips for rice cakes with lower fat cream cheese.

More information

For even more great food swap suggestions, check out the tools and tips on the Healthy Weight website.

You can also check out www.eatforhealth.gov.au for Australian dietary guidelines or our healthy eating section.

Sources:

NHS Choices (UK) (Healthy food swaps), eatforhealth.gov.au (Home page),www.healthyactive.gov.au (Healthy weight), www.healthdirect.gov.au