If you’re not losing weight as quickly as you’d like, perhaps you’re not eating the right foods. Although you might think you’re eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, sometimes hidden fat, sugar and carbohydrates can derail even the best diet. Sometimes all it takes is a few simple food substitutions in order to get your diet back on the track to fast success. Here are some easy food substitutions you can try. Chances are you won’t even notice the difference in your meals or the tastiness of your food once you try a few of these.
Try Lower-Fat Dairy Products
Dairy products are actually quite healthy for you, due to their high content of protein and calcium. However, they can also be rather fattening because of their naturally high fat content. If you love milk, cheese and yogurt but want to lose weight faster, try substituting skim milk for whole milk, and reduced fat cheeses and yogurts for the whole milk varieties. This small switch can really save you from consuming a lot of extra calories in the form of fat. For example, although the average cheese consists of 30 to 40 percent fat, a low-fat cheese variety might only contain 15 percent or less. This savings can really help you lose weight faster.
Lower Fat Meats and Proteins
Although not everyone chooses to eat meat, it’s hard to argue with the fact that it’s a rich source of protein. However, many cuts of meat are simply too high in fat and calories. For example, you might be shocked to find out how much fat and how many calories are in your favorite corned beef sandwich. Instead of focusing on fatty, marbled cuts of meat, make the switch to lean chicken, turkey and fish. Or better yet, try substituting vegetable proteins such as black beans or lentils at least one night a week to cut your fat and calorie intake even more.
Substitute Low-Fat Foods for High-Fat Foods
In addition to finding lower fat varieties of the same foods, you can also completely replace some foods that are high in fat with lower-fat foods. For example, the next time you bake a cake or some cookies, try replacing at least half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. In most cases, you won’t even be able to tell the difference in the finished product.
Substituting plain unflavored low-fat yogurt for sour cream is another great way to save on calories and fat. For example, if you love blending sour cream in with your mashed potatoes to make them richer and creamier, try using low-fat plain yogurt instead. You probably won’t even notice the difference. You can even make tasty baked potato toppings from plain low-fat yogurt instead of using high-fat and high-calorie sour cream.