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Writer's pictureJW Fitness

Some simple food swaps and tips you can make to eat less

Updated: Oct 6, 2023

Here is a quick snapshot of 30 practical dieting tips that you can implement that on their own may seem small but as a collective and with other lifestyle habits and behaviours can make a big difference towards your weight/fat loss goals.


For a little more info on each you can download the eBook here:



Cauliflower rice over rice

The beauty of cauliflower rice is that you can have such a large portion that it will help you to feel fuller for longer, you will physically see a fuller plate and therefore not feel you are depriving yourself.



Courgetti spaghetti over pasta

Similar to the cauliflower rice, using vegetables instead of pasta will significantly lower the calories that you consume whilst keeping the food volume (how much food you are eating) high



Flat mushroom or lettuce for burger bun

Enjoy burgers but want to keep the calories lower?

Why not swap out the burger bun for 2 large flat mushrooms?



Veggie snacks over crisps

Rather than reaching for the crisps and then the 2nd bag (because 1 just isn’t enough) snack on veggies. Have some ready prepared carrot, cucumber, celery or beetroot for example.



Melon or pineapple over banana or mango


In the past I have heard people recommend not eating fruit AT ALL whilst dieting. This, I believe is ridiculous. However it will do you well to know the higher calorie fruits and how you can eat more (food volume) for less calories.

Watermelon 100g = 33.3 calories

Pineapple 100g = 46.21 calories

Banana 100g = 103 calories

Mango 100g = 66.2 calories



Sweet potato noodles for ready to wok noodles


Carbs get a bad name and along with that are such things as noodles and pasta. However, there is nothing bad about noodles but when dieting your aim is to eat as much volume as possible whilst being in a calorie deficit which is where vegetable noodles come in to their own.


Popcorn over nuts


What snacks can I have whilst dieting is a common question. Whilst I love nuts and think they do make a great snack for anyone, you also have to consider that they are very energy dense and so easy to over consume calories.


Powdered peanut butter instead of Peanut butter


I love peanut butter but it is very calorie dense and when dieting it can be very easy to over eat. So when I heard about powdered peanut butter I was sceptical so I decided to give it a go from My protein. It is a winner, easy to mix tastes great on its own or in porridge.



Bagel thins instead of normal bagels


I love a bagel but at 216 calories before you add any butter or filling the calories soon add up.

This is not ideal when dieting and most people take the other extreme of just cutting them out completely.



Thin cut pizza instead of standard crust


If weight loss is the goal then pizza is probably not the best food to be including.

However, if you find yourself in a social situation that involves pizza and you don’t feel comfortable turning it down (or you just really want pizza) there are some swaps you can make to save calories.


Jelly - 10 calorie pots


Want a snack and fancy something sweet? Have you tried the little 10 calorie snack pots?



Chocolate sauce over Nutella


Who doesn’t want to be able to have that sweet treat still whilst dieting? The problem is that most of these sweet treats are so high in calories and come with this “guilt” label, meaning you eat it and suddenly feel guilty, like you have ruined your diet.



Highlights hot chocolate over Cadbury's drink choc


The highlights hot chocolate drink can help you kick that sweet tooth and at over 4 times less the calories than Cadbury's chocolate drink it offers a considerable calorie saving.



Halo top ice cream over Ben and Jerry's ice cream


Ice cream is a fan favourite for dessert however when dieting being smart with your calories is key. Therefore ice cream may not be the best use of your calories.



Swap your granola out for porridge


I love granola and most of the time I want much more than the recommended portion. I also love porridge and always feel that I am satisfied from the portion that I have



Spirits and low calorie mixers over lager/cider


Alcohol is always a common question when dieting. You can drink alcohol and lose fat but as with everything else the devil is in the details.



Low calorie drinks vs high calorie drinks


Diet drinks are often touted as being bad for you and worse than full sugar/calorie drinks. However, if weight loss is your goal and you can’t stop/don’t want to stop drinking fizzy drinks then switching to diet might be better for you and allow you to create a calorie deficit and lose weight



Americano for latte


Coffee. My absolute favourite and I wouldn’t want to go without it at all. If you are having a coffee a day though do you know what you are putting in from a calorie point of view?

Large Starbucks latte = 190 calories

Large americano = 15 calories


Swap your sugar laced tea for green tea


The good old brew. A fan favourite especially in England. Have you ever stopped and considered how many extra calories you have over the week adding 2 teaspoons of sugar?



Swap sour cream for Greek yoghurt


Try swapping out your sour cream in recipes for Total Greek yoghurt and see a saving of 98 calories per 100ml/100g.



0% Greek yoghurt over 5% Greek yoghurt


Yoghurt makes for a good snack and one of my favourites is Greek yoghurt. It is thick, it tastes great has a good amount of protein in.



Heck sausages over regular sausages


Dieting but still fancy a full English or a sausage sandwich? Swap out the pork sausage with chicken sausage and drop 140 calories with ease.



Bacon medallions over bacon


Switching from rashers to medallions could see a good drop in calories for you without any impact on the flavour.



Choose your tinned tuna wisely by opting for spring water over oil


Tinned tuna is a quick and easy source of protein and is a great addition to pasta or a baked potato. Whilst Tuna is relatively low in calories you can keep them lower by opting for the tuna in spring water over sunflower oil.


Turkey bacon over back bacon


If you still want to include bacon in your diet (why wouldn’t you?) there are a few options for you. Turkey bacon being one.



1/2 portions and have the other half for lunch next day


A quick and easy way to reduce calories over the course of the day is to split your night time meal in ½.


Skip breakfast


Breakfast has been touted as the most important meal of the day as it kick starts your metabolism. However your metabolism isn’t like a light switch, it doesn’t just turn on or off.

If the thought of breakfast first thing feels like too much, move that meal to later in the day.



Smaller plates and bowls


Use smaller plates and bowls to put your meals on to give the illusion you are still eating a full plate of food but naturally lowering calories.



Plan and prepare food in advance


Whether that be for the next day or for the whole week. Just have a plan. Most people don’t do this and find themselves not knowing what to eat at each meal.



Find your own solutions


Every problem has a solution. The issue is nobody bothers to put the time in to finding them. They just complain about the same old obstacles day in day out, week in, week out and year in year out.



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