I feel like nutrition is the most difficult part of getting fit.

I can hit the gym every day and have no problem with getting up earlier to exercise.

But when it comes to nutrition I still until this day seem to struggle with.

However, when I look at my journey at this point, I feel like the biggest change was initiated by the small things.

Those tiny changes I do on a daily basis, are actually the one thing that made the biggest change of all.

And one of those changes were food swaps.

Swapping foods with healthier options is something that has helped me so much and is still helping me.

And these 15 healthy food swaps were a complete game changer for me.

They fit in just perfect in my daily macros and helped me clean up my diet while enjoying my favorite food.

Snacks, dressings, drinks… You name it, I got you!

I hope you like these swaps too, and I hope they help you clean up your diet and enjoy your way to losing weight.

Let’s get started right now!

Fruit Yogurt for Greek Yogurt

I used to think that yogurts are healthy.

However, not every yogurt is healthy. In fact, most of them contain a bunch of added sugars, sweeteners and trans-fats.

That’s why it’s super important to swap your regular sugary yogurt with low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt.

You’ll make sure to load up on a lot more proteins with zero added sugars and zero artificial sweeteners.

Peanut Butter for Real Peanut Butter

If you’re into healthy food and fitness, peanut butter must be essential for you.

And peanut butter is a healthy choice indeed, however, many peanut butter brands on the market contain palm oil, cane sugar, salt, and a bunch of other unhealthy ingredients.

In the ingredients section, you can find: ‘ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COTTONSEED, SOYBEAN AND RAPESEED OIL) TO PREVENT SEPARATION, SALT.’

The real peanut butter you want in your diet contains only one ingredient: ROASTED PEANUTS.

To make sure you’re reaching out for the right one, double-check the ingredients list before buying it.

Here’s my favorite one:


Soda for Flavored Sparkling Water

I was addicted to soda in the past, a long, long time ago :)

And I understand that soda can be super addictive, however, every single effort quitting it is worth it.

You know why? One can of Coca Cola contains 65 grams of sugar and carbs. That fills out the recommended daily sugar intake, twice.

So, to make sure you’re not sabotaging your weight loss, switch up your soda with flavored sparkling water.

It will still give you the carbonation, with a touch of sweet flavor, zero sugar and a whole lot healthier drink in general.

Here’s my favorite brand, with only 1g carbohydrate and 3 calories per can.


Bread for Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

Bread is known to be the enemy to weight loss and fitness, but not so fast. In my nutrition guide “The Hungry Fit Girl” I dedicated a full chapter to this beloved carb and here’s why.

The misconception that bread is bad has to go away, because not every bread is bad for your health.

Loaves of bread that contain white refined flour are bad, so we’re swapping them up for a healthier option – Sprouted whole grain bread.

This unique bread contains no flour. Instead, it’s made out of sprouted whole grains such as whole wheat, rye, buckwheat, which makes the bread rich in proteins, fibers, vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbs.

If you don’t like sprouted bread, go for 100% whole grain bread.

Also, be careful: just because a label says “whole grain” doesn’t guarantee that the product contains exclusively whole grains. So, always double check the label to make sure you’re reaching for the right bread.

Pasta for Red Lentil Pasta

I love pasta! Who doesn’t :)

But, that doesn’t change the fact that pasta is not the best option if you’re trying to lose weight.

Maybe you could go for whole grain pasta if you have pretty intense training sessions or you are running a marathon. However in reality pasta is loaded with a bunch of ingredients, containing lots of calories and carbohydrates, which will probably end up stored as fat in the body.

So, to avoid all of this, swap your regular pasta with red lentil pasta! 


Red lentil pasta is loaded with a bit more proteins. contains healthy carbohydrates and only one ingredient: organic red lentil flour.

Red lentil pasta is very widely available nowadays, you can get it in almost every market. Also black bean and chickpea pasta.

Whatever you decide to go for don’t forget to double-check the ingredients and make sure it’s not highly processed.

Rice for Cauliflower Rice

Let me just outline that carbs are not the enemy in your diet. I love carbs, and eat carbs every day, especially brown rice.

However, if you want to cut down carbs a bit in order to maximize your weight loss you should definitely swap it out with cauliflower rice.

I know I know, it’s not the same, BUT if you’re trying to eat less carbs this will be a great call to both cut-down carbs and load up on veggies.

Here’s the one I use:


Mayo for Dijon Mustard

I was addicted to mayo once.

I used to sneak it in almost everything you could think of: sandwiches, pasta, salads… 

If you’re a mayo addict as I was, try spreading dijon mustard on your sandwich instead of mayo.

It will give you that creamy flavor you seek for, with fewer calories, no trans fats, and far better nutrition value.

Here’s my favorite brand…


Potato Chips for Baked Zucchini Chips

Or any other veggie chips that are baked, lower in sodium, carbs, and calories.

I believe there’s no need to go on and on why a bag of Lays is bad for your health and how it will ruin your weight loss efforts.

And nowadays we have so many healthy options starting from black bean chips, chickpea chips, lentil chips etc.

So, choose your favorite healthy swap and start snacking that one instead.

Granola for Rolled Oats

Pared with Greek yogurt, granola can be a fast go to breakfast. However, it’s a highly processed one, and can be both sugar and calorie-filled trap.

So, swap your granola for rolled oats, aka old-fashioned oats.

They are healthy, unprocessed, loaded with fibers and far healthier to have for breakfast or pre-workout snack.

Top them with Greek yogurt and berries and you’re all set.

Here are the ones I usually buy:


Ranch Dressing for Home-Made Dressing

Do you like to dress your meat and salads?

No worries, I got you! Kick out the unhealthy ranch dressing and swap it for home-made Greek yogurt + dijon mustard dressing.

I add it in almost everything. You just have to mix 2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt with 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.

Load it up with spices and you’re all set.

Granola Bar for Protein Bar

Granola bars contain a bunch of calories, plus sweeteners and a bunch of unhealthy, highly processed ingredients.

Instead of the granola bar, go for a protein bar and save your calories and sugars, plus load up on proteins.

Here are my favorite protein bars:






Fruit Juice for Whole Fruit

But they both have the exact same amount of calories, the exact same amount of water, nutrients vitamins an minerals… What’s the difference?

The difference is in the way they are processed once they enter your body.

For starters, liquids are easily digestible and they are processed by our body within a minute.

This means that the sugars kick in faster then if the body has to process them itself and your body barely burns calories for chewing and digestion.

This would be perfect if you’re looking for a fast way to energize right before your workout. However, if you are in the game for weight loss – go for whole fruits.

Remember, it’s always better to eat your calories instead of drinking them. 

Latte for Americano

I literally can’t live without coffee.

Coffee has the power to energize me and get me going, especially on days when my day starts a little too early.

And coffee can be a good thing, as long as you keep it sugar-free and clean.

One way to make sure you’re not loading up on a bunch of other ingredients along with your caffeine is to swap the Latte for Americano.

Keep your coffee black and pure and if you have to add milk, go for unsweetened plant-based milk.

Cheese for Cottage Cheese or Mozzarella

Yes, there are a lot of proteins in cheese, but a lot of sodium and fats too.

So, instead of eating cheddar or feta, go for mozzarella or cottage cheese instead.

They are great sources of protein and calcium that aren’t high in fat and sodium.

Dips for Hummus

I know dips are tempting whenever you want to have a snack.

Lucky for us, hummus is everywhere around us nowadays, in any flavor we like.

It’s not only a delicious substitute, but it’s so high in proteins and fibers that I use it as an essential to my diet.

So, swap your regular dip for creamy hummus, and you’ll enjoy dipping without worrying about loading up on calories.

Now, Let’s Switch It Up, Babes!

I hope my healthy food swaps will help you get healthier, clean up your diet and start losing weight asap.

These swaps were a real game changer for me and I know they’ll do the trick for you too.

Let me know if you’d like to get some more of my swaps – I’d be happy to share them all!

Don’t forget to share this with your friends and let me know if you have any swaps you want to recommend yourself!

xoxo,
Monica