The Chopping Blog

It’s a New Year and plenty of us are resolving to lose weight, exercise more and eat less. I’d like to propose a resolution makeover… don’t just aim to eat less and deprive yourself, instead upgrade what you are currently eating to give your body the wholesome, energizing foods it needs. Below are 12 small diet swaps you can do that will add up to a big payoff for weight loss and optimal health.

Swap 1: Breadcrumbs to Seeds

How To: Opt for sesame seeds, chopped pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of breadcrumbs to coat chicken and fish.

Healthy Payoff: Get the crunch you crave but with more healthy fat, fiber and protein.

Swap 2: Brown Rice to Cauliflower Rice

How To: Pulse fresh cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice. Steam or sautéed it and enjoy it how you would use brown rice.

Healthy Payoff: Yes brown rice is healthy, but cauliflower rice has only 30 calories per 1/2 cup versus brown rice’s 110 calories. Plus the cauliflower version has 50% more fiber.

Swap 3: Spaghetti Noodles to Zucchini Ribbons

How To: Using a vegetable peeler or spiralizer (about $30), make zucchini resemble spaghetti strands.

Healthy Payoff: A cup of zucchini pasta has 6 times fewer calories than cooked whole grain pasta (28 versus 174 calories per cup) and meets 1/2 your day’s vitamin C requirements.

Swap 4: Romaine to Kale

How To: Chop kale into small 1-2” pieces and massage in a healthy salad dressing (using your hands). The chopping and hand massage tenderize the raw kale and make it a great salad base.

Healthy Payoff: Kale provides more vitamin A, C, E, K and iron than romaine.

Swap 5: Chicken to Beans

How To: For every 1 ounce of chicken in a recipe, swap in 1/4 cup of canned beans that have been rinsed & drained (this removes 40% of the sodium).

Healthy Payoff: Beans provide more fiber, folate (B vitamin) and 3X more iron.

Swap 6: Lasagna Noodles to Eggplant Slices

How To: With a knife or mandolin, slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4″ slices to resemble lasagna noodles. Use in place of some or all of the noodles in your favorite recipe.

Healthy Payoff: Each noodle swap saves you about 50 calories (16 calories per eggplant slice vs 64 calories per noodle). Plus you get more heart healthy potassium and 3 more fiber with the eggplant version.

Swap 7: Pretzels to Nuts

How To: Keep 1-ounce portioned bags of your favorite nuts in your purse, briefcase, office drawer and glove compartment. What’s 1 ounce?? Answer: 23 almonds, 14 walnut halves, 19 pecan halves, 49 pistachios, 18 cashews or 28 peanuts.

Healthy Payoff: Get a crunchy, savory snack with more protein, healthy fat and fiber.

Swap 8: Whole Grain Bread to Sprouted Whole Grain Bread

How To: Usually you’ll find sprouted bread (and English muffins) in the frozen section of the grocery store. Most grocers have it, so ask if you can’t find it.

Healthy Payoff: Your body can absorb more minerals such as iron and zinc from sprouted breads. Plus sprouted varieties may be easier to digest & cause less bloat.

Swap 9: Whipped Topping to 2% Greek Yogurt

How To: With a fork, stir Greek yogurt until creamy. Use a dollop on French toast, mixed berries or pie in place of whipped topping. Note: The 2% yogurt variety is worth the extra calories for a creamier texture and less acidic taste than fat-free versions. Plus milk fat contains ‘CLA’ – a healthy compound that may promote fat-burning & muscle building for exercisers.

Healthy Payoff: These are about the same number of calories, but the yogurt has 3 times more protein, about 30 times more calcium and also contains good bacteria to promote healthy digestion and immunity.

Swap 10: Oil to Nut/Seed Butter (for Salad Dressing)

How To: Instead of oil, use natural peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed paste) as the base of your salad dressings. Note: Below is a quick recipe for Lemon-Tahini Dressing.

Healthy Payoff: A dressing using nuts & seed butters contains healthy fats (just like an oil-based dressing), but you’ll get extra fiber and minerals such as copper, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Lemon-Tahini Dressing (makes about 1 cup)

10 Tablespoons water

5 Tablespoons tahini

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

Sea salt and pepper, to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon each)

Swap 11: High Fiber Cold Cereal to Oatmeal

How To: Instead of pouring a bowl of cold cereal, make 1/2 cup rolled oats with 1 cup water (or your favorite milk) in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Or consider making a big batch of steel-cut oats in the crockpot & freeze it in individual portions.

Healthy Payoff: Even though the healthy cold cereal you eat may be high in fiber, it is “dry” and contains only 2% water whereas a bowl of oatmeal is a whopping 84% water. What does this mean? More water = more fullness & appetite control through the morning and even into the afternoon.

Swap 12: Butter to Avocado

How To: When you are baking, substitute some or all of the butter with pureed avocado. It may tint your baked goods a subtle green color, but it won’t impact the flavor. Note: Start out swapping only 1/3 of the butter and increase gradually until over time you find the perfect swap amount for your recipe.

Healthy Payoff: One tablespoon of avocado puree has 75% fewer calories than butter (23 versus 100 calories) and contains healthier fat, fiber, folate (B vitamin), vitamin K, vitamin C and potassium.

Now get swapping!

Wishing you a happy & healthy 2012,

Dawn

For more healthy tips & nourishing recipes throughout the year, please visit my website: www.dawnjacksonblatner.com.

Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, CSSD, LDN is the resident nutrition expert at The Chopping Block and teaches healthy cooking classes every month. She also works with the Chicago Cubs, USA Today, NBC Chicago and national magazines. In her cooking classes and her book, The Flexitarian Diet, she shows people how to eat a more plant-based diet without giving up meat. Words of wisdom: Be good to your body and it will be good to you.

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