Smart Swaps

A few smart snack swaps may help reduce your caloric intake and be better for your health without forgoing taste. By making small changes in food choices, you can reduce your sugar and fat intake and increase your intake of vegetables, nuts, and heart healthy fats.

 

Instead of this	Try this
Cake, cookies, or brownies	1 ounce of dark chocolate   You’ll still get the satisfying taste of chocolate and the beneficial flavonoids, but without the added flour, sugar, and fat.
Creamy spinach dip	Salsa   Both taste great, but salsa adds flavor with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro instead mayonnaise or sour cream.
Crackers or chips for dip	Vegetable sticks   Add vegetables into your diet and reduce refined carbohydrates at the same time. Try carrots, celery, asparagus, cucumber, grape tomatoes, and red pepper slices.
Creamy bottled salad dressings	Oil and vinegar   Bottled dressings often have added sugars and salt, but classic do-it-yourself oil and vinegar doesn’t add any sugar.
Chips or pretzels	Mixed nuts   Chips and pretzels offer little health benefit along with their carbohydrates and fat. Mixed nuts, although still high in calories and fat, offer protein as well as heart-healthy fats and fiber.

The above ideas are offered by Dr. Shillingford’s staff at his South Florida office for surgical weight loss solutions. While preparing for your gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band surgery, these food swap suggestions may help you reduce your calories and promote more positive food choices.

Making a few simple food swaps can be an easy switch without leaving you feeling hungry or unsatisfied. Try these, and then come up with a few of your own!