It’s the New Year, and you know what that means. Everyone including myself is trying to diet. What is it about the new year that makes us want to change our lives? LOL. Now I’m going to be honest here, I suck at dieting. The longest I’ve ever gone on any specific diet is about 21 days of Whole 30. Yup, couldn’t even make it to 30 days. Any other time I diet, I usually do a couple days and by day 3 I’ve probably given up. I love food. That is why when it comes to dieting, I think it’s easier to maintain healthy food swaps instead of eliminating things all together. So I’ve complied a list of items you can swap out for healthier alternatives.

Pasta = Zucchini or Spaghetti Squash

This is a pretty standard one if you want to go low carb. Spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash are a great way to mimic the shape of pasta. They are a great base for any “pasta dish”. My favorite way to eat this is to make a type of bolognese with meat and a good tomato sauce and top it with cheese.

Bread or crackers = GG Crackers

If you follow the Skinny Confidential or the F Factor Diet, you definitely know about GG crackers. If not, GG Crackers are high fiber crackers that can be the base of any snack. I’ll be straight up with you the texture and taste do take a while to get used to, it kind of resembles cardboard. But hey, it’s good for you. It’s FULL of fiber which helps keep you full. I love to top my GG crackers with avocado and make an avocado “toast”. Top it with Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel seasoning and it’s a perfect snack or meal.

Soda = sparkling water

This is a simple switch. Soda is pretty terrible for you, but I still drink it occasionally. But I do try to limit my soda intake. If you are craving a soda, reach for a flavored sparking water instead. It will save you calories, is healthier for you and still hits the spot.

Cereal = Steel Cut or Quick Cooking Oats

Cereal is tasty, but it’s chocked full of sugar. To get a healthy dose of carbs in the morning that will keep you feeling full, swap out your morning cereal for some steel cut oats or quick cooking oats. I love to make steel cut oats and top it with cinnamon, fresh fruit, chia seeds and walnuts. You can experiment with the toppings and try different things, just make sure your toppings are healthy too. If you need it to be sweeter, I suggest sweetening it with a half a banana or a little bit of maple syrup.

Salad Dressing = Olive Oil and Vinegar

Packaged salad dressing might seem healthy because you’re eating a salad right? Wrong. A lot of times these salad dressings are packed with sugar. Make you own at home with some olive oil and vinegar (balsamic, red wine or white wine). You can even add things like lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar. Experiment and see what you like.

Those are some of my healthy food swaps that will make you healthier and help you lose weight! If you guys have any food swap ideas, let me know in the comments below!