10 Food swops for a skinny kitchen

Let the skinny kitchen makeover begin

Give your health a boost and lose weight by giving your kitchen a skinny makeover today! Here are a few ways to swop high-calorie foods and with healthier alternatives…

Skinny swop 1: Replace full-cream ice-cream with frozen yoghurt or sorbet

All it takes is a small serving of full-cream ice-cream to count as your recommended fat serving for the day! Instead of full-cream ice-cream, rather add small tubs of frozen yoghurt or sorbet to your shopping list. They’re lower in fat and let’s face it; few things are as refreshing as an ice cold sorbet on a warm day.

Skinny swop 2: Replace white flour with whole-wheat flour

White flour has been stripped of nutrients in the refining process and is synthetically bleached. In contrast, whole-wheat flour has higher fibre content and a lower GI value.

Skinny swop 3: Replace creamy sauces with tomato-based sauces

A staple of Italian-style cooking, tomato-based sauces are lighter and lower in fat, making them a healthier alternative to heavy, cream-based sauces. Give your cooking a Mediterranean twist and bump up your veg intake by adding grated carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms or baby marrow to the sauce.

Skinny swop 4: Replace tinned fish in oil with tinned fish in water

You don’t need the oil that comes with tinned tuna, salmon or mussels. Stick to water and save the fat serving!

Skinny swop 5: Replace cereals high in sugar with high-fibre, low GI cereals

There is little benefit to starting your day with a high sugar kick. The slow energy release of a high-fibre, low GI cereal ensures you don’t hit an energy slump early in the day and aids in absorption and digestion of vital nutrients.

Skinny swop 6: Replace sugary drinks with water and fruit juice

Fizzy cool drinks have very little nutritional value and can be damaging to teeth as well as waistlines. Add some lemon, cucumber and strawberry slices to a jug of water, let chill in the fridge, and enjoy a much healthier, refreshing beverage option… with a bit of added vitamin C!

Skinny swop 7: Replace full-cream milk with low-fat and fat-free milk

Low-fat milk gives you all the benefits of full-cream without the fat. The same goes for yoghurt!

Skinny swop 8: Replace full-fat cheese with reduced-fat cheese

A general rule for hard cheese (cheeses you can grate) is the lighter in colour the lighter in fat, so opt for the pale yellow cheeses.

Skinny swop 9: Replace sugar-coated dried fruit with plain dried fruit or fresh fruit

There’s no need to consume a food that is naturally sweet that has an added sugar coating. Opt for nature’s sweet treats as they are.

Skinny swop 10: Replace roasted and salted nuts with raw, unsalted nuts

Roasted and salted nuts are high in sodium, which negatively impacts blood pressure and weight loss. They can also be unnecessarily coated in preservatives, flavourings and colourants to disguise a lesser quality product. It’s best to opt for the unsalted variety. To enhance flavour, just add straight to a frying pan on a high heat (with no oil necessary) and lightly toast for mere minutes.

Recommended reading: The secret of slim women

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