3 Super-Easy Diet Swaps

Jenn and I always preach that diet is a four-letter word. We’re decidedly anti-diet in the Fit Bottomed World (maybe why we wrote an anti-diet book!). We’re much more in favor of trying to add healthy foods to the nutritional mix to find things you love to eat, that you want to eat. So instead of say, declaring pizza a bad-for-you food that’s off limits, we much prefer to try to find a way to make it healthier by cutting down on cheese a little and adding tons of veggies. It’s far easier to healthify your favorites rather than to avoid them for all of eternity. And for that reason, I loved these tips from Carrington Farms (remember them from my adventures with flax seeds?) with three easy swaps you can try in your everyday cooking adventures!

3 Super-Easy Diet Swaps

1. Eat Greek yogurt with flax seeds NOT traditional yogurt with granola. Skip the extra sugar calories found in most yogurts and pump up the protein by choosing Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt contains twice as much protein than regular yogurt, which is great for weight control because it keeps you feeling fuller longer. Granola often contains so much sugar that just one cup can easily contain more than 600 calories. Swap your granola and keep the crunch by adding Carrington Farms roasted flax seeds. These delicious, nutty tasting seeds contain omega 3s, fiber, protein and lignans. Plus, a serving of 2 tablespoons contains less than 60 calories!

2. Drink homemade smoothies NOT store-bought premade drinks. Smoothies are a fast and easy way to fit high-quality nutrition into your day. But in order for them to be beneficial, it is important that your smoothies are made fresh. Most commercial smoothies are packed with simple sugars and enough calories to fuel your entire workday. By making smoothies at home you have control over what goes in them — make sure to add fruits and vegetables, fats like almond butter, liquids like water, fresh juice and extra antioxidant add-ons like chia seeds. Adding chia seeds to your smoothies doesn’t change the flavor but adds additional protein, calcium, iron and fiber, and leaves you feeling fuller longer.

3. Cook with coconut oil NOT olive oil or butter. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24-hour energy expenditure by as much as 5 percent, potentially leading to significant weight-loss over the long term. Instead of baking with butter and other unhealthy oils, make the switch to coconut oil like Carrington Farms Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. For even easier cooking and sautéing Carrington Farms has a first of its kind all-liquid coconut cooking oil.

Have you made any easy swaps this year to make 2014 healthier for you and your family? Share ’em! —Erin