Food swaps for a reduced-calorie diet can start with one item you eat or drink often. The point is to find a change you can live with and still enjoy your meals.
Compare what you actually serve
Check serving sizes and look at the full meal. You might use a smaller amount of a rich topping, choose an unsweetened drink you enjoy, or add vegetables to a meal to change the balance.
Test the swap in your usual routine
Try it at the time you normally eat the meal. Pay attention to taste, hunger, cost and convenience. If you miss the original or find yourself hungry soon after, adjust the change.
Keep the swaps that work for you
Choose one or two changes you can repeat. If you have specific medical nutrition requirements, discuss swaps with your clinician or registered dietitian before changing a plan they’ve recommended.
Try food swaps for a reduced-calorie diet one at a time
Choose one meal you eat often and note the part you would be most willing to change. Keep the rest of the meal familiar while you try the swap. Compare how it tastes, how much effort it takes, and whether you feel satisfied afterward. If you share meals, ask the other people who eat them what they think.
Give the new option a fair trial
Try it during an ordinary week and write down when it was convenient. If it makes shopping or cooking harder, choose a different swap. You can also keep the original meal and change how often you serve it. Use your experience to decide which change is worth repeating. Record which swap you would make again the next time you shop.
For more detail, see NIDDK’s guide to choosing a weight-loss program. Also see What Is A Low Calorie Diet? for another part of this series.