At REFYNE USA we understand that eating the right foods can be hard, especially when you have a busy schedule. What if there was a way we could still enjoy our favorite foods AND lose weight! This is ABSOLUTELY possible! It all just comes down to opting for the lower-calorie version which, in most cases, doesn’t change the taste all that much. If we can sacrifice 10-20% of the yumminess in order to reduce the calories by 25-50% or more, we can have the best of both worlds.
Here is a list of 5 food substitutions that we recommend to help you lose weight, let's review
Yogurt
There is no doubt that there are some yummy yogurts out there and most people enjoy them for breakfast or as a snack. But the sad truth is, many of the most popular brands are loaded with sugar, making them high in calories, and have a very low protein content. Instead, opt for Greek yogurt. There are options for plain or flavored Greek yogurts and if you don’t like them that way, you can always add some low-calorie fresh fruit such as blueberries or strawberries to add flavor and more micronutrients. Per serving, some Greek yogurts contain 100 calories or less while at the same time providing 15-18 grams of protein! Boom!
Tortillas/Wraps
Next time you are looking for tortillas or wraps, flip them over and look at the calories per
serving, Yikes! It is easy to find some that range from 150-300 calories per serving! Luckily, in
our grocery stores, we have many different options to choose from. Look for tortillas or wraps
that use keywords like “carb counter”, “carb balance”, or “extreme wellness”. When you check the nutrition facts, you can find some that range from only 50-100 calories per serving. Keep these in mind when you have homemade Mexican food or homemade wraps.
Drinks
We can have the artificial sweeteners debate some other time if you want. However, there is no doubt that drinking artificially sweetened drinks can help people decrease their daily calorie intake by HUNDREDS if not, THOUSANDS of calories. Diet and zero-sugar soda pops are a great alternative to regular soft drinks. There are way too many low-calorie drinks to count, so just be mindful when looking for something you like, look at the nutrition facts, and make sure the calories are as close to zero as possible so you can enjoy a guilt-free drink. If you are looking for something that tastes good AND provides a lot of energy, you can use any of our REFYNE pre-workouts as a deliciously refreshing drink to sip on, even on your ‘rest days’.
Condiments/Dressings
This could be one of the biggest contributors to excess calories that go unaccounted for. It is not uncommon for salad dressings to have one or two hundred calories per (2 Tbsp.) serving! Let’s be honest, no one puts one serving of dressing on their salad, we want to load that bad boy up! With careful searching, we can find dressings with less than 50 calories per serving, even down to only 5 calories per serving with something like Skinny Girl Balsamic Vinaigrette. Now, how many people can’t eat a meal without, BBQ sauce, mayo, ranch, chick-fil-a sauce, or some other popular condiment? It’s pretty common right? Well, these sauces are just as bad as some dressings, often loaded with sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. Pay close attention to the serving size and calories per serving of your favorite sauces. Luckily, there are alternatives such as G. Hughes's sugar-free barbeque sauces, low-calorie buffalo sauce, and most hot sauces, and they even make “light” versions of mayo that are a little better than the original.
Candy Bars
Candy bars can remind us of our childhood, a simple treat that tastes oh so good. But have you ever turned one of those suckers around and seen how many calories they have? 90% or more of those calories are from sugar and fat! Fortunately, we are blessed with a much better option; protein bars. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some “protein” bars on the market that probably have more calories than most candy bars. But with some trial and error, you can find bars that satisfy your cravings for a sweet treat while also delivering a good chunk of protein at the same time. Just make sure that protein is actually the most predominant macronutrient and from a high-quality source such as whey protein isolate, otherwise, it is just a glorified candy bar.
Conclusion
I hope this information has been helpful to you. In today’s world, we have been beyond
blessed with the options and accessibility of food. With just about anything that you are used to eating, there is a very good chance that you can find a version that has fewer calories and possibly even more protein. But beware, nutrition labels aren’t always as honest as they should be, make sure to look at serving sizes and double-check them, and read the first few ingredients to actually know what you are getting. Losing weight doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite foods ever again, in fact, you very well could find a way to make a few small adjustments to make them much healthier and still get to enjoy them regularly.
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