5 Healthy Food Swaps Australia

Did you know that simply changing the brand of the product you buy could be the difference between losing and gaining weight? 

This blog follows on from our How to Read Labels post, and in this article we share 5 simple healthy food swaps you can make when grocery shopping.

5 Healthy Food Swaps Australia

1. Yoghurt

Per 100g 138 calories 4.3g protein 5.7g saturated fat 11g carbohydrates 16.5g sugar

Per 100g 61 calories 9.5g protein 0.2g saturated fat 4.9g carbohydrates  4g sugar

YoPRO yoghurt is the far healthier option as it contains a mere 61 calories per 100g (compared to 138 calories), as well as 5.2g more protein and 12.5g less sugar compared to Farmers Union Greek style vanilla yoghurt.

2. Pesto

Per 100g 440 calories 3.9g protein 5g saturated fat 10.2g carbohydrates 5g sugar

Per 100g 238 calories 4.7g protein 2.6g saturated fat 6.9g carbohydrates 2.4g sugar

This is our favourite example of how simply changing the brand of a product makes a huge difference in your overall calorie intake. 

Leggo’s basil pesto provides almost half the amount of total calories compared to Barilla basil pesto.

This is because the first ingredient in the Leggo’s basil pesto is basil (34%), whereas the first ingredient in Barilla basil pesto is sunflower seed oil (38.5), which is a very calorie dense ingredient.

3. Sour cream

Per 100g 187 calories 3g protein 12g saturated fat 3.9g carbohydrates 3.9g sugar

Per 100g 58 calories 9.7g protein 0.1g saturated fat 4.3g carbohydrates 3.3g sugar

Our favourite substitute for sour cream is Chobani plain Greek yoghurt.

Chobani Greek yoghurt is not only a higher protein option (6.7g more protein compared to light sour cream), but is also a very low calorie option (58 calories compared to 187 calories from the sour cream, per 100g).

4. Cereal

Per 100g 366 calories 8g protein 0.4g saturated fat 71.6g carbohydrates 22.9g sugar

Per 100g 371 calories 18.8g protein 0.2g saturated fat 64g carbohydrates 14.5g sugar

Weet-Bix Protein offers almost 10g more protein and 8g less sugar than Just Right cereal.

5. Crackers

Per 100g 382 calories 10.7g protein 0.2g saturated fat 78.8g carbohydrates 4.1g sugar 4g fibre

Per 100g 352 calories 12.8g protein 0.7g saturated fat 55.7g carbohydrates 3.7g sugar 17.2g fibre.

Although the total calories are relatively similar in both products, Ryvita provides approximately 2g more protein and 13.2g more fibre than Cruskits.

So, you may find that Ryvita crackers help keep you feeling fuller for longer due to the high protein and fibre content. Moreover, Ryvita has almost 23g fewer carbohydrates than Cruskits.

If you would like to see more of these healthy swap ideas, please let us know in the Comments section below!

*The Brisbane Obesity Clinic has no affiliation with any of the brands mentioned in this article.