Small Changes Make a Big Healthy Difference

January is usually a time where we all think about trying to get a bit healthier, but as we reach the end of the month a lot of those New Year’s resolutions start to slip – if we’ve not completely given up on them already.

Christmas seems like a lifetime ago, there’s no more chocolate coins and mince pies in the cupboard, and it feels like you’ve been on this diet FOREVER.

But don’t give up yet! This doesn’t mean you need to live on salad, cut out all the things you love and basically be miserable until you crack and eat your weight in Mars bars. Healthy eating can be a lot easier than that, especially if you are still enjoying meals and treats that you love.

All you really need to do to behave yourself is to make a few simple swaps and you’ll find you can still enjoy many of your favourites, or at least variations of them. You might also want to steer clear of the junk food aisles in the supermarket…

Swapping unhealthy foods and ingredients for ones that are better for you can help reduce your calorie intake, as well as how much saturated fat and sugar is in your diet – all while still getting the same great taste! This means you can eat the meals you enjoy most, safe in the knowledge that they are healthier for you.

Here are some easy food swaps to make that you probably won’t even notice after a while:

You might think that your morning glass of orange juice is good for you, but it actually contains a lot of natural sugar – around double what’s in an orange – and very little fibre. Eating an orange is a much better option that comes with extra fibre and fewer calories. Plus you’ll still get a refreshing start to the day and a good dose of vitamin C.

What’s life without cheese? A good block of strong cheddar can go in sandwiches, on a pasta bake, on a chilli and anywhere else you want it to. Sadly, cheese is fairly high in fat, so if you’re a fan and use it most of your meals, it can make them quite unhealthy.

You don’t need to skip the cheese, though, as you can simply opt for a low-fat version. These have gotten really good over the last few years so you may even find that they have more flavour than your usual cheese. Plus, it melts just the same.

If you like cooking with creams, whether it goes in potato gratins sauces or fish pie, you probably already know how unhealthy and heavy an ingredient it is. You don’t need to skip out on creamy sauces, though, as creme fraiche provides a great alternative, especially if you use low-fat creme fraiche.

It will make sauces just as rich and creamy but without all the calories. It also feels lighter so you’ll be able to manage the washing up after dinner instead of snoozing on the sofa.

We all have more pasta and rice in our cupboards than we know what to do with, as these staple carbohydrates are quick, easy and versatile. However, when eaten a lot, they also aren’t great for you, especially if you’re not teaming them with vegetables.

Make your meals healthier by using vegetables to create things like noodles, spaghetti and rice. You can use carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and courgette to make spaghetti, while cauliflower can be used as an alternative to rice. Not only are veggies a healthy switch, they also add a lot more flavour to your dishes.

Move over courgetti. This year we're all about the koodles. #foodstagram #foodtrends

A video posted by Tefal UK (@tefal.uk) on Jan 17, 2017 at 7:36am PST

Just as with pasta and rice, potatoes are high in carbohydrates. While they may be delicious, they don’t add much to your meals and tend to be fairly heavy. This is why switching them for sweet potatoes or other root vegetables can be a good idea.

Sweet potatoes have fewer carbs, are lighter and really tasty. You can use them to make chips, mash, roast and jacket potatoes just as easily as normal white potatoes. Alternatively, you can try using parsnips for chips or something like suede for mash.

Sodas really aren’t good for you, with things like cola and lemonade being chock full of sugar, which is bad for your teeth as well as your health. Rather than giving into your fizzy drink cravings, swap them for fizzy water.

This will give you the same level of carbonation as sodas but with fewer calories. You can even get sugar-free flavoured water if you don’t like the taste of the plain fizzy variety. This will probably keep big and little kids happy too, so everyone can be a bit healthier.

Sticking with these swaps this year could make a big difference without you really noticing the difference.