8 Easy Food Swaps To Try Now

Beef bolognaise vs beef and carrot bolognaise: Don’t skip the spag bol – just make it smarter. Classic ragout includes grated carrot; all you need to slash the fat and kilojoule content is to bump up the vegie volume. Try half beef mince, half carrot (saute it with onion). Plus, carrots are loaded with antioxidants and skin-soothing vitamin A.

Swap save: 505 kilojoules per serve

Burger patty vs Portobello mushroom: When you’re craving a burger, try subbing in a mushroom cap for the meat – it’ll bump up the fibre content and cut all that animal fat. Bonus: mushrooms are the only vegetable source of vitamin D. Grill one and go!

Swap save: 750 kilojoules per serve

Coconut cream vs coconut-flavoured evaporated milk: Rich curries are a notorious fat trap, but there’s a simple way to make them a healthier option: just swap the coconut cream or milk in the recipe for coconut-flavoured evaporated milk. It’s just as tasty, we promise.

Swap save: 800 kilojoules per serve

Guacamole vs pea and avo guacamole: Avocados are good for you, but they’re also high in fat – which is why scooping guacamole isn’t as healthy as it might seem. Try making the delicious Mexican recipe with one avocado and one cup of cooked peas; you’ll cut the fat content in half.

Swap save: 245 kilojoules per serve

Ice cream vs banana soft serve: A bowl of sweet creaminess doesn’t have to be a fat bomb. Try blitzing two frozen bananas in a food processor until they turn into fluffy, fat-free “ice-cream”. Then, add a teaspoon of cocoa powder or a dollop of peanut butter to the heart-healthy fruit.

Swap save: 400 kilojoules per serve

Mashed potato vs mashed pumpkin: Nutrient-packed pumpkins are better than starchy potatoes in almost every way: they’re full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and they’re way lower in carbs and kilojoules. Whether you mash or bake them, pick pumpkin over potato to make any recipe healthier.

Swap save: 470 kilojoules per serve

Fettucine vs Zucchini Pasta: You don’t need to save spaghetti for special treats – simply swap the wheat strands for strips of vitamin C-rich zucchini. Create your “pasta” with a vegetable peeler, sprinkle with salt, place it in a colander for 10 minutes to drain excess water, then cook for three to five minutes.

Swap save: 895 kilojoules per serve

White rice vs cauliflower rice: Because chilli con carne, curry, and chicken and cashew nut stir-fry all cry out for the fluffy white stuff, try this trick: pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor for 20 seconds, pop your resulting “rice” into a sealed, airtight container and microwave it for four minutes. The result? A low-carb, cancer-fighting comfort food.

Swap save: 455 kilojoules per serve