[Renwomin]

Sometimes it can be hard for us individually to find a good substitutions or recipes for certain foods. Other times we discover substitutions that are just as good (or even better) to us than the unhealthier version we had been eating.

What specific substitutions or healthier choices don't feel like a sacrifice at all for you?

Some of my own:

-whole wheat, high fiber breads and pastas and tortillas
I thankfully grew up eating wheat bread and I actually dislike cheap white bread like Wonder Bread. I wish whole wheat buns and bread were a more wide spread dining option.

- Laughing Cow cheese spread
While nothing can completely replace a good, aged cheese for me, this low calorie cheese spread is a great substitute for basic cheese.

- Hellmann's Canola Mayo
I've always preferred Hellmann's (Best Foods) mayo. I can hardly tell any difference with this mayo that has half the calories and no saturated fat.

I'd really like to discover more of these substitutions to make things easier. I'd love to hear what others have discovered.

[kelijpa]

sweet potatoes, wishbone light buffalo ranch dressing

discovered I was happier giving up bread than salad dressing, so that's what I did.

[April Snow]

I use veggies instead of pasta and noodles. Broccoli is nice in soups or with clam sauce. I love spaghetti squash or zucchini ribbons with red sauce. I think that the veggies actually taste better than pasta!

[Devoncroix]

Originally Posted by Renwomin

-whole wheat, high fiber breads and pastas and tortillas
I thankfully grew up eating wheat bread and I actually dislike cheap white bread like Wonder Bread. I wish whole wheat buns and bread were a more wide spread dining option.

I grew up the same way! I have never cared for white breads and really like the taste of wheat & bran. When we made the switch to whole foods, the most difficult thing to convince my husband and kids to give up was white bread. Now after years of eating whole wheat products, they also no longer care for white bread.

My biggest substitutions are:

Popcorn for snacking when craving something salty.

Spiced Chai black tea with 1 tsp sugar 2 tbsp milk instead of the high calorie coffee house coffees I used to enjoy. It makes a delightful 36 calorie sweet treat that I really love (this is a treat for some evenings, not something that I drink throughout the day).

[sontaikle]

I second spaghetti squash. I prefer it to spaghetti, actually. I also put it in my omelete this morning to bulk it up a little bit without adding all that many calories.

Originally Posted by Renwomin

-whole wheat, high fiber breads and pastas and tortillas
I thankfully grew up eating wheat bread and I actually dislike cheap white bread like Wonder Bread. I wish whole wheat buns and bread were a more wide spread dining option.

I didn't grow up eating whole wheat, but I find I prefer the taste anyway.

I also LOVE whole wheat pizza a lot better than regular pizza. I like that a lot of places near me are offering it as an option, but unfortunately I'm the only one in my family that likes it!