Ways to Swap
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Food Swap Suggester
What we put into our mouths can have a big effect on our waistline. Some foods are obviously better for us than others, but also the way certain foods are prepared can change how healthy they are for us.
The food suggester gives you swaps you can make to your eating habits that are healthier choices. This way you can start reducing your waistline without losing all the things you love.
Dairy
- Swap a bowl of ice-cream and topping for a bowl of low-fat yoghurt with frozen berries
- Swap a caesar salad for a garden salad
- Swap a cheese platter for a fresh fruit platter
- Swap a cream pie for stewed fruit and custard
- Swap a creamy salad dressing for lime juice and herbs or balsamic vinegar
- Swap a ham and cheese toastie for a multigrain toastie with lean ham and cheese
- Swap a meat loaded pizza for a vegetarian pizza with low-fat cheese
- Swap a pizza dinner for a grilled lean meat and vegetable dinner
- Swap a take-away meal for a quick and easy salad and grilled meat meal at home
- Swap a thick creamy sauce with meals for tasty spices
- Swap butter for reduced-fat margarine or avocado
- Swap butter for thinly spread avocado
- Swap butter on a cob of corn for pepper on a cob of corn
- Swap butter on your baked potato for chilli or herbs
- Swap butter on your baked potato for low-fat yoghurt
- Swap butter on your toast for margarine
- Swap cheese snacks for fresh fruit
- Swap cream for low-fat yoghurt or custard
- Swap creamy desserts for some refreshing fruit
- Swap creamy sauces for a tomato or vegetable sauce
- Swap creamy, cheesy pasta sauces for tomato and herb varieties
- Swap eggs benedict for poached eggs with salsa
- Swap fried eggs for poached or boiled eggs
- Swap full-cream yoghurt for low-fat natural yoghurt and add your own fruit
- Swap full-fat cheese for low-fat cheese
- Swap full-fat dairy for a reduced-fat variety
- Swap mayonnaise on your sandwiches for mustard
- When cooking, swap butter for cooking spray or a poly or mono unsaturated oil
Fats & Oils
- Swap a bowl of ice-cream and topping for a bowl of low-fat yoghurt with frozen berries
- Swap a caesar salad for a garden salad
- Swap a cheese platter for a fresh fruit platter
- Swap a chocolate bar for a small low-fat chocolate milk
- Swap a chocolate bar for a small piece of licorice
- Swap a cooked breakfast for fruit and cereal high in grains and fibre
- Swap a cream pie for stewed fruit and custard
- Swap a creamy salad dressing for lime juice and herbs or balsamic vinegar
- Swap a filled croissant for a plain bagel or raisin toast
- Swap a ham and cheese toastie for a multigrain toastie with lean ham and cheese
- Swap a large portion of milk chocolate for a small piece of dark chocolate
- Swap a low-nutrition breakfast cereal for one that's high in grains and fibre
- Swap a meat loaded pizza for a vegetarian pizza with low-fat cheese
- Swap a piece of fried, battered fish for a piece of grilled fish with fresh herbs and lemon
- Swap a regular ice-cream for a low-fat ice-cream
- Swap a side of chips for a side of salad
- Swap a take-away meal for a quick and easy salad and grilled meat meal at home
- Swap a thick creamy sauce with meals for tasty spices
- Swap a toasted croissant for toasted raisin bread
- Swap biscuits for fruit
- Swap butter for reduced-fat margarine or avocado
- Swap butter for thinly spread avocado
- Swap butter on a cob of corn for pepper on a cob of corn
- Swap butter on your baked potato for chilli or herbs
- Swap butter on your baked potato for low-fat yoghurt
- Swap butter on your toast for margarine
- Swap cheese snacks for fresh fruit
- Swap chilli oil for fresh or dried chilli flakes
- Swap coconut cream in cooking to evaporated skim milk with coconut essence
- Swap cream for low-fat yoghurt or custard
- Swap creamy desserts for some refreshing fruit
- Swap creamy sauces for a tomato or vegetable sauce
- Swap creamy, cheesy pasta sauces for tomato and herb varieties
- Swap deep frying for boiling, grilling or steaming
- Swap eggs benedict for poached eggs with salsa
- Swap fatty take-away for a salad sandwich or sushi
- Swap fried chips for a baked potato with salad
- Swap fried eggs for poached or boiled eggs
- Swap fried fast food for fresh fast food
- Swap fried for barbequed on the grill
- Swap full-cream yoghurt for low-fat natural yoghurt and add your own fruit
- Swap full-fat cheese for low-fat cheese
- Swap full-fat dairy for a reduced-fat variety
- Swap full-fat ice-cream for low-fat frozen yoghurt
- Swap high-fat crackers and dips for veggie sticks or water crackers with salsa
- Swap hot chips for a steamed or boiled potato with chilli flakes or herbs
- Swap hot fudge sauce for mashed berries
- Swap ice-cream for sorbet
- Swap mayonnaise on your sandwiches for mustard
- Swap oil based salad dressing for lime juice and herbs, or balsamic vinegar to add flavour
- Swap potato chips for rice crackers
- Swap regular peanut butter for a reduced-fat and low-salt peanut butter
- Swap roast potatos cooked in animal fat for roast potatos sprayed with olive oil
- Swap sausages and regular mince for lean meat or mince
- Swap soft drinks for plain mineral water flavoured with a squeeze of lemon or lime
- Swap toasted muesli for untoasted natural muesli
- Swap tuna in olive oil for tuna in spring water
- Swap unnecessary snacking for a cup of tea
- Swap vegetable tempura for grilled vegetables
- When cooking, swap butter for cooking spray or a poly or mono unsaturated oil
Fruit & Vegetables
- Swap a cream pie for stewed fruit and custard
- Swap a glass of fruit juice for a piece of fruit and water
- Swap a pizza dinner for a grilled lean meat and vegetable dinner
- Swap a side of chips for a side of salad
- Swap apple pie for a baked apple
- Swap butter for reduced-fat margarine or avocado
- Swap butter for thinly spread avocado
- Swap butter on a cob of corn for pepper on a cob of corn
- Swap butter on your baked potato for chilli or herbs
- Swap butter on your baked potato for low-fat yoghurt
- Swap fried chips for a baked potato with salad
- Swap fruit straps for fresh fruit
- Swap high-fat crackers and dips for veggie sticks or water crackers with salsa
- Swap hot chips for a steamed or boiled potato with chilli flakes or herbs
- Swap potato chips for rice crackers
- Swap processed fruit juice for fresh fruit
- Swap roast potatos cooked in animal fat for roast potatos sprayed with olive oil
- Swap the second sandwich for some salad
- Swap tinned fruit in 'syrup' for tinned fruit in 'natural juices'
- Swap vegetable tempura for grilled vegetables
Meat & Alternatives
- Occasionally swap red meats to fish, chicken, or legumes
- Swap a cooked breakfast for fruit and cereal high in grains and fibre
- Swap a large serve of meat for a smaller serve with extra vegetables
- Swap a meat loaded pizza for a vegetarian pizza with low-fat cheese
- Swap a piece of fried, battered fish for a piece of grilled fish with fresh herbs and lemon
- Swap a pizza dinner for a grilled lean meat and vegetable dinner
- Swap a take-away meal for a quick and easy salad and grilled meat meal at home
- Swap fatty take-away for a salad sandwich or sushi
- Swap sausages and regular mince for lean meat or mince.
- Swap tuna in olive oil for tuna in spring water
Breads Cereals etc.
- Swap a filled croissant for a plain bagel or raisin toast
- Swap a ham and cheese toastie for a multigrain toastie with lean ham and cheese
- Swap a low-nutrition breakfast cereal for one that's high in grains and fibre
- Swap a pizza dinner for a grilled lean meat and vegetable dinner
- Swap a toasted croissant for toasted raisin bread
- Swap baking with white flour for baking with whole meal flour
- Swap the second sandwich for some salad
- Swap toasted muesli for untoasted natural muesli
- Swap using bread for dipping for carrot, celery or cucumber sticks with low-fat dip
- Swap white bread for wholegrain varieties
Snack Foods
- Swap a bowl of ice-cream and topping for a bowl of low-fat yoghurt with frozen berries
- Swap a chocolate bar for a small low-fat chocolate milk
- Swap a chocolate bar for a small piece of licorice
- Swap a handful of lollies for a handful of berries
- Swap a large coffee for a small coffee
- Swap a large portion of milk chocolate for a small piece of dark chocolate
- Swap a pack of lollies for a punnet of berries
- Swap a regular ice-cream for a low-fat ice-cream
- Swap a sugary dessert for a low-fat milk coffee
- Swap an ice-block for frozen grapes, sliced bananas or oranges
- Swap an iced coffee for a small fruit frappe
- Swap apple pie for a baked apple
- Swap biscuits for fruit
- Swap full-cream yoghurt for low-fat natural yoghurt and add your own fruit
- Swap full-fat ice-cream for low-fat frozen yoghurt
- Swap hot fudge sauce for mashed berries
- Swap ice-cream for sorbet
- Swap soft drinks for plain mineral water flavoured with a squeeze of lemon or lime
- Swap sugary snacks for a piece of fruit
- Swap two sugars in your coffee for one, then swap one for none.
- Swap unnecessary snacking for a cup of tea
- Swap your regular soft drink for plain water or soda water
More Tips and Advice
For more tips on healthy eating and getting active, please visit the Measure Up website from the links below: