5 Substitutions You Can Make To Instantly Improve Your Weight Loss Diet

Losing weight is never an easy thing to do, but there are ways to make it a little easier.

The best way to lose weight, is to understand some basic nutrition and how to choose healthy foods (or at least follow a healthy weight loss diet plan).

Also, getting more exercise will help to burn off those extra calories.

In this article, we will give you 5 tips to help you plan your own weight loss diet.

Let’s get started...

Tip 1 - Drink More Water.

Water is usually best, but you can add some fruit juice to improve the flavor if you like. It’s a good idea to avoid things like soda pops, because they really do have no redeeming qualities other than it tastes good. It's very high in sugar, as it contains around 3 tablespoons per 12 ounce can, and often contains sodium and caffeine, too.

Switching to diet soda made with an artificial sweetener is healthier than ingesting all of that extra sugar. However, drinking water still the best option.

If the flavor of water gets boring, you can easily jazz it up by adding a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange juice to make your own flavored water. Try sparkling water as a change of pace. Add a slice of fresh fruit, like peach, or watermelon and mash it against the side of the glass to release flavors. Do this with fresh mint and lime and you have yourself a nonalcoholic mojito. Delicious!

Tip 2 - Avoid French Fries.

Now we all love to eat French fries, but we also know they are very unhealthy, and can play havoc with your waist line.

If you've got to have that French fries flavor, then here’s a slightly healthier way to make them. Simply slice some fresh potatoes thinly, and then spray with some cooking oil.

Then sprinkle with salt and herbs like chili flakes, basil, or freshly ground pepper and bake.

An even better way is to substitute French fries with baked sweet potato fries instead. Sweet potatoes are full of fiber and beta carotene; that's where they get their vibrant orange color. These are just as delicious as French fries, but they’re much healthier.

Tip 3 – Avoid Store Bought Granola Bars.

These things often seem like a healthy option, but in reality they are very high in fat and sugar. A better alternative is to try low fat bars - or better yet - make your own mixture using rolled oats, almonds, and raisins. You can easily vary the flavors by changing to dried apples and walnuts, or dried apricots and pecans. Package in single size servings, ¼ cup in snack zip lock baggies, and you're ready to go.

Tip 4 – Avoid Flavored Yogurts.

They seem healthy, but they are high in sugar. Unless you buy non-fat yogurt, most yogurts also have a substantial amount of fat – so they don’t fit into many weight loss diets.

In most situations, it’s better to choose plain non-fat yogurt and improve them by adding your own flavors using ingredients like sliced fruit and chopped nuts.

You can also use organic honey as a sweetener or even a bit of fruit jam. Start with just a teaspoon. Remember that you can always add more, but you can't take the sweetener out – so add to your yogurt gradually. With a little experience, you can make delicious yogurts which are far tastier (and healthier) than any flavored yogurts you can buy.

Tip 5 – Cut Out The Sour Cream In Your Potato Chip Dip Mix.

It’s a better idea (and much healthier) to substitute non-fat plain yogurt instead. If you can, try to skip the sour cream completely.

Use half non-fat yogurt and half non-fat cottage cheese whirled in the blender until smooth. Add freshly chopped parsley or dill and chopped green onions. You can also add just a little salt and pepper to improve the taste, and still keep the dip low on calories.

A great low fat version of spinach dip is two cups of the cottage cheese/non-fat yogurt instead of the sour cream and mayonnaise which most recipes say you should use. You can often make small, yet healthy substitutions like these to improve your meals and lose weight at the same time!