Curb unhealthy food cravings by swapping out these items

Brits hoping to improve their diet are being advised to stop food cravings with healthy food swaps.

Fitness experts at Goal Plans powered by MuscleFood have revealed eight delicious alternatives to unhealthy foods.

Indulging in the wrong foods can cause blood sugar fluctuations that negatively impact mood,  energy levels, and health.

There are easy ways to make healthier choices that reduce sugar, salt and fat while satisfying cravings.

Smart food swaps include snacking on popcorn instead of crisps, and chicken over beef burgers.

Ashleigh Tosh from  Goal Plans powered by MuscleFood said: “There are easy ways to replicate flavours and the familiarity of our guilty pleasures to make healthier choices.

“Many food swaps have more nutritional benefits that keep you fuller for longer and crush cravings.

“Replacing foods with healthier alternatives and being mindful of what you consume is important for health and lifestyle.

“Dark chocolate and popcorn are just some of the healthier alternatives you can enjoy while still satisfying your cravings.”

Eight easy food swaps: 

1. Dark chocolate for milk chocolate

If you fancy a sweet treat, swap regular milk chocolate for dark chocolate, which has a lower fat and sugar content and is rich in antioxidants and packed with nutrients.

2. Popcorn for crisps

As well as being full of antioxidants, popcorn is high in fibre and fills you up with fewer calories than crisps. Skip the butter and go easy on the salt for healthier options.

3. Fruit for fruit juice

Sugar in whole fruit comes with important nutrients and gut-friendly fibre, whereas fruit juice is loaded with extra sugar with a 300ml glass of orange juice containing as much as 25g of sugar.

4. Greek yoghurt for ice cream

Ice cream has more fat than yoghurt and is higher in added sugars and calories. Greek yoghurt is rich in protein, and probiotics and lower in saturated fats.

5. Whole grain bread for white bread

Consider switching your white bread to whole-grain or brown bread. Brown bread is more nutritious as it contains more fibre and nutrients, and it is not as processed.

6. Chicken burger for beef burger

Chicken is a much better source of protein than beef and also provides us with important vitamins like vitamins A, B1 and B3.

7. Nuts for sweets

Nuts are a great healthy snack as they are high in nutrients like protein and fibre and can help steer off unhealthy sugar cravings.

8. Takeaway pizza for protein pizza

There are plenty of substitutions for your favourite takeaway pizza that offer more protein without the extra calories. If you fancy a homemade version, swap your traditional base for a wrap for a lighter option.