5 Low Calorie Foods To Use As Alternatives

In this day and age, health and longevity mean everything. People spend thousands of dollars in their lifetime on healthcare. Everyone is busy and is always short of time for themselves. Therefore, the demand for quick health fixes and foods on the go is ever-increasing. However, small lifestyle changes can have enormous incremental benefits in the long run. So, we bring you a list of low-calorie foods that you can swap for the unhealthier versions you use daily.

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Low Calorie Foods To Use As Substitutes in Your Meals

Make It Crispy With Low Calorie Crushed Oats

Cooks and chefs, when cooking professionally or at home, use rice flour or corn flour in abundance. They usually do this to give crispness and crunch to their food – be it savoury pancakes, fritters, or fried foods. 

Using Crushed Oats or Oat flour instead of this could be a great idea. It is much cheaper than panko, and almost the same price as rice flour or corn flour. However, it is among low calorie foods with only 68 calories per 100 g and a low Glycemic Index of only 44. On the other hand, rice flour provides a whopping 366 calories per 100 g and with a high Glycemic Index that crosses 90. 

Forget Maida! Choose Jowar (Sorghum) For Cookies

Sorghum (known as jowar) is a great alternative to maida (refined wheat flour) or even whole wheat flour. It is a millet that goes by many names, e.g, Cholam in Tamil Nadu, Jonna in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, or ‘New Quinoa’ in the Western world. It is gluten free, rich in fiber and protein, and packed with micronutrients like Vitamins and minerals as well.

When making cookies at home, swap your maida (refined wheat flour) with jowar flour. The cookies will turn out just as delicious, but so much more healthy than the empty calories of maida cookies. 

Use Low Calorie Foods Like Millets Instead of Rice

Rice is a staple in India, there’s no arguing that. However, when your goal is to make your everyday meals healthy, you can use low calorie food swaps often. Millets are gluten-free, full of fiber, rich in protein, and are packed with nutrients. 

There are multiple varieties of millets. Some of the popular ones are sorghum (jowar), kodo, pearl (bajra), buckwheat (kuttu), amaranth (ramdana), finger (ragi), foxtail (kangni), etc. Many of these millets are important constituents in various regional diets in India. For example, bajra and jowar are heavily used in Haryana and Rajasthan. Kuttu and Barnyard millets (samak) are used in North and Northwestern India during Navratri. 

You can use these millets to make bread and chapatis at home. Instead of fried veg rice, you can have veg kodo millets for a low carb and low calorie dinner. You can even roast and mix some of these grains along with dried pulses to create a healthy snack that you can munch on.

Dates Instead of Refined Sugar

One of the best swaps that the modern food processing industry is now slowly adapting is using dates instead of refined sugar. A lot of health companies are now using dates instead of natural or artificial sweeteners to make protein/granola/energy bars, chocolate bars, and baked goods. Many bakers are now turning to using only dates to sweeten their breads and cakes etc.

Dates are rich in fibre, packed with vitamins and minerals, and have high natural sugar content. The best thing about natural sugars is that they regulate blood sugar levels and don’t spike our glucose immediately. They are also much safer for diabetic patients. You can completely eliminate added refined sugar from your desserts by using dates.

Hung Curd Instead of Mayonnaise Or Cream Cheese

Hung curd and Greek Yoghurt can both be used as healthy alternatives for cream cheese or mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is just fat whisked over and over, with some added egg. It is one of the unhealthiest foods out there with empty calories and close to zero nutrition. On the other hand, hung curd has 8-9 grams of protein in every 100 g, it is full of good fats and gut-loving bacteria. 

While hung curd has less than 100 calories per 100 g, mayonnaise has more than 650 calories. Hung curd can be spiced and flavored using toppings and spices. It can easily be used as a dip, as a spread in sandwiches, in making coleslaw, etc.

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We hope you liked this blog, and if you did, do let us know in the comments below Tell us the topics you want more information on, and we’ll bring it for you! And, since we’re on the topic of low calorie foods and healthy swaps, check out our Easy & Healthy Indian Style Breakfast Recipes blog Volume 1 and the read volume 2 of this healthy breakfast recipes blog here.