Breakfast
| Swap That | For This |
| Boxed cereal with cold, whole milk or instant flavored oatmeal | Oats or ancient grains like bulgur, quinoa, or millet with an unsweetened nut milk, nuts, and 1 tsp maple syrup or local honey |
| Single-serving container of flavored yogurt | Unsweetened 2% Greek yogurt with nuts, fresh berries, and cinnamon |
| Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit or muffin from a frozen box or fast-food joint | Eggs with avocado, greens, and sprouted grain toast |
Why am I making this change? Processed foods such as these contain tons of hidden sugar and additives, plus simple carbs, causing an energy crash. You need fiber, protein, and healthy fat to stay full and energized until lunch. Also, try to squeeze in vegetables right away to get your daily minimum of five.
Lunch
| Swap That | For This |
| Bacon-cheddar burger on a white bun with fries | Black bean, turkey, or salmon burger topped with onion, tomato, and avocado on a whole-grain bun (or swap for a lettuce wrap) with a side salad |
| Two slices of pepperoni pizza and a Coke | Whole-wheat flatbread or pita with olive oil, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pecorino |
Why am I making this change? Red meat, a lot of full-fat dairy, and white, simple carbs make a treacherous trio of saturated fat and empty calories. Also, beef from anything other than grass-fed, organic cattle is potentially laden with antibiotics and hormones. These foods will leave you leaden and wanting to nap at your desk. The trick is to have filling, nutritious foods with complex carbs, healthier proteins, and fats.
Snack
| Swap That | For This |
| French fries | Baked sweet-potato fries |
| Potato chips | Spiced kale chips, seed crackers, and hummus |
| Granola bar or other “healthy” bar | Handful of raw almonds or pecans and a piece of whole fruit |
Why am I making this change? Baked, not swimming in frying oil, is a wise choice for your potato. And the bright-orange color in sweet potatoes provides a nice dose of beta carotene and vitamin A. Granola bars contain a ton of hidden sugars. Make sure your nuts are not candied or coated in something sweet.
Dinner
| Swap That | For This |
| Macaroni and cheese | Use whole-wheat pasta instead of white, halve the amount, and replace with cauliflower. |
| Burrito in a white flour tortilla with refried beans, white rice, ground beef, cheddar, and sour cream | Burrito in a whole-wheat tortilla with whole black beans, ground turkey, guacamole, and veggies |
| Pasta with beefy Bolognese and powdered Parmesan | Try half whole-wheat, ancient grain, lentil, bean, or chickpea pasta with half zucchini noodles, marinara using ground chicken, and real Parmesan. |
Why am I making this change? Sneak in vegetables with pasta dishes wherever you can to lower calories, increase fiber, and add more vitamins and minerals. (When pasta is slathered in a sauce, you won’t notice the swap as much.) And when you want Parmesan, just use the real thing. It’s less processed and is so flavorful, you can get away with using less. In the burrito, ditch the rice and refried beans, focusing on good fat of avocado, and fill in as many veggies as possible.
Dessert
| Swap That | For This |
| Ice cream or frozen yogurt | “Nice” cream, which is made from a pureé of frozen banana, plus flavorings of your choice, such as peanut butter, raspberries, or dark cocoa powder |
| Chocolate chip cookies | Chickpea cookies with either dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs — add nuts and oats if you want something heartier. |
Why am I making this change? Bananas have a lot of natural sugar, but they’re lower in calories and have more fiber than dairy ice cream. Don’t be fooled by frozen yogurt: It has a lower fat content than ice cream but more sugar. There are a lot of recipes for cookies using alternative flours. A little local honey is better than processed white sugar.
