Australian dietitian Paula Norris has shared the calorie-saving hacks you need to know about to lose weight, including swapping cheddar for Parmesan cheese and tweaking your mince portions to make your dish healthier.
The first thing the dietitian said you should do if you want to save on calories is halve the amount of mince you make for tacos, spaghetti bolognese or chilli. Then, replace the other half with either black or red kidney beans.
The second thing Paula said you need to do is swap cheddar for Parmesan, Daily Mail reported.
Mashed potato with butter is a delicious treat, but it is one that can be quite high in calories. 'We use half mashed potato, half cauliflower for a side, or on top of potato pie,' Paula said. 'A bit of milk and some salt and pepper gives enough flavour that you can also skip the butter.'
Paula said while she loves having a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise with a dish at home, she knows that mayonnaise can be quite fattening - and there is a healthy, simple replacement. 'This is our go-to swap for mayonnaise for salads. Other options depending on the dish are cottage cheese, plain Greek yoghurt, avocado, hummus or tahini,' Paula said.
If you want to make her dressing dip, you'll need to blend two tablespoons of plain yoghurt, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, one teaspoon of lemon juice and salt and pepper.
For a less carb-heavy meal than pasta with pesto, you could tweak your dish and make half of it zucchini noodles.
'Instead of using half an avocado on your piece of toast, use a quarter and a quarter of a cup of peas on toast,' she added.
Finally, if you swap 50 grams of sour cream for 50 grams of reduced fat natural yoghurt, you'll see results with your weight loss goals.
