It’s finally summer, which means beach days, holidays and picnics. These can all make your weight loss journey seem just a little bit more daunting with all the treats and fatty foods tempting you. These delicious food swaps will help you separate the bad from the good and choose the healthier options when planning a picnic.
- Sandwiches, Baguettes & Rolls
One of the most common foods at a picnic are sandwiches, baguettes or rolls. The choices for fillings are endless, from pulled pork to jam; mayo, cheeses, packaged sandwich meats, it’s so easy to make a seemingly harmless lunch turn into a calorific catastrophe, especially on white bread!
Alternative:
Instead of going for sandwiches, prepare a hearty salad. Salads can be just as filling, just as delicious as sandwiches, and they’re healthier too. Adding extras like lean meats such as chicken or turkey, avocado, grapes, nuts, quinoa or grilled vegetables can make a boring bag of lettuce into a tasty lunch.
2. Crisps
While these may seem like the best snack to keep the little ones satisfied whilst setting everything up, or a harmless starter to nibble on, did you know that eating just one packet of crisps a day is the equivalent to drinking 5 litres of cooking oil a year? Eating crisps regularly has been proven to increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary diseases.
Alternative:
Snack smartly! Have some fruit or chopped vegetables like carrot or cucumber sticks with some salsa to dip them into for some extra flavour. If you are really craving something savoury with a crunch, snack on popcorn. A serving of popcorn is only 85 calories compared to the 233 calories in a packet of Kettle Chips. Popcorn is lower in calories and equally satisfying as a pre-picnic snack.
3. Fried Chicken
Although it tastes delicious, frying food increases your fat and calorie intake, especially if you coat your foods in breading before deep frying them. The high fat and calorie content in fried foods increase your risk for many other health problems, such as obesity, an increased risk of stroke, increased risk of diabetes and an increased risk of cancer. So instead of stopping by KFC on your way to the picnic, try some of our healthier alternatives.
Alternative:
Instead of buying some fried chicken, prepare your food at home by baking, grilling or roasting it. You can even try switching the chicken for salmon for an even healthier option. Grilling some chicken wings are bound to be a crowd pleaser, they’re small and easy to nibble on and are so much better for you than fried chicken.
4. Potato Salad
Despite having ‘salad’ in the name, potato salad isn’t actually very healthy! With the addition of mayonnaise, oily dressings and fatty additions such as bacon, there are over 420 calories and 30 grams of fat in just 340g of potato salad.
Alternatives:
Alright, we can’t cut out the potato salad, it’s a classic! So we’ve found a healthy, low calorie recipe for potato salad instead:
You will need: (serves 6)
- 340g potatoes
- 170g diced cucumber
- 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Put a pot of water on high heat and allow to come to a boil.
- Cut up the potatoes into 1-inch pieces and add the potatoes to the pot. Cover it and reduce the heat to medium high.
- Allow the potatoes to cook until they are tender and drain them.
- Combine the cucumber, sour cream, yogurt, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl and add in the drained potatoes to the mixture. Toss everything together and make sure the potatoes are coated nicely.
- Serve!
Each serving of this potato salad is only 50 calories.
5. Lemonade
One cup of frozen lemonade contains about 6 teaspoons of sugar, which is the average amount of sugar for an average adult to be consuming a day. The acidity in lemonade can trigger heartburn and the high sugar content can lead to tooth decay. Drinking lemonade in small amounts and in controlled portions can avoid any unwanted health problems such as weight gain and heart disease.
Alternatives:
Instead of drinking lemonade or any other fizzy drinks at your picnic, try sparkling water for a lower sugar and calorie intake. Or just drink some water, especially if you’re loading up on the calories from all the delicious food! If you’re really craving some flavour to your drinks, infuse some lemon and mint in a water bottle over night.
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