Eat This, Not That: 4 Simple Swaps to Supercharge Weight-Loss

You think you're eating healthy. You eat so-called 'health food', you watch your caloric intake and you may even mind your macros. Still, you could be making choices that are wreaking havoc on your health and your waistline. It's an easy trap to fall into: after all, so many foods that are advertised as healthy aren't as good for you as they claim. Here are four of those foods. Swap them out with our truly healthy options to get an edge on fat loss.

Use Greek Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream

Regular sour cream is pretty high in saturated fat, and low-fat sour cream uses various additives to get the flavour without the fat. Not cool. Instead, use Greek yogurt, which is high in protein, and rich in bacteria culture.

Use Hummus Instead of Dip

Made from chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon and garlic, hummus is as delicious as it is nutritious -- and it's a complete vegan source of protein. While one tablespoon of traditional chip or veggie dip can run upwards of 10 grams of fat (largely saturated fat) and 90 calories, you can enjoy 2 tablespoons of hummus for less calories and fat.

Use Nutritional Yeast Instead of Popcorn Powder Seasoning

You're eating fresh air popped popcorn, so you're already making a healthier snacking choice. But then you decide to sprinkle on some white cheddar flavored popcorn seasoning. It's low in fat and fairly low in calories, after all. However, it is super high in sodium. Instead, opt for nutritional yeast. This vegan protein has a cheesy, nutty taste that's replete in B-vitamins, can bolster immune function, is high in iron, improves digestion and has antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Use Ezekiel Bread Instead of Regular Whole Wheat Bread

Ezekiel bread is still wheat, but it is a true whole grain, meaning the grain is still intact, and has been spared processing. As a result, it’s far more nutrient dense than regular bread. Ezekiel bread is also made with legumes, like soybeans (high in fiber and magnesium) and lentils (great for gut health and helps with weight loss)-- and all the grains and legumes are sprouted, which means the seeds are germinated more naturally in water, and retain more of their nutrients. And if you are watching your gluten intake, sprouted grains are lower in gluten.

A final perk: there’s simply less in Ezekiel bread. Most kinds have around five types of ingredients: sprouted grains and legumes, water, salt and yeast -- that's about it! All you’re getting is goodness.

That’s what you want from all your food, really: pure goodness and none of the garbage. Make these swaps to amp up your clean eating and help your system perform at prime. All these little changes add up, and the results are visible in a healthier and trimmer body.

Need more help fine-tuning your diet? Then look to our nutrition guides for a simple, comprehensive and results-based approach to healthy eating.