Cheesy Food Swaps That Can Help You Shed Off Pounds

A great majority, if not the entire population, loves cheese. Whether it is cheese in the form of blocks or processed cheese spreads — we cannot deny how more and more people are ardently consuming cheese on the daily. Regardless of wherever you are in the world, it is no secret that cheese is one of the most phenomenal foods in history.

If you’re trying to shed off a good few pounds for summer, however, you are probably expecting less cheese in your dietary meal plan. There’s this preconceived notion to cheese that every serving makes us fat, and that this dairy product isn’t ideal for people who are on a diet. But the good news is: it can actually help us slim down, especially if we incorporate it into our diet instead of the typical less-nutritious and high-calorie options.

Topping for your toast
Substitute butter for mascarpone if you find it difficult to part ways with creamy stuff over the duration of your diet. Mascarpone, a popular tiramisu ingredient, is richly indulgent and only has around 62 calories per tablespoon. Compared to around a hundred calories in every tablespoon of butter, you are cutting back 40 percent fewer calories with this alternative.

Dipping
Switch hummus as your go-to dip with cottage cheese. Your classic chickpea dip contains almost twice the calorie content as cottage cheese, and you’d want to cut off on excessive calorie intake if you are watching your weight. This scale-friendly switch will be beneficial in curbing your cravings. Both has near identical amount of protein, too.

Sandwich spread
Ditch your full-fat mayonnaise and opt for cream cheese, instead. Each tablespoon of cream cheese has only 30 calories and less than 3 grams of fat, in comparison with mayonnaise which has more than 90 calories and around 10 grams of fat. If you are fond of sandwiches, this new spread alternative shall step up your sandwich game!

Healthier snack
Say goodbye to your traditional greasy potato chips and start snacking on fresh mozzarella! Most bags of potato chips contain more than 200 calories, meanwhile if you choose to snack on mozzarella you are setting yourself back 85 calories with every ounce. The cheese also contains more protein and makes you feel ‘full’ for long, decreasing additional cravings.

Fruit topping
A crème fraiche topping sure makes fruit taste more like a dessert treat, but each ounce comes with unnecessary calories and fat, along with only a single gram of protein. You do not have to sacrifice the indulgent ‘feel’ to it though. You can opt to top your fruit slices with part-skim ricotta cheese instead. It only has around one-thirds of the crème’s calorie count and remarkably lesser fat. Not to mention, it contains more protein as well.

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