30 Healthy Food Swaps That Don't Skimp on Flavor

Instead of two sausage patties with your eggs, have two slices of Canadian-style bacon. While both breakfast meats should be considered a treat, bacon has slightly less saturated fat and a little more protein than sausage.

2 sausage patties: 270 calories
2 slices Canadian bacon: 87 calories
Save: 183 calories

Try tacos with corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Corn is a whole grain (woo!), and the calories you save on swapping tortillas make room for extra guac and a dollop of sour cream.

2 flour tortillas (taco size): 280 calories
2 corn tortillas: 100 calories
Save: 180 calories

Yes, carbs from pasta are a runner’s best friend. But veggie noodles, like spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer, are a great option when you want a lighter meal. Plus, the veggie version packs in extra nutrients like beta-carotene found in spaghetti squash.

2 ounces egg noodles: 218 calories
1 cup cooked spaghetti squash: 42 calories
Save: 176 calories

Before a half or full marathon, a bagel is an excellent breakfast: It’s high in carbs and calories. But for shorter distances, you don’t need quite as big a breakfast. Instead, try an English muffin, which will fuel your shorter run without weighing you down.

1 medium bagel: 289 calories
1 whole-wheat English muffin: 135 calories
Save: 154 calories

Cheese is an excellent runner-friendly snack. It’s high in protein, calcium, and fat to help you feel full. But before dinner, a light snack is all you need, and tomato-based salsa is high in the antioxidant lycopene.

4 wheat crackers (100 calories) and 2 ounces of cheddar cheese (226 calories): 326 calories
1 ounce of tortilla chips (137 calories) and ½ cup of salsa (35 calories): 172 calories
Save: 154 calories

Hold the mayo. Replacing it with mustard on your sandwich or in your egg salad adds extra zing at a fraction of the caloric cost. For even better health benefits—boosting cardiovascular health, for one—go with the mustard seeds, greens, or oils.

2 tablespoons mayonnaise: 180 calories
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard: 30 calories
Save: 150 calories

When you kick back for your prerace movie night, cook up air-popped popcorn instead of housing a bag of potato chips. Ditch the buttery variety, and sprinkle with sea salt and Cajun seasoning for a tasty whole-grain snack.

1 ounce of potato chips: 160 calories
1 cup popcorn: 31 calories
Save: 129 calories

Yes, 100 percent fruit juice is all-natural sugar. But it’s still all sugar without many of the nutrients from the whole fruit. Instead, of grape juice, for example, opt for a cup of fresh grapes, which are a good source of vitamin K and copper. Bonus: Raisins (dried grapes) are a great all-natural midrun fuel option.

12 ounces 100 percent grape juice: 210 calories
1 cup fresh grapes: 104 calories
Save: 106 calories

For runs shorter than an hour, you really don’t need midrun calories. But you should hydrate, especially on warm days. Instead of sports drink, try Nuun, which provides hydration and electrolytes without a bunch of unnecessary calories.

16 ounces Gatorade: 110 calories
1 Nuun Active Tab (dissolved in 16 ounces of water): 7 calories
Save: 103 calories

For a snack, instead of a handful (or two) of granola, try almonds. They’re high in good-for-you fat and fiber. (To run long, you need to fuel right. Check out these High Carb Meals That Power Your Run.)

½ cup granola: 260 calories
1 ounce almonds: 162 calories
Save: 98 calories

For a higher-fiber mash than traditional potatoes, steam cauliflower, mash it up, and add your favorite seasoning like garlic and a little sea salt.

¾ cup mashed potatoes (with whole milk and butter): 178 calories
¾ cup (steamed or boiled, then mashed) cauliflower (with buttermilk): 107 calories
Save: 71 calories

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a few scoops of your favorite ice cream. But to satisfy that sweet tooth and save calories, try a four-ounce chocolate pudding.

½ cup Haagen Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream: 260 calories
Jello four-ounce pudding cup: 110 calories
Save: 150 calories

A daily Starbucks run can be deceiving. Even without the whipped cream on top, one of these drinks is healthier than the other. The key is avoiding the sugary syrups, whipped toppings, and heavy milk.

Grande Iced Café Mocha (16 ounces, no whipped cream, 2 percent milk): 230 calories

Grande Iced Café Latte (16 ounces, no whipped cream, 2 percent milk): 130 calories

Save: 100 calories

Yes, yogurt can be healthy when it’s not loaded with sugar (looking at you, flavored yogurt). And sure, you can cut calories when you choose the low-fat or fat-free version, but we’re on the full-fat dairy train. So choose a whole-milk yogurt but go with the plain version and add your own sweeteners like whole fruit or a squirt of honey. You’ll cut back on excess sugar and add vitamins and minerals, like fiber from fruit and copper from honey.

6 oz. flavored yogurt: 150 calories, 12 g sugar
6 oz. plain yogurt: 130 calories, 4 g sugar
Save: 20 calories, 8 g sugar

Before you cook up your next bowl of pasta, consider a tomato sauce instead of a creamy white sauce. Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene, which may help fight cancer and boosts eye health.

1 cup cream sauce: 250 calories
1 cup tomato sauce: 70 calories
Save: 180 calories

Similar to yogurt, flavored instant oatmeal is extremely high in sugar. Instead, make your own oatmeal with quick oats—it doesn’t take much longer than the packets—and add your own mix-ins like peanut butter or honey for a naturally sweet, protein-packed breakfast.

1 packet instant oatmeal: 160 calories, 12 g sugar
½ cup quick oats: 150 calories, 1 g sugar
Save: 10 calories, 11 g sugar

For a warm treat, there’s nothing better than a cup of hot chocolate. But instead of mixing the powder with milk, use plain water. (Unless your cocoa is after a long run—then use the milk, which is high in protein to help your muscles recover.)

Hot chocolate with milk: 200 calories
Hot chocolate with water: 90 calories
Save: 110 calories

Liquid calories are sneaky: You may not realize you’ve consumed a meal’s worth of calories with a free soda refill. And while diet drinks are calorie-free, they’re loaded with artificial ingredients, and research has suggested that fake sweeteners may make you eat more later. Try calorie-free flavored seltzer water or good ol’ tap with a few slices of lemon, orange, or cucumber tossed in.

1 can soda: 140 calories
1 can seltzer: 0 calories
Save: 140 calories

A cold beer after a long run is refreshing, to say the least (make sure to rehydrate with water!). But too much beer isn’t good for recovery or your waistline. For your next happy hour, choose clear liquors (vodka, gin, tequila) or a glass of red wine.

1 bottle craft beer: 175 calories
1 glass red wine: 75 calories
1 gin and tonic: 100 calories
Save: 75 to 100 calories

A cup of coffee has plenty of health benefits—it may help reduce the risk of various diseases, including heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and uterine and liver cancer. A 2015 study also found that moderate consumption (three to four cups a day) may be linked with living longer. Plus, caffeine has been shown to boost athletic performance. But when you load your cup o’ joe with sugar and flavored syrup, you can easily pack on the pounds. Instead, add a little twist with cinnamon, which has anti-inflammatory benefits.

1 cup coffee with 2 sugar packets: 30 calories
1 cup coffee with dash cinnamon: 5 calories
Save: 25 calories