Although it might seem like a small difference to your day-to-day life, a simple food swap could prove transformational if slimming down is one of your goals this September.
Substituting some key ingredients can be a fool-proof method to eliminate excess sugar, salt and fat in your diet and “can go a long way to making each day healthier”, according to the NHS.
In fact, a fat loss coach in training has shared a food swap she claimed helped her drop almost six stone, in addition to an overall healthier diet and exercise routine.
The guru, who goes by @quayah26 on TikTok, noted that “simple food swaps” ranging from milk to mayonnaise proved instrumental in her weight loss journey.
The coach said that a number of food swaps helped her cut calories
|@QUAYAH26 VIA TIKTOK
Somewhat controversially, she claimed that dropping dairy milk from her diet allowed her to halve the amount of calories she would normally consume.
Instead, she was an advocate of alternative milks, such as soy and almond, which she said had fewer calories than cow’s milk.
Verifying the coach’s claim, gym company PureGym reported that unsweetened soy milk had 39 calories per 100ml and similarly, unsweetened almond milk had 22 calories per 100ml.
Meanwhile, 100ml of semi-skimmed milk contains 47 calories, which is significantly more than almond milk. However, it remains an “excellent” source of calcium, promoting healthy bones and teeth.
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While praising the number of benefits of the naturally nutrient-rich milk, the experts at PureGym added: “Cow's milk is also higher in calories and fat than plant-based alternatives, so if you're trying to reduce your consumption you might like to switch to a different type of milk.”
Switching to alternative milks does not mean you have to let go of essential daily vitamins that dairy milk naturally contains.
Almond milk boasts high levels of vitamin E, potassium, iron, and fibre - and has the highest calcium levels across all the nut-alternative milks.
Soy milk, however, generally takes the crown for the most popular dairy-free alternative across the board. It is mainly rich in calcium protein and healthy fats.
If you can't let go of dairy milk, the NHS advises opting for versions lower in fat
|GETTY
However, it is still perfectly manageable to cut fat from your diet while still enjoying the traditional dairy milk.
The NHS encourages those with weight loss goals to try swapping to one per cent fat or skimmed milk, which “still contain the important nutritional benefits of milk, but are lower in fat”.
Generally, a diet lower in saturated fats is advised to prevent high cholesterol, which is a build-up of fats in the blood that can lead to a multitude of health complications.