If you want to save money and calories every week, brown-bagging it is the way to go. But are your lunches from home as healthy as they can be? Find out which food swaps you should be making that offer more protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you feeling fuller longer.
| Skip This | Pack This | Reasons Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deli meat | Sliced tofu, roasted meat, or grilled chicken | They'll offer protein without added sodium and fat. |
| Regular chicken salad | Low-cal chicken salad | Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo for this lightened-up recipe [2]. |
| One whole-wheat wrap | Two slices of whole-wheat bread | A wrap might offer fewer calories, but the whole-wheat bread is a great source of protein and fiber. |
| Mayonnaise | Avocado | To save on saturated fat and increase the fiber, spread avocado on your sandwich instead of mayo. |
| Croutons | Sunflower seeds | The sunflower seeds will add the crunch you're after in your salad as well as protein and healthy fats. |
| Wheat Thins | Triscuits | Triscuits are made with whole-wheat flour instead of enriched flour, so they offer more fiber per serving, plus fewer calories. |
| Cream cheese on a bagel | Natural peanut butter on a bagel | The nut butter might offer more calories, but it's also higher in fiber, lower in saturated fat, and higher in protein. |
| Orange juice | Orange | Opt for the actual fruit to increase your lunch's fiber content and save you liquid calories. |
| Regular pasta | Whole-wheat pasta | Whether it's your kid's mac 'n' cheese or lasagna for yourself, always opt for whole-wheat pasta for added fiber. |
| Brown rice | Quinoa | Although brown rice is an excellent source of fiber and protein, quinoa offers more of both [3], and for fewer calories too. |
| Applesauce | Apple | The apple peel offers extra fiber and nutrients, plus chewing food always makes you feel more full than slurping it. |
| Lay's Potato Chips | Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips | If you're craving something salty, the corn chips are lower in calories and sodium, but are also higher in fiber and protein. |
| Raisins | Grapes | Pop some cold grapes in your mouth and even toss them on your salad instead of raisins for extra fiber and fewer calories. |
| Yoplait Gogurt | Chobani Kids Tubes | Greek yogurt offers four times the amount of protein, which is so important for kids' development. Choose Greek yogurt for the grown-ups too. |
| Goldfish | Annie's Whole-Wheat Cheddar Bunnies | The Cheddar Bunnies are made with whole-wheat flour instead of enriched flour. They're also lower in saturated fat and offer more fiber per serving. |
| Cookies | Dark chocolate | Everyone is entitled to finish off with a sweet treat, so go for the antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than a cookie bursting with white flour and butter. |