Small Ingredient Changes That Make a Big Difference in Weight Loss
Alex Brecher
CEO at BariatricPal, Netrition, BariatricEating, PatchAid, and LowAcidCoffee.
Do you ever think that weight loss is difficult or overwhelming, or that your diet is tasteless or boring? It does not have to be that way! Small changes in what you eat can let you eat the foods you love while you lose weight. The BariatricPal Store has all kinds of ingredients to swap into your diet to boost protein and cut calories and carbs to get you closer to your weight loss goals without feeling deprived or overwhelmed.
Do you crave a turkey sandwich, cream cheese on a bagel, pizza, or avocado and an egg on toast? Regular bread may be off-limits if you are cutting back on starchy carbs, but zero-carb protein bread can be on the menu. Now you can enjoy sandwiches, French toast, and even pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers with our many varieties of zero-carb, high-protein bread. Swap a zero-carb bagel for a regular one, and you can save 70 or more grams of carbs.
A plate of pasta in a restaurant can easily have over 150 grams of carbs, or enough for five or more meals. Even a small, 1-cup, serving of pasta at home has 45 grams of carbs without much protein. Using low-carb protein pasta instead can allow you to dig into mac and cheese, slurp chicken noodle soup, or savor shrimp fettuccine alfredo. Just choose the low-carb pasta that works for you.
- High-protein, low-carb pasta.
- Low-carb, low-calorie shirataki noodles.
- High-protein, high-fiber bean or wheat pasta.
Whatever you choose, you can be sure that the carb count is lower than regular pasta.
Are you sure your nut butter is working for you? It may not be, if it is high in added sugars or contains hydrogenated oils. The BariatricPal Store has all kinds of bariatric-friendly nut butter spreads, including low-fat, calorie-free, and sugar-free ones. They come in plain as well as all kinds of flavors, such as chocolate, caramel, and white chocolate. There are even hazelnut, almond, and vegan choices.
Calorie-Free Sauces, Spreads, Dressings, and Condiments
How many calories are the “extras” adding to your day and week? Having a quarter-cup of syrup for breakfast, a splash of creamer in your morning coffee, two tablespoons of creamy salad dressing at lunch, and a half-cup of alfredo sauce at dinner can total 500 calories. Swapping calorie-free versions for those items can speed weight loss by a pound a week! Calorie-free products at the store include:
- Pasta sauce in tomato basil, garlic and herb, and Alfredo.
- Fruit-flavored spreads including in apple, strawberry, raspberry, and apricot.
- Mayonnaise in five flavors.
- Salad dressings in almost every flavor imaginable, from Russian, Italian, Thousand Island, and Ranch to Sesame Ginger, Jersey Sweet Onion, and Pear and White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Coffee creamers including in original, mocha, caramel, and sweet cream.
- Syrups in flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, caramel, strawberry, and maple bacon.
- Condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce.
Breadcrumbs add a lot to life, whether they give casseroles a crunch or add flavor and texture to fried chicken and fish. Unfortunately, they add about 25 grams of carbs and 100 calories per serving. Pork panko breadcrumbs are carb-free, gluten-free swaps made from pork rinds, and their flavor may be even better. They can top casseroles, liven salads, and coat fish, chicken, and cauliflower before baking them in the oven.
Simple swaps can keep you losing weight while you enjoy the foods you love and your regular lifestyle. The BariatricPal Store has what you need.