Healthy eating doesn’t mean giving up everything you love – it just means being smarter about the kinds of foods and snacks you choose to include in your daily diet. It’s easy to enjoy a variety of foods by substituting high-calorie ingredients for healthier (but no less tasty) alternatives. These smart food swaps will help you get started:

1. APPLES INSTEAD OF CRACKERS

You can eat plenty of crackers without starting to feel full, so try some chunky apple slices in their place, topped with cheese or peanut butter. Apples are rich in fibre and pectin, and contain fewer calories than crackers.

2. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL instead of BUTTER

Butter is high in saturated fat, which is bad news for your arteries. Olive oil on the other hand is a great source of healthy unsaturated fat. Use it as a cooking oil in place of butter or hydrogenated oil, and improve the nutritional value of your meals.

3. OLIVE OIL instead of SALAD DRESSING

While we’re talking about olive oil, it also makes a tasty salad topping, especially alongside a dash of balsamic vinegar. Bottled salad dressing often contains a lot of added sugar, salt and saturated fat, which can double the calorie count of a salad! Using a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar instead will give you plenty of flavour without those artificial additives.

4. NUTS instead of CROUTONS

Add crunch to your salads with almonds or walnuts instead of croutons. While croutons are full of simple carbohydrates, nuts are high in protein, fibre and vitamins.

5. SPAGHETTI SQUASH instead of PASTA

Replace heavy white pasta with this low-calorie, high-fibre alternative. Spaghetti squash is a starchy vegetable that pairs nicely with pasta sauces. Zucchini noodles are also a fun, nutrient-dense substitute for white pasta.

6. POPCORN instead of CHIPS

If you’re craving a savoury snack, air-popped popcorn makes for a satisfying nibble, without the saturated fat or calories found in salty potato crisps. An additional alternative are orange sweet potato chips – either cut fresh or bought frozen. Make with a dash of Olive oil and a little salt.

7. GREEK YOGHURT instead of SOUR CREAM

If you’re whipping up a dip or topping, you can significantly reduce the calories while getting the same great creamy taste and texture, by replacing your sour cream with Greek yoghurt. This is a leaner alternative that’s lower in fat and higher in protein.

8. MUSTARD instead of MAYO

A tasty topping can really put the final satisfying touch on a sandwich. Mustard is just as tasty as mayonnaise, but it contains less sugar and saturated fat, making it the smarter choice.

9. FROZEN BANANA instead of ICE CREAM

That’s right, you can simply blend and freeze banana to create a delicious ice cream substitute! This means you save on what would otherwise be a major junk food temptation. Bananas come without the processed sugar, but they give you a heaping helping of potassium, folate and vitamin C.

10. DATES instead of TOFFEES

Fresh, sticky dates make a delectably sweet snack in place of regular sweets. They’re also very high in fibre, and a good source of antioxidants.