Healthy Swaps for Any Meal

Protein

• 3 ounces of skinless chicken breast or leg
• 3 ounces of lean or extra lean ground turkey
• ½ cup of soy protein (TSP) or vegetable protein (TVP)
• 3 ounces of fish, such as salmon, swai, halibut, trout, tilapia, mackerel, or tuna
• 3 ounces of shellfish, such as shrimp, oysters, scallops
• ½ cup of soft, medium, firm, or extra firm tofu
• 3 ounces of canned tuna in water or 1 pouch
• ¼ cup canned salmon
• 1 egg and 2 egg whites, or ½ cup of liquid egg whites or fluid egg substitute
• 1 meatless, black bean, or other veggie burger
• Meatless hot dog
• 3 ounces of falafel (frozen or from dry mix)
• 3 ounces of tempeh

Grains, Grain Products, and Snack Foods

• 1 slice of whole-grain bread
• ½ of a whole-grain English muffin, mini-bagel, whole-wheat pita, or small whole-grain tortilla
• ¼ of a large whole-grain bagel
• ½ of a whole-grain hot dog or hamburger bun
• ⅓ cup of cooked whole-grain pasta, brown rice**, wild rice**, quinoa**, barley, buckwheat**, or other grain
• ½ cup of cooked oatmeal***
• ¾ cup of plain Cheerios
• ⅔ cup of Rice Chex**, plain Cheerios**
• ½ cup of Original Fiber One or unsweetened bran flakes
• 1 small whole-grain waffle or pancake
• 3 cups of air-popped Popcorn**
• ½ ounce of whole-grain pretzels
• 10 small whole-wheat crackers or 5 woven wheat squares
• 2 large brown rice cakes or 8 mini cakes
** Gluten-free choice
***Gluten-free if noted on package

Fruit

• 2 clementines, plums, apricots
• ½ grapefruit
• 1 small banana
• 1 medium pear, apple, nectarine, peach, orange
• 1 small mango
• 1 cup watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, strawberries, raspberries
• ¾ cup of blueberries or blackberries
• ¾ cup of grapes or pineapple

Dairy (Can Swap for Protein)

• 1 container (5 to 6 ounces) of plain regular or Greek nonfat yogurt
• 1 cup of nonfat or lowfat milk
• ½ cup of low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 ounce of low-fat or nonfat cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, jack, or other hard cheese
• 1 regular or low-fat cheese stick (string cheese)
• ¼ cup of low-fat, part-skim ricotta

Starchy Vegetables

• ½ cup of sweet potato or yam
• ½ cup of mashed potato, 3 ounces of baked or boiled red, white, gold, Russet potato (¼ large or ½ medium)
• 1 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 cup of winter squash (such as acorn, butternut, or kabocha)
• ½ cup of succotash, parsnip, green peas, corn kernels
• ½ large cob of corn

Legumes (Can Swap for Protein or Starchy Vegetable)

• ½ cup of cooked dried beans (from 1 ounce dry) or low-sodium canned beans, such as garbanzo, black, pinto, refried, kidney, navy, lima, fava, or northern
• ½ cup black-eyed, split peas
• ½ cup lentils

Fat

• 2 teaspoons of olive oil, or canola, sesame, peanut, corn, or other vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons trans fat-free margarine
• 1.5 tablespoons of light, trans fat-free margarine
• ¼ cup mashed avocado

Nuts and Seeds

• 1 tablespoon of peanut or almond butter
• ½ ounce or 2 tablespoons of nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds
• 12 almonds, 9 cashews, 6 hazelnuts, 4 Brazil nuts, 17 peanuts, 7 pecan or walnut halves

Non-Starchy Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Arugula (rocket)
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Bell pepper (green, red, yellow, orange)
• Bitter melon
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Broccoli rabe
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage (red, Napa, and green)
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Daikon
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Fennel
• Green beans
• Greens (mustard, collard, dandelion)
• Jicama
• Kale

• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Lettuce (romaine, iceberg, green leaf, red leaf, butter)
• Mung bean sprouts
• Mushrooms (portobello, button, crimini, shiitake, etc.)
• Okra
• Onions
• Snap peas and sugar snap peas
• Radicchio
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Summer squash
• Swiss chard
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Yellow squash
• Zucchini