7 Food Swaps That Will Make You Skinny

Lose weight with these simple carb swaps.

Simple Swaps = Healthy Weight-Loss Results

You don’t have to sit out summer picnics to start slimming down. Sure, warm-season gatherings often involve gut-busting carbs in the form of starchy breads, pastas, and potato products, but you can still savor the season without causing the numbers on the scale to creep up. In fact, many of the top food swaps that will whittle down your waist are super fresh this time of year, readily available in gardens and farmers’ markets across the country during the growing season.

Lettuce Instead of Hot Dog Buns

The Swap: Don’t let a starchy bun weigh down your summer cookouts! Instead, wrap your hot dogs in a nutrient-packed outer leaf of red- or green-leafed lettuce. Want extra crunch? Choose romaine.

Carbs Avoided: 19 grams

More Health Perks: Lettuce is loaded with isothiocyanate, lutein, zeaxanthin, and isoflavones, healthy compounds that protect against Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, and macular degeneration.