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Instant Skinny Swaps: Week 2 {$2500 Giveaway}

Welcome to Week 2 of Instant Skinny Swaps! I’m thrilled to be partnering with Kroger and a few of my favorite bloggers this month on their new “1 Little Victory” campaign. As you may know a few years ago I lost 30 pounds. You can read the full story here. Basically, I knew I couldn’t make a huge drastic change if I wanted to be able to last more than a day. I made small, doable changes that I could easily incorporate into my daily life. I cut down on calories and made healthier versions of my favorite recipes.

This month I’ll be showing you how I took my favorite recipes and made one small ingredient swap for a better-for-you version. And you can totally do this too with your favorite recipes. One small change is one little victory towards healthy eating.

This is the second of three posts this month where I’ll be sharing easy dinner ideas for the week and Instant Skinny Swaps to make them healthier. Check out Week 1 here. You can find all these products at your local Kroger affiliate store.

 

Kroger-Reduced-Calorie-Penne

Reduced Calorie Pasta

Did you know Kroger has reduced calorie pasta??! This is such an easy swap for a pasta lover like me! You can use this reduced calorie pasta in one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes:

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

Crispy Shrimp Pasta

Kroger-Veggies

Kroger Frozen Veggies

Always having frozen veggies on hand makes it so much easier to toss them into dinner. I especially love always having Kroger’s frozen diced onions in the freezer. They are such a massive time saver! I usually always have these frozen veggies in my freezer: diced onions, diced carrots, corn, peas, green beans, edamame, broccoli, cauliflower, and another one of my favorites is Kroger’s Diced Onion and Bell Pepper blend. Saute that with some chicken, beef, or shrimp and you have the perfect starter for any meal: fajitas, tacos, pasta, rice, whatever! Here are two of my favorite recipes to use frozen veggies:

ham-and-cheese-gnocchi-recipe-11

Ham and Cheese Gnocchi

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice

Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice

Kroger-Whole_Wheat_Tortillas_1111001574

Kroger Whole Wheat Tortillas

Incorporating more whole grains into your diet is always a good idea. It’s super easy to do by swapping regular tortillas for whole wheat tortillas. Pick some up and give it a try in your favorite tortilla recipe, or try one of mine below:

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Style Burritos

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Style Burritos

 

The Giveaway

To celebrate Little Victories, Kroger is giving away 3 HUGE prizes to help you stay on track in the new year.

1 Grand Prize Winner will receive (ARV: $1,500)

  • $1,000 Kroger gift card
  • $500 in kitchen products including:
    • $250 Kitchen Aid Mixer
    • $50 Magic Bullet
    • $200 in cookware (i.e., pots and pans)

2 runner-up winners will receive $500 Kroger Gift Cards (Good at any Kroger affiliate store like Fred Meyer, Smith’s, etc)

 

How to Enter

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t see the widget above, you can also enter here and here.

Good luck! What’s your favorite Instant Skinny Swap?

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311 Responses
  1. Cheryll Shubert

    My little victory was finishing the laundry…for once. Now putting it all away? That’s a totally different story! Lol!!

  2. Samantha Daleo

    My little victory today was eating my husbands whole grain pasta salad that is chock full of veggies…and actually loving it.

  3. sharon martin

    I use whole wheat soft taco shells ,ground turkey and light sour cream when the kids want tacos. A few healthier cheats that they don’t notice.

  4. Sheila B

    My little victory today was my craving for a small green salad for lunch and dipping my fork into a little bowl of dressing before I ate every 3 or 4 bites! That way I only ate about 1 tablespoon of dressing with my salad!

  5. Callie Kerr

    Wow! What an awesome giveaway! I love your recipes and that King Soopers gift card will come in so handy to make some yummy meals! Thanks!

  6. Tammy Wolfe

    Thanks for all the great recipes can’t wait to try them.. new year new you! Beautiful day today for a winter walk awesome giveaway!

  7. Andrea

    I’ve started using all whole wheat and reduced calorie pasta and love it! I’m a huge fan of pasta and was worried I’d notice the difference, so glad I don’t.

  8. Susan C

    My little victory was checking off three things off my to-do list with time to spare and feeling like maybe I can check off another three things before it’s time for bed!

  9. Wanda

    I gave up soda for the month. I had cut back to two liters of real soda and two of diet (one every other week), and now none at all. Funny, I only miss it occasionally. Whoops, I should stop writing about it or I’ll miss soda right now!!!

  10. Marisa R. S. Skelton

    Great ideas and great giveaways! THX! Love the recipe choices and how easy and delish sounding and skinnier version! WIN WIN WIN

  11. Alison

    Thank you for this awesome giveaway! Thanks also for the heads up on the reduced calorie products. I’ll be looking for them when I go shopping!

  12. Tracey Hall

    I made a huge pot of black-eyed pea soup for the second time this year. The first time was New Years Day, but so many people stopped by for soup and cornbread, there were no leftovers (everyone wanted this delicious soup so they would have good luck throughout the year).

  13. Sarah Scott

    How fabulous!! Just like my little victory today, which was a carb-free Chicken and sausage gumbo :) Delightfully satisfying.

  14. Cassie Hayes

    My little victory for today is after a lot of hard work from both my special needs daughter and I, she started to pinch grasp her food. Simply amazing.

  15. Timmy

    One of my favorite swaps when I need to add a bit of richness, creaminess or body to a sauce or soup is to use unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt.

  16. Marsha

    Thank you! My doctor told me just a couple of days ago to bring down my triglicerides or she’ll put me on meds. You have some wonderful swaps that I will definitely put to good use!

  17. Danielle

    mu victory is losing and keeping off 106 lbs total by using portion control and not resisting my foods. I also workout 6 days a week. Woo

  18. tweston

    Wow! It would be so great to win this giveaway! I used to hose “family night” at my house every week & invite my extended family (about 20 people) but it just got too expensive – so now I try to invite everyone over atleast once a month. It would be nice to have a BIG family event with that $$ grocery $$$!!

  19. Taya

    Our family is working hard to eat better this year. Right now we are doing a no sugar for a month challenge, and surprisingly it has been easier than I thought for all of us!

  20. Jackie

    Frozen veggies, frozen shrimp and frozen chicken breast are always available in my freezer! Can’t wait to try all of these! Thanks :)

  21. Danielle R

    Putting all our snacks in single serve portions. Easy for on the go and to not over do it at snack time. Why pay for 100 calorie snack packs that are full of preservatives when fruits and veggies are so much tastier.

  22. Ali y

    I joined a biggest loser group two weeks ago. I too know that the only way I will lose weight is by making small changes. I am excited to try some of your recipes. So far I have lost 5 pounds! 😄

  23. Amanda

    Those recipes look great. Really working to cook more whole foods, less processed foods. Staying out of the “interior” Kroger aisles except for things like pasta, beans and rice.

  24. Martha H

    Step 1 for me was a FitBit. I can see my exercise efforts and calorie intake any time of the day or night.
    Step 2 start making dietary changes, one meal at a time !

  25. Rosemary

    I try to always keep applesauce on hand, so I can swap out the oil in baked goods. It makes me feel a little better about eating it!

  26. JudiC

    The shrimp looks delicious. We wish Kroger would bring back “Smartaste Angel Hair ” pasta by Barilla, it is high fiber but does not taste heavy like most high fiber pastas.

  27. Madra

    Definitely ground turkey and chicken. With right flavors can still make a great burger. Pasta alternatives are good too. Will have to look for Greek yogurt cream cheese. That’s a great one and I had not seen it before. Thanks!

  28. Vicki Ferguson

    Congrats on your weight loss Amanda! I too will be losing weight this year, having put it off for far too long. I have started substituting fat-free half and half for whipping cream in recipes and to use in my morning coffee. I plan to cut way down on sugar as well and will use honey and maple syrup for some of the substitutions. Plus, green tea! Thanks for the super giveaway. Love your travel stories and pictures – fantastic laptop traveling for me :-)

  29. matthew b

    my little victory was getting to the gym. usually this is a given but i had a bit of a headache. i knew that the extra water i drink at the gym and getting out of the house would be key ingredients to headache removal.

  30. Chelsea

    My greatest victory is when I have dinner made or mostly made before my kids come home from school. It means I get to focus on them and their day instead of worrying about how to feed 4 growing boys.

  31. Denise

    I appreciate you talking about small victories and small changes. I’ve tried for a long time to quit sugar. I finally decided to do it a little slowly and it’s working. I’m excited to try a few of these recipes! Thanks!

  32. Jessica

    This giveaway is amazing! I have totally taken your advice this year and started keeping frozen veggies around. The tears I’ve wasted on chopping onions in years past – who knew?! :-)

  33. Kerry

    Thanks so much for the info! As a working mom, weeknights with family are so short! I have been on a mission lately to a make meals that are easy, healthy and that make enough for a couple nights. This will give us more play time with our sweet girl! These tips will definitely help when doing my grocery shopping (at Kroger of course!)

  34. ryan

    Whole wheat tortillas and Kroger has reduced calorie pasta I cant wait to try them. I had never seen them before. Great idea. Thank you

  35. Amanda Tea

    Oh what a wonderful giveaway! I strive every day to take small steps to help myself eat better and feel better. Thanks for the chance to win this giveaway.

  36. J

    I love wraps of any kind. Hot or not, they are so good, quick and easy. The chicken enchiladas with lots of salsa and cheese would be my favorite tonight. I hungry and it is Very cold tonight!

  37. kaitlan

    I am loving these simple swaps! I make practically everything from scratch, but I love having things handy in case we need a quick meal! Love following your blog! :)

  38. Patrona Dyck

    My Little victory today was finishing a complete workout, around my toddler, who thinks everytime I lay down on the floor means its jungle gym on mommy time! Also I ate clean all day, and didn’t indulge in ANY leftover christmas sweets! ;-p YAY!!!

  39. Lourdes Fay

    I made it a point to get up and walk around through out the day. Some days I get ready to leave work and realize I have been sitting ALL day!
    Thanks for the chance to win.

  40. Susan H.

    My victory today was drinking more water and less coffee. I always use Kroger frozen veggies. We love them…so much healthier than canned veggies…we don’t need all that sodium. Will be looking for the lower calorie pasta. Thanks for chance to win.

  41. Cheryl Welch

    I found myself thinking that I could do these things by just thinking about one meal at a time. I am anxious to try the reduced calorie pasta.

  42. Cretia A

    My little victory today was (while running errands) parking farther from the store even though it was raining! Got a few extra steps in this way…

  43. Lori East

    I passed up cupcakes and a king cake in the teachers’ lounge! & I passed on the DP and settled for un-sweet tea. :)
    Thanks for the tips!

  44. Becky

    Great tips. I didn’t know Kroger had low calorie pasta. I will have 2 look 4 it next time. Your recipes look so yummy. I will have 2 try 1 soon. I lost 58 lbs 10 years ago but have gained most of it back & need to kick it in gear 2 get it off again. Any tips u can provide will b embraced. Hugs.

  45. Alvina

    Been cutting sugar out of lots of things – I’ve graduated to drinking my coffee black! Definitely need more recipes so we don’t eat out as much.

  46. Holly F

    I used your weight loss plan last year and lost 10 pounds. I’ve gained half of it back since Halloween and need to get back on your plan but have been without a freezer since November, which has been part of the problem. Too much eating out. Hoping new one will be delivered by end of the week!

  47. michelle a

    Love frozen veggies, so easy and you dont have to worry about them going bad before you use them. Thanks for the chance to win.

  48. Joan

    What to make for dinner is the big question of the day… Everyday! Trying to eat lighter is so important but so much tougher to change comfortable old habits. Thank you for the inspiration to that nagging question “What’s for dinner tonight!”

  49. Zella Mckheen

    My today’s victory was choosing orange juice and water over a soda…I love my sodas, BUT today I’m changing my eating habits over again! I’ve lost 63lbs and ready to lose a lot more!

  50. Connie

    My husband and I are in our second week of our fitness journey. We are also working on our financial health and decluttering the house. We’ve got a lot to work on!

  51. Meredith Macherey

    I love the reduced fat pasta idea… I haven’t seen that !I had already replaced our pasta to be whole wheat / whole grain. I’ll try the tortillas!

  52. Lynn M

    Little victory today? Keeping up with our 4 month old golden retriever puppy. The cold doesn’t stop her. And even though it’s freezing and snowing, we were outside this morning with her. Thanks for the great recipes. Every little change really helps.

  53. Erin N.

    My victory today was getting out of the house for awhile even though it is so cold outside. Up next is riding my stationary bike for 45 minutes and juicing a grapefruit and mint for an afternoon pickup. Thanks for the chance! :)

  54. Simone Sika

    Such a great giveaway! My husband and I are big Kroger-brand fans (we love their Private Selections!) Trying to do better about cutting back the sweets more.

  55. Cindy T

    My little victory today was getting dishes done, tea made, and laundry started. While getting my one year old fed twice, a snack, diaper changed twice, and now laying him down for a nap. All this after getting up at 6am and getting my five year olds lunch ready, him dressed for school, and on the bus.

  56. Jillian Armstrong

    My little victory for today was pushing through my workout even though I was tired and also keeping current on my 30 days of yoga challenge for this month and loving the challenge that it is!

  57. Cindy Parisi

    I’m swapping water for soda. Baby steps for me. If I can continue to do this, I can do just about anything.
    These recipes sound amazing and the dishes so yummy. can’t wait to try the crispy shrimp!

  58. Dena

    I shop at Kroger regularly and always keep their frozen veggies in the freezer, because they are so handy when making soups, etc. I have never purchased the reduced calorie pasta though, so I will give it try. I love pasta, so anytime I can shave a few calories off of a plate of pasta, that is great. Thanks for the great recipes!

  59. Melinda

    I try to prep as many of my meals and snacks as possible in one evening. This helps me to make healthier choices when I’m in a hurry. Kroger is one of my favorite places to shop because of the variety of healthy fresh foods, international foods, and a wonderful deli/meat/cheese/sushi section.

  60. DEIDRE ADAMS

    My victory was waking up this morning to my loving FAM. Seeing folks you love in the morning is so AWESOME. Won’t have it any other way!

  61. Miranda

    This is such a blessing! I’m really excited to try out your rice recipe – that sounds like something my kids would like, too! :)

  62. Casie

    My family went Vegan about 4 years ago. We love Almond milk instead of cows milk. There is also a fabulous cheese we swapped instead of regular cheese. Go Veggie Shredds are our favorite. They melt just like regular cheese. We use Earth Balance ‘butter’ for our butter swap and soaked cashews blended up as a “cream” in many dishes. Seriously, you can not tell a difference!

  63. Abby

    My little victory for the day was making dinner for tonight, last night. I also swapped out the sour cream for greek yogurt. I’m excited to see how it turns out tonight.

  64. Rebecca

    I exchange regular spaghetti noodles for veggie noodles. Their consistency is exactly the same and it helps me to work more veg into my children’s diets!

  65. Leah B

    Frozen veggies are a must have in my kitchen. We also swap spaghetti squash for regular spaghetti noodles every once in a while!

  66. Susan T

    Amanda, your story is exactly what I needed to hear. Your tips are helpful and I am motivated to make these small changes for my health. Thanks!

  67. Kellie

    My little victory for today was that my two little girls woke up in time for school and no one was sick. We all made it out the door safe and sound!

  68. Kelly Maxwell

    My little victory for today is making it in to work even though I am sick with Vertigo….also, here in Michigan it is freezing! I really wanted to just stay home in bed but I did not want to let my boss down.

  69. Leslie

    I love Krogers’ frozen veggies! We use them all the time. I tweeted about this contest but couldn’t find a way to find the URL of the tweet. It just kept taking me to my Twitter app, which was no help. ha!

  70. Kayla J

    We love adding whatever veggies we have in the fridge or freezer. Not only does it add good nutrients it helps keep you full! We also sub olive oil or coconut oil for butter

  71. Kiy

    I got dinner in the crock pot this morning! I’m aiming for that at least three days a week. I missed yesterday, but at least have today. Have tomorrow planned, crossing my fingers!

  72. Casey

    I bought several bags of the Kroger frozen veggies, especially the chopped peppers and chopped onions. I now can quickly add some veggie-goodness to almost any dish! Love the quality and convenience. I have lost 20 lbs just making small changes, too!

  73. Heidi Meek

    My little victory for today was getting all my boys’ clothing hung in their closet! I’m sure that will last 10 minutes once they need a shirt LOL. :D

  74. Jenn

    I love finding new heathy ways to change your favorite recipes — especially baking. You can substitute different sweeteners, applesauce etc. to make it just a little bit healthier.

    1. laura ~ RYG

      Love the good ole applesauce swap too. Like you said, in baking, totally works!!! Awesome giveaway. Actually won $100 bucks from a blog, thought those contests were rigged, Ha. But obviously not!!!!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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