Healthy Swaps Finder: Compare Nutrition Side by Side

Eat Well tools

Healthy Swaps Finder

Compare 42 everyday swaps side by side: calories, fiber, sugars, saturated fat, protein and sodium per serving, with a short note on why each swap helps.

Nutrition values: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), per stated serving.

    Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or treatment.

    How to read the comparison

    • Bars compare the two foods for each nutrient, so the longer bar is the higher amount. A ✓ marks the direction that’s generally better: more fiber or protein, or less sugar, saturated fat or sodium.
    • Serving sizes differ between foods, so values are per typical serving, calculated from FoodData Central’s per-100 g values. Brands and recipes vary, so check the label on what you buy.
    • “Sugars” means total sugars, including natural sugars in fruit and milk. That’s why some whole-fruit swaps still show sugar.

    Data source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy. Values are embedded as static data, retrieved from the public FDC download. Each comparison lists its FDC IDs, which you can look up at fdc.nal.usda.gov. USDA doesn’t endorse this tool.

    This tool is for general education and isn’t medical advice. See our medical disclaimer, and talk with a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs.

    Put swaps into practice

    Try them in our healthy whole-food recipes: for example crispy roasted chickpeas instead of chips, a brown-rice burrito bowl instead of white rice, or frozen yogurt bark instead of ice cream.

    📄 Free printable PDF

    Download the Top 20 Healthy Swaps Cheat Sheet as a one-page printable guide, or browse all our free guides.

    ⬇ Download the PDF

    Sources

    1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018 release). fdc.nal.usda.gov. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
    2. USDA FoodData Central, Download Datasets. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/download-datasets
    3. USDA FoodData Central, Data Documentation. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/data-documentation
    4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
    5. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Healthy Eating Plate. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-eating-plate/
    Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or treatment.