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Dieting may be the most painful thing I ever put myself through… maybe that’s an exaggeration. Anyways, I can say it’s not typically something I ever look forward to. Rather, wince at the idea of every year. However, I have begun to learn so much more about different types of healthier foods that can be incorporated in a variety of different ways. I’ve also been making smarter choices when it comes to what I am making for my meals and snacks. Even simple swaps can go a long way.
FYI, you don’t always need to be focusing on limiting the amount of food you’re eating. Rather, the kind of food you’re eating and its impact on your body overall. There are certain foods/snacks we just can’t help having those intense cravings for. Let me go over a variety of food swaps that could be beneficial to you!
Believe me, mayo has always been my preferred condiment on sandwiches for as long as I can remember. I think the flavor has a perfect kick and I still use it on a lot of my meals. However for a healthier balance, try using mustard instead of mayonnaise from time to time! Mustard is another condiment that has a good kick, even though it is a bit stronger in flavor than mayonnaise. While adding mayonnaise to your sandwich will only add around 90 calories or so, a good spicy mustard is only zero! You can find a 12 oz bottle from target for just $0.99.
My favorite part about a sandwich is the bread I’m eating it on. I love all different kinds of bread and I like having different options. More recently, I’ve quit using both slices of bread as a closed sandwich. Instead, I just leave one slice of bread at the bottom and create the sandwich from there. However, I leave it open faced without another piece of bread at the top to close the sandwich.
Typically I just eat sandwiches with two pieces of bread as they come. However, If I’m not feeling as hungry and don’t want to get too full an open faced sandwich is the perfect option.
I know that when I am in the mood for a grilled cheese or another kind of grilled sandwich, butter is always the way for me to go. I love having butter on both sides of my bread and having it toasted equally on both sides. However, using lots of butter is only adding more and more calories to my meal. The same goes with other kinds of spreads such as olive oil. Instead of using butter, I now typically opt to use olive oil spray when I am making a sandwich. The spray is already spritzed out, so you don’t have to use as much as you would with the oil or butter for example.
Potato chips are one of the most common favorite snacks. Even though they are salty, savory, and alright to eat in moderation, you would be surprised at a healthier alternative which you could eat more! Roasted chickpeas provide some similarities to potato chips due to the same texture and kind of salty flavor. Chickpeas can be roasted to get that crunch, and packed with different types of spices to really kick that flavor in. Chickpeas also contain large amounts of protein and fiber, where potato chips don’t really contain much nutritional value at all.
Chickpeas are also just as cheap, if not a bit cheaper than the potato chips you’re used to buying! You can pick up a can at Walmart for only $0.72.
Candy and chocolate are okay to have in moderation from time to time, but do you ever snack on chocolate covered nuts? If so, this could be a great alternative to get you away from consuming too much junk food. Both candy and chocolate don’t really have any nutritional value. Mostly just empty ingredients packed with sugar. With chocolate covered nuts, you are still getting that taste of chocolate just without all that added sugar. The nuts are also giving a boost in healthy fats and fiber.
If you decide to go out and purchase some chocolate covered nuts, understand that dark chocolate options are a bit on the healthier side. Dark chocolate contains a bit less sugar than milk chocolate and also has more antioxidants. Either way, chocolate covered nuts of any kind are a great way to turn your favorite kind of nut into a yummy chocolate treat.
Chicken wings are definitely one of my favorite comfort foods. Easy to eat, filling, and my favorite flavor would have to be buffalo. I came across the idea of cauliflower wings from a vegetarian friend. This veggie takes on any flavors you add to it and serves as a great replacement for chicken. Simply add your spices and sauce to cut up pieces of cauliflower, and then throw them in the oven to bake! Very similar to how traditional chicken wings are made.
Try these new and improved all-natural ingredient squares by Simple Botanics. Instead of going to a chocolate bar or granola bar high in calories and sugar, try these out! Currently we offer honey nut and chocolate chip honey nut as flavors. These squares are packed with healthy ingredients including cashews, almonds, and gluten free oats.
It can be so hard to resort to our favorite junk foods for cravings, but hopefully some of these delicious and healthy alternatives will help you make a better decision next time.
