Everyone has different foods that they love, whether they are quarantined at home, back at work, at school or even on vacation. Three categories that come to mind would be sweet foods, salty foods and alcohol. It is possible to satisfy your desire for those favorite tastes without overloading your diet with unhealthy calories. My friend and fellow health coach, Betsy Holzapfel, was the guest on my March 20 Podcast 63, “Thriving Not just Surviving”. She is with me today to discuss small changes you can make to your food choices to be healthier, have fewer calories and still feel full and content.
Sweets:
In any recipe you can substitute zero calorie, natural sweetener such as Stevia for the sugar. Plain white flour has no nutritional value so replace it with almond, coconut or similar flour to get healthy benefits. You may have to try various combinations to find what you like. Your final product will be denser but much healthier with fewer carbs and less sugar.
A few favorite brands:
Lilly’s. Their chocolate chips, bars and treats are made with natural cocoa and sweetened with stevia, not artificial sugars.
Truvia. A plant based, natural sugar made from Stevia.
Smart Sweets. High fiber, zero sugar and zero carb, gummy type candy.
An easy way to find low carb and low sugar recipes is to look at those designed for a Keto diet. You do not have to follow the diet plan, but you can pick and choose recipes that sound good to you to add to your regular diet plan.
Replacing “this with that” will make a difference but you must also practice portion control. Just because something has less sugar or fewer carbs does not mean you can eat as much as you want.
Salty snacks
Chips and salsa are a good option. Especially if you make your own salsa and pair it with a chip such as Beanitos which are made from beans. They taste great and are packed with fiber and protein, plus they have a low glycemic index.
Pre-portioned salted nuts are great if you have the proper serving size. Use pre-packaged nuts so you can’t overdo it.
It is important to know your eating personality. What are you trying to satisfy: portion size, taste or mouth feel (such a s crunchy)? You have to decide that before you can choose a snack. For example; if you think you are seeking salt, but you want quantity, don’t pick nuts. You will eat too many calories trying to satisfy your need.
Alcohol:
All alcohol has calories, but you can minimize those by your choice of mixer or by choosing lite variations.
Vodka and Tequila are lower in calories than other alcohols, so pair them with a low calorie seltzer. For favorites like margaritas, use natural, low calorie sweeteners. Enjoy a lite beer over a regular one and you will save yourself calories.
Enjoy good fats, just watch portion size and eat them at the right time. For example, avocado toast on a healthy piece of bread for breakfast will satisfy you until lunch. The fat of the avocado is higher in calories, but it stays with you, is healthy and contains fiber and protein.
Resources:
www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com
www.facebook.com/houselifestyles
Do not deprive yourself. If that kicks in, you are toast. When choosing what to eat, find something you like that is healthier, and you will eventually crave it, instead of the original. Make sure it is filling enough to satisfy you and leave you content. If you are feeling starved or deprived, you will make emotional choices and have no control over quantity.
