When Cravings Strike: Healthier Substitutes for Unhealthy Foods

When cravings strike, and you know they will, how do you handle it?

The truth is, there are different levels of cravings.  Sometimes it is a quick thought, one that can be derailed by changing activity, having a glass of water, leaving the room or chewing gum. Often those mini cravings are not the killers.  The stronger cravings, where you 'need' something chocolate, salty, or crunchy can be pretty powerful.  Cravings happen for different reasons, sometimes it is because your body is used to a particular food and it is just wanting more to satisfy the need (like a drug) and sometimes it can be related to the seratonin levels in the brain (stress, lack of sleep).  Once you eliminate these 'strong craving' foods from your diet on a regular basis and just have them on occasion, the cravings become less frequent. Truth.

It is possible that just a bite of a piece of pizza or a bite of chocolate cake is enough to make you feel like you 'satisfied' your craving. Then, you can move on to the apple with peanut butter or the crunchy cracker.  Just giving yourself that one bite can make you feel like you weren't deprived.  However, this may not be possible for everyone.  If you know that you won't be able to resist having more, then have your substitution in place right away and don't even take that bite. There is nothing quite like that feeling of "awful" after you ate more than you wanted to and you derailed your goal.

To avoid indulging, you need to have a plan in place (an apple in your bag) for when those unhealthy cravings hit. Yes, you could just ignore that piece of cake offered to you at work, but wouldn't it be nice to treat yourself with something when the mood hits?

So the next time you get a craving, take this list of substitutes out. It could save you some calories and grief in the long run.  Not all goals are reached by deprivation, a healthy substitution may be all you need!

Give these ideas a shot:

Food:  Candy

Healthier Substitute(s):  Nuts, fresh berries, homemade dried strawberries

Food:  Ice cream

Healthier Substitute(s):  Greek yogurt with fruit and chopped nuts can taste like a sundae.

Food:  French fries

Healthier Substitute(s): Baked zucchini bites

Food:  Chocolate bars

Healthier Substitute(s):  Unsweetened dark chocolate cacao nibs, or chocolate covered goji berries or pomegranate seeds mixed with some almonds

Food:  Nachos

Healthier Substitute(s):  Avocado spread and a tablespoon of fresh salsa with quinoa crackers or Mary’s Gone Crackers

Food:  Pie

Healthier Substitute(s):  Apples (or your favorite fruit) with almond or cashew butter

Food:  Lasagna

Healthier Substitute(s):  Stuffed peppers or tomatoes with lean protein or veggie lasagna made with quinoa noodles.

Food:  Mashed potatoes

Healthier Substitute(s):  Sweet potatoes, mashed green plantains or mashed cauliflower

Food:  Potato chips

Healthier Substitute(s):  Kale chips or your favorite homemade baked veggie chips with hummus or Late July Chips (my favorite). Popcorn with sea salt and olive oil.

Food:  Soda

Healthier Substitute(s):  Naturally flavored seltzer water or seltzer water splashed with a hint of juice or muddled berries

Food:  Milkshakes

Healthier Substitute(s):  low-sugar smoothies with avocado base or cacao peanut butter shake made with almond milk

Food:  Bonbons or Godiva Truffles

Healthier Substitute(s):  Homemade chocolate whey balls

Food:  White crackers, Ritz Crackers

Healthier Substitute(s):  Low-carb almond crackers or quinoa crackers with hummus

Food:  Pasta

Healthier Substitute(s):  Spaghetti squash or quinoa pasta

Food:  Fried foods

Healthier Substitute(s):  Lightly breaded and baked foods

Food:  Cake

Healthier Substitute(s):  Homemade protein chia bars or Health Warrior Bars

Karen Phillips loves food in general and is constantly searching (and finding) amazing new products that taste great and are good for you. Knowing that deprivation can only take you so far, having these choices are essential and crave-worthy.

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