Tips & Tricks: Food Hacks
Replies
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um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
Of course pasta is not evil. Some people really desire more food volume, however, so lower calorie options are very helpful strategies for them. For some, a gigantic serving of veggie noodles is more satisfying than a much smaller volume of regular pasta.
It is just fine to experiment with such ideas. When I was losing, I tried lots of ways to eat fewer calories as a way to facilitate the MFP daily calorie recommendation for me in a sustainable manner. Things like black coffee (without cream or sugar) and plain yogurt were perfectly acceptable to my taste buds. I'm glad I tried them because they were painless calorie savers that I incorporated into my diet. Some strategies that others use aren't pleasing to me (e.g. many fat free items), but I'm glad I gave them a shot.
I lost 30 lbs and have been maintaining since 2015. I am a small, middle aged woman and need to be mindful with food (calorie) intake. As such, I'd be extremely hard pressed to eat fast food as the satisfaction level to me is not worth the high calorie counts. But not everyone shares my opinion or lifestyle.
I admittedly have yet to try zucchini noodles, because I don't have a "noodler" but must do so since I have monsters in my garden!7 -
My food hacks is just not to eat things I'm not really in the mood for.
That being said, 20 shrimps is definitely not only 60 calories. Unless they're ridiculously tiny. Maybe. Still doubtful.
PB2... I like it. But I'm full longer if I put peanut butter in my oatmeal vs PB2, so it's worth the extra calories (and good fat).
I'm definitely in the 'if I really want pasta, nothing but pasta will do' camp though. I mean, it's like mashed cauliflower - tasty, but not a substitute when you crave the real thing... that's why I don't like the whole 'food hacks' mentality. It's not a substitute, it's just another meal option. And all the diabetic people I know do eat pasta, just in small quantities and with plenty of protein and fat (but again, I know nothing about being diabetic).
About zucchini noodles, frankly cutting them in cubes is just the same for me, my spiralizer is a pain and it just tastes the same anyway... and it's not bad, but won't kill the pasta craving.
The only hack I can really think of is using lower fat ground meat and cheese in dishes. It's still tasty and usually doesn't make that much of a difference taste-wise.5 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
Actually for me pasta is evil. I'm diabetic and I wish I could eat it but I can't.
However, even people who are not diabetic may want lower calorie alternatives when dieting.
my brother is a diabetic and has been for over 40 years...he eats pasta.
I get you have to watch carbs but veggies are carbs too...
Lower calories is one thing but total substitution is something else....
I choose 2% milk over whole for calories or I choose lean beef vs reg beef for calories...
I find "food hacks" are for those are low calorie diets because they "think" that is the correct way when in fact it often back fires on people...
If you give up the foods you love/want to lose weight what happens when you are done? add them back in and gain again???
not teaching yourself about moderation and portion control by doing this...so you are going to be on a yo yo for a while until you get a handle on the reality which is this...
You have to lose weight in a way that is totally sustainable for the rest of your life.
I agree with you. To be honest though, it only takes me 15 minutes at most to make zuchinni pasta and it tastes literally exactly like pasta, and personally, just a bit bitter with that extra crunch. In terms of volume, I can have 4 LARGE plates of zuchinni pasta and It reaches less than 400 calories. By the way this including my package of small shrimps which come with 20shrimps for 60 calories (seems unbelievable, but you can find them if you search hard enough). The taste is amazing and it's not like I'm depriving myself of anything. It's many simple thing. PB2 instead of normal peanut butter. Lower calorie bread. Diet soda. Very similar enjoyment, but you lose weight. If I want mcdonalds though, I'll have it, but 4 junior chickens is my calorie limit for the day XD
and that's fine but now I wonder about the volume eating...seriously who needs to eat 4 big plates of anything?
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um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
I agree with this but will note that you can add zucchini noodles to regular pasta without missing a beat. You don't even notice that it's there since the zucchini takes up the sauce flavors. You can get the same satisfaction from the pasta at half the calorie load with no sacrifice in taste or experience (assuming you use a 1:1 ratio).
I scoffed at this until I tried it. I'm a huge carb nut but thinks that this works really well.
I was just going to say this. The zucchini just sneaks right in there and adds a veggie. I tried it and liked it.3 -
um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
I agree with this but will note that you can add zucchini noodles to regular pasta without missing a beat. You don't even notice that it's there since the zucchini takes up the sauce flavors. You can get the same satisfaction from the pasta at half the calorie load with no sacrifice in taste or experience (assuming you use a 1:1 ratio).
I scoffed at this until I tried it. I'm a huge carb nut but thinks that this works really well.
I was just going to say this. The zucchini just sneaks right in there and adds a veggie. I tried it and liked it.
this I might try...1 -
I am full fat ranch dressing lover but rarely can fit the 1/2-1 cup serving that I want to eat on my salad into my calories so now I take a 1/2-1 cup of salsa and add 1-2 T of ranch dressing into it and then pour it over my salad. Gives it a great southwest ranch kick without all of that full fat ranch calorie and fat.3
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KickboxFanatic wrote: »I am full fat ranch dressing lover but rarely can fit the 1/2-1 cup serving that I want to eat on my salad into my calories so now I take a 1/2-1 cup of salsa and add 1-2 T of ranch dressing into it and then pour it over my salad. Gives it a great southwest ranch kick without all of that full fat ranch calorie and fat.
really 1/2 cup - 1 cup of dressing???
wow
why not dip your fork in it then in the salad? you won't be getting near to 1/2 cup...then there is no change really5 -
KickboxFanatic wrote: »I am full fat ranch dressing lover but rarely can fit the 1/2-1 cup serving that I want to eat on my salad into my calories so now I take a 1/2-1 cup of salsa and add 1-2 T of ranch dressing into it and then pour it over my salad. Gives it a great southwest ranch kick without all of that full fat ranch calorie and fat.
really 1/2 cup - 1 cup of dressing???
wow
why not dip your fork in it then in the salad? you won't be getting near to 1/2 cup...then there is no change really
This. But yeah i use salsa on salad to...but i use 1-2 tbsp tops and just stir in the lettuce or whatever first and then add the toppings and maybe some cayenne pepper if i want the spicy delicious salad xD Not many calories in salsa though so you do you
try sour cream in the salsa if you gota mix it, Yummy. Sometimes ill even use ranch powder mix with it. High salt but yummy. Rare though i enjoy the flat stomach lower sodium gives me xD 0 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »Has anyone looked into portebello mushroom buns?
YES!!! I love them. Typically use them when we do Indian turkey burgers. I toss them in the microwave for 45sec - 60 sec each side as I am not a fan of them cold. I did learn to be very careful seasoning them as they absorb salt like crazy.1 -
My food hacks is just not to eat things I'm not really in the mood for.
That being said, 20 shrimps is definitely not only 60 calories. Unless they're ridiculously tiny. Maybe. Still doubtful.
PB2... I like it. But I'm full longer if I put peanut butter in my oatmeal vs PB2, so it's worth the extra calories (and good fat).
I'm definitely in the 'if I really want pasta, nothing but pasta will do' camp though. I mean, it's like mashed cauliflower - tasty, but not a substitute when you crave the real thing... that's why I don't like the whole 'food hacks' mentality. It's not a substitute, it's just another meal option. And all the diabetic people I know do eat pasta, just in small quantities and with plenty of protein and fat (but again, I know nothing about being diabetic).
About zucchini noodles, frankly cutting them in cubes is just the same for me, my spiralizer is a pain and it just tastes the same anyway... and it's not bad, but won't kill the pasta craving.
The only hack I can really think of is using lower fat ground meat and cheese in dishes. It's still tasty and usually doesn't make that much of a difference taste-wise.
I'll upload the brand once I go to cook them. They're quite small and 3 calories/shrimp. It's clearly stated in the package XD
Regarding the noodles, they taste just as good for me in zucchini form. 50 calories for one large zucchini means I can use 4 entire zucchinis and make 200 calories of a crap ton of pasta. This helps since I have an old habit of eating a lot when I used to workout like a freak back in high school (too bad I stopped and gained a lot of weight -.-3 -
Just eat the foods you enjoy and fit them into your calorie, micro, macro allotment. No need for hacks, cheats, etc...1
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Just eat the foods you enjoy and fit them into your calorie, micro, macro allotment. No need for hacks, cheats, etc...
Yeah that's not always doable unfortunately. On a typical day, eating what I enjoy, I can reach 2500 calories easily, and on an active day my TDEE is around 2400.4 -
If you're a volume eater, some of the "hacking" is useful, like stretching a serving of pasta with veggies.
I don't like calling it a "hack", though, it's just good sense to stretch meals with vegetables if you like volume.
My tip for PB2 (which I eat sometimes instead of peanut butter if I want volume): reconstitute it with sugar free maple syrup or sugar free apple sauce instead of water. It's much tastier that way.6 -
That's a control issue not a caloric one...6 -
um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
I agree with this but will note that you can add zucchini noodles to regular pasta without missing a beat. You don't even notice that it's there since the zucchini takes up the sauce flavors. You can get the same satisfaction from the pasta at half the calorie load with no sacrifice in taste or experience (assuming you use a 1:1 ratio).
I scoffed at this until I tried it. I'm a huge carb nut but thinks that this works really well.
I was just going to say this. The zucchini just sneaks right in there and adds a veggie. I tried it and liked it.
I do the same, bulk my spaghetti with zucchini noodles. I even sub out cauliflower for 50% of the noodles in my tuna noodle casserole and don't notice its there.3 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »My food hacks is just not to eat things I'm not really in the mood for.
That being said, 20 shrimps is definitely not only 60 calories. Unless they're ridiculously tiny. Maybe. Still doubtful.
PB2... I like it. But I'm full longer if I put peanut butter in my oatmeal vs PB2, so it's worth the extra calories (and good fat).
I'm definitely in the 'if I really want pasta, nothing but pasta will do' camp though. I mean, it's like mashed cauliflower - tasty, but not a substitute when you crave the real thing... that's why I don't like the whole 'food hacks' mentality. It's not a substitute, it's just another meal option. And all the diabetic people I know do eat pasta, just in small quantities and with plenty of protein and fat (but again, I know nothing about being diabetic).
About zucchini noodles, frankly cutting them in cubes is just the same for me, my spiralizer is a pain and it just tastes the same anyway... and it's not bad, but won't kill the pasta craving.
The only hack I can really think of is using lower fat ground meat and cheese in dishes. It's still tasty and usually doesn't make that much of a difference taste-wise.
I'll upload the brand once I go to cook them. They're quite small and 3 calories/shrimp. It's clearly stated in the package XD
Regarding the noodles, they taste just as good for me in zucchini form. 50 calories for one large zucchini means I can use 4 entire zucchinis and make 200 calories of a crap ton of pasta. This helps since I have an old habit of eating a lot when I used to workout like a freak back in high school (too bad I stopped and gained a lot of weight -.-
If you weigh your food in grams, it doesn't matter how many shrimp make up 60 calories. I like a medium-large shrimp (I can't remember what size they measure at) and usually eat 6 or 7 for about 75 calories. If I get a different size, I still weigh them and it still ends up being about 75 calories, give or take.
Speaking of the zucchini noodles - I do love them but I've found this year that raw zucchini sticks are also an awesome snack! I keep a back of them and some carrot sticks in the fridge at work. They're delicious and filling for low cal.2 -
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD0 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »My food hacks is just not to eat things I'm not really in the mood for.
That being said, 20 shrimps is definitely not only 60 calories. Unless they're ridiculously tiny. Maybe. Still doubtful.
PB2... I like it. But I'm full longer if I put peanut butter in my oatmeal vs PB2, so it's worth the extra calories (and good fat).
I'm definitely in the 'if I really want pasta, nothing but pasta will do' camp though. I mean, it's like mashed cauliflower - tasty, but not a substitute when you crave the real thing... that's why I don't like the whole 'food hacks' mentality. It's not a substitute, it's just another meal option. And all the diabetic people I know do eat pasta, just in small quantities and with plenty of protein and fat (but again, I know nothing about being diabetic).
About zucchini noodles, frankly cutting them in cubes is just the same for me, my spiralizer is a pain and it just tastes the same anyway... and it's not bad, but won't kill the pasta craving.
The only hack I can really think of is using lower fat ground meat and cheese in dishes. It's still tasty and usually doesn't make that much of a difference taste-wise.
I'll upload the brand once I go to cook them. They're quite small and 3 calories/shrimp. It's clearly stated in the package XD
Regarding the noodles, they taste just as good for me in zucchini form. 50 calories for one large zucchini means I can use 4 entire zucchinis and make 200 calories of a crap ton of pasta. This helps since I have an old habit of eating a lot when I used to workout like a freak back in high school (too bad I stopped and gained a lot of weight -.-
If you weigh your food in grams, it doesn't matter how many shrimp make up 60 calories. I like a medium-large shrimp (I can't remember what size they measure at) and usually eat 6 or 7 for about 75 calories. If I get a different size, I still weigh them and it still ends up being about 75 calories, give or take.
Speaking of the zucchini noodles - I do love them but I've found this year that raw zucchini sticks are also an awesome snack! I keep a back of them and some carrot sticks in the fridge at work. They're delicious and filling for low cal.
Measuring is always a good idea. I'll check out the raw zucchini sticks; seems interesting!0 -
I made an amazing lasagna using Butternut Squash sheets rather than lasagna noodles. I was expecting it to be horrible (I'm not a veggie lover) but it was amazing. I'd almost say better than normal lasagna. Will be making it again for sure. I bought them from Tesco. As long as they make them I will be experimenting with them for more recipies2
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myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD
Why is it a false choice between using all your calories on Mcdonalds or not? You can fit McDonald's into a 1500 calorie day...2 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD
Well you could just have one junior chicken (what is it anyway?) instead of 3.
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
No, not really. When you really want cheesecake, unless you're a weirdo who's actually satisfied with a couple bites, good luck fitting 800+ non filling calories in your day if you're on a 1400 calories meal plan (even only 400 calories of cheesecake really isn't a big serving, lol).
That's what bothers me about the 'eat what you want within your calories'. It's just impossible to do for some people, because they only like high calorie foods that are not necessarily filling. Sometimes, a diet change IS necessary.5 -
'Smart' vegetarian hotdogs from Trader Joes are 50 calories a piece and are quick to make. I don't like normal hotdogs, but these are pretty good.1
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Alatariel75 wrote: »um well if I want pasta I eat pasta...if I want coffee with sugar I drink coffee with sugar.
I don't see the point of subing out food I love for something that is subpar...
why not eat the pasta? it's not evil....
as for forgetting to eat etc no I don't forget to eat and I don't binge on "junk" to reach calorie limits.
I eat food...if it happens to be from McDonalds so be it...it's not "junk" it's calories.
I agree with this but will note that you can add zucchini noodles to regular pasta without missing a beat. You don't even notice that it's there since the zucchini takes up the sauce flavors. You can get the same satisfaction from the pasta at half the calorie load with no sacrifice in taste or experience (assuming you use a 1:1 ratio).
I scoffed at this until I tried it. I'm a huge carb nut but thinks that this works really well.
I was just going to say this. The zucchini just sneaks right in there and adds a veggie. I tried it and liked it.
I do the same, bulk my spaghetti with zucchini noodles. I even sub out cauliflower for 50% of the noodles in my tuna noodle casserole and don't notice its there.
That cauliflower trick in place of noodles in casseroles is great. I'm stealing it!1 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD
Well you could just have one junior chicken (what is it anyway?) instead of 3.
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
No, not really. When you really want cheesecake, unless you're a weirdo who's actually satisfied with a couple bites, good luck fitting 800+ non filling calories in your day if you're on a 1400 calories meal plan (even only 400 calories of cheesecake really isn't a big serving, lol).
That's what bothers me about the 'eat what you want within your calories'. It's just impossible to do for some people, because they only like high calorie foods that are not necessarily filling. Sometimes, a diet change IS necessary.
if you can't eat a small piece of cheesecake and be satisfied with it then yes, that is a control issue...sorry, but that is the truth...
nice straw man argument about fitting in 800 non filling calories into a 1400 calorie day. When people say eat what you like, it means meet your other goals first and then eat what you like with the REMAINING calories...
5 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD
Well you could just have one junior chicken (what is it anyway?) instead of 3.
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
No, not really. When you really want cheesecake, unless you're a weirdo who's actually satisfied with a couple bites, good luck fitting 800+ non filling calories in your day if you're on a 1400 calories meal plan (even only 400 calories of cheesecake really isn't a big serving, lol).
That's what bothers me about the 'eat what you want within your calories'. It's just impossible to do for some people, because they only like high calorie foods that are not necessarily filling. Sometimes, a diet change IS necessary.
if you can't eat a small piece of cheesecake and be satisfied with it then yes, that is a control issue...sorry, but that is the truth...
nice straw man argument about fitting in 800 non filling calories into a 1400 calorie day. When people say eat what you like, it means meet your other goals first and then eat what you like with the REMAINING calories...
apparently if you eat that cheesecake you can eat 4 plates of zuchinni pasta and some shrimp and still be in goal...
sounds like a plan to me...I like cheesecake.10 -
myfitnessjourneyto180 wrote: »
That's a control issue not a caloric one...
I agree, but sometimes if I'm craving mcdonalds, 3 junior chickens, fries, and water is just enough to hit my calorie count for the day (close to 1500). Personally, i have the self-control to do this. However, 6-calorie jello, diet soda (aspartame-free), 4 plates of zucchini noodles, with 50 small shrimps and spices, shredded low-calorie mozzarella, a medium plate of skinny pop popcorn, a 20-calorie popsicle, and a fiber one bar is much more filling and tastes pretty damn good. It's also less than a 1000 calories btw. Just saying XD
Well, I'd say if you need three chicken sandwiches to be satisfied, you're not really doing well on the self-control front.1 -
I made an amazing lasagna using Butternut Squash sheets rather than lasagna noodles. I was expecting it to be horrible (I'm not a veggie lover) but it was amazing. I'd almost say better than normal lasagna. Will be making it again for sure. I bought them from Tesco. As long as they make them I will be experimenting with them for more recipies
I was thinking of trying this with zucchini, but I think I like the idea of butternut squash better (flavor wise).1 -
collectingblues wrote: »Well, I'd say if you need three chicken sandwiches to be satisfied, you're not really doing well on the self-control front.
But you're doing great on the 'supporting chicken farmers' front.2
This discussion has been closed.
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