Tips & Tricks: Food Hacks
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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
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