feeling the "need" for french fries

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mrslantu2020
mrslantu2020 Posts: 71 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing really well with watching what I eat and exercising for the past 2 weeks, but am feeling an intense craving for a burger and fries today! Anyone know of any tricks to curb this or a healthier alternative?

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  • simona1972
    simona1972 Posts: 355 Member
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    Make your own if you can. You can make a great burger with lean meat and oven fries.
  • sheri3762
    sheri3762 Posts: 159
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    Ded do the home made version. We grilled out burgers and brats last weekend and I had a burger with baked fries. Was really good and I allowed for the extra fat and calories in my cout by eating a bit lighter during the day. I hardley ever eat red meat anymore so this was a great treat!
  • my2boystx
    my2boystx Posts: 28
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    We always make turkey burgers and sweet potato fries and they are yummy! You can buy the sweet potato fries in your freezer section where the regular fries are and then just stick them in the oven and to make them crispy just put them under the broiler for like 4 mins at the end. As for the turkey burgers...just use ground turkey instead of the beef and then use whole grain buns. Hope this helps with your craving.
  • ♥dawnwestbury♥
    ♥dawnwestbury♥ Posts: 104
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    yes make your own, get lean beef and then bake the fries!! thats BEST, if you cant do that or are in a rush and you need to fill that craving just get a kids meal somewhere!
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
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    Make your own if you can. You can make a great burger with lean meat and oven fries.

    My thought exactly. That is what I do. I did that yesterday. I have been wanting some fries, so I baked some in the oven...oh so good and it satisified my craving.
  • Samantharose8akaDebbie
    Samantharose8akaDebbie Posts: 407 Member
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    I cook my own burger on the George foreman and then take a medium size or small size potato and cut it into strips, season them up with whatever suites you and bake at 350 - check in 20 min or so. They are delish!
  • thomlora
    thomlora Posts: 16
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    I believe that you can give your body something it is craving, in moderation, figure out who's fries and hamburger have the better calorie counts. Eat some of the fries and most of the hamburger. Throw out the rest! It will feel good. Then eat light for dinner!

    Just me...
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    As others have said, baking fries in the oven, esp to a nice crispy texture, will satisfy that craving. I like to use Greek Seasoning on my baked fries.
  • firegirlred
    firegirlred Posts: 674 Member
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    When I feel this need, I go to McDonald's and get a kids happy meal. I know it has so many things that are bad with it, but I've learned to trust my cravings.
  • nikapp13
    nikapp13 Posts: 20
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    When I feel this need, I go to McDonald's and get a kids happy meal. I know it has so many things that are bad with it, but I've learned to trust my cravings.

    i believe in having things your body craves...within reason otherwise you are more likely to fail in the long run!
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Agree with the homemade version. Get yourself a pound of 96% lean ground beef, make 4 patties. You can add stuff to them if you want (minced/diced onions are a good idea because it helps keep the very lean beef moist; garlic helps add flavor). We make all kinds of burgers -- mushroom & onion or spinach & feta, you can add anything you want to them.

    Then, cut up some potatoes into fry shapes (or however you want) and toss them in a small amount of olive oil. Or, the olive oil in the spray can works really well, too. Coat them very lightly with oil, sprinkle on some seasoning or a little salt, bake them at 400*F for 25 minutes or so, depending on how big your pieces are & how done you like your fries. Flip them somewhere in the middle of cooking.

    Get the highest protein/fiber lowest calorie bun you can find, add 1/2 an ounce of cheese (or not) and any extras/condiments you want & enjoy. It'll be awesome. I can make a cheeseburger & fries for under 400 calories. :wink: Usually I want more fries, though, so it ends up being around 500.

    Edit: But before I started making my own so often, I'd go to Wendy's and get a double stack & a value fries. $2 and like 540 calories. I haven't been to Wendy's (or any other fast food place) in well over 3 months though. Not because I can't or because I have self-control, but because I don't ever want any fast food.
  • shellymei
    shellymei Posts: 3
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    Here's my two cents worth. The body creates a "craving" because it is lacking a certain nutrient and wants to trigger a way for you to provide the missing nutrient. There is usually just a disconnect between what your body NEEDS and what your brain is telling you you want. So, while I'm all about eating some ice cream (in moderation...or not in moderation) or making a turkey burger and sweet potato fries (because that sounds downright delish). For myself, I've been taking a really good women's daily vitamin (from a healthfood store) that supplies my body with the complete set of vitamins and nutrients that it's probably not getting in the food I'm eating. And I've noticed my craving level going down! Yeah, I have bad days...but at least it's one in every 10 days now instead of every other day or even every day. :)
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    I make oven fries all the time and I can't tell the difference between them and regular fries. I use the olive oil spray for mine. They turn out so good.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    I make oven fries all the time and I can't tell the difference between them and regular fries. I use the olive oil spray for mine. They turn out so good.
    Yep, they're awesome.

    One thing I'd like to note, is that even though the olive oil spray's nutrition label reads a serving has 0 calories, it DOES have calories. :wink: The label says 0 calories because the serving size is like 1/3 of a second spray. Well, you're using a WHOLE LOT more than that when you make fries (or when you make anything, really...). It's still olive oil, so it has the same number of calories as olive oil (120 per tablespoon). So, log that accordingly, is all.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    When I feel this need, I go to McDonald's and get a kids happy meal. I know it has so many things that are bad with it, but I've learned to trust my cravings.

    I do the same thing. If you think about it is the protions that grown ups had back in the 50s and 60s when McDonalds was just starting.
  • lucky1ns
    lucky1ns Posts: 358 Member
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    I bake the frozen fries sprayed in pam and they come out great.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
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    I make oven fries all the time and I can't tell the difference between them and regular fries. I use the olive oil spray for mine. They turn out so good.
    Yep, they're awesome.

    One thing I'd like to note, is that even though the olive oil spray's nutrition label reads a serving has 0 calories, it DOES have calories. :wink: The label says 0 calories because the serving size is like 1/3 of a second spray. Well, you're using a WHOLE LOT more than that when you make fries (or when you make anything, really...). It's still olive oil, so it has the same number of calories as olive oil (120 per tablespoon). So, log that accordingly, is all.

    Well damn :laugh: I'll keep that in mind next time! :smokin:
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
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    For myself, I've been taking a really good women's daily vitamin (from a healthfood store) that supplies my body with the complete set of vitamins and nutrients that it's probably not getting in the food I'm eating. And I've noticed my craving level going down! Yeah, I have bad days...but at least it's one in every 10 days now instead of every other day or even every day. :)

    I have noticed that my cravings have gone down too! And most of the time when I do have a craving it isn't usually one of those "must have" cravings, but just me wanting something. I don't even take a "really good" one, just some generic brand I picked up. When I finish the bottle I might spring for a better one, though.

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