Satisfying Carb Cravings without high calories

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valerianegomes
valerianegomes Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
The hardest thing for me and dieting is satisfying certain cravings that usually end up sabotaging my efforts. I've found ways to satisfy my sweet cravings. The big one is carbs. Not just pasta.. I'm using cauliflower a lot and it's helped. But I'll just say it: I want chips and crackers!! Any ideas for a decent substitute?

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  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    Have the chips and crackers in portions that fit your calorie goals. I find a small amount of something really good is more satisfying than filling up on some alternative item that doesn't scratch the itch.

    If I want chips I have my portion or two of chips (buy a small 1-2 serving bag) and some good salsa. The salsa is very low cal and can make the portion feel bigger.

    With crackers I have a portion of my favorite (usually triscuits) and add some lovely cheese and lots of fruit. It feels decadent. I get my crackers and it is still within goals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Just have a few chips and crackers.

    For me, every single time I end up looking for a substitute to curb a craving... I end up eating the thing I was craving eventually anyway, because nothing else worked.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited July 2016
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    If you don't have a food scale go get one. Walmart, target, bbbeyond for about $18. Set the chips on the scale, then log, then eat and enjoy. (a postal scale can also work).
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    I eat baked Lays from time to time. Making your own veggie chips is pretty easy and low-cal. I make tuna salad fairly often and eat it with a serving or two of Saltines. With all of these things, I find it easier to limit portions to a reasonable amount as long as I'm having them with a meal. Snacking on them between meals sometimes leads to cravings for me.

    If salty and crunchy is what you're after, popcorn is low-cal. I get the plain kind and add my own seasonings.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Get a whole heap of cauliflower and broccoli. Sprinkle with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder , parmesan and salt n pepper and bake in the oven til crunchy, use a dipping sauce if you wish.
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
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    There's nothing wrong with carbs. Pasta is full of protein and fibre, and it's cheap to boot. A pack of organic whole wheat spaghetti with flax and a jar of organic arrabiata sauce is the same cost per serving as ramen.

    Once a week, buy one of the small bags of chips. Around my house, if we get a craving, we just go for it, but nine times out of ten that craving just makes us sick and we remember why we don't really buy it. We recent had a chip kick. We each got a medium bag of chips and polished them off in 3 days. Bleh. Won't do that for a while. We both had tummy aches afterwards.

    As for crackers, we just got some butter chicken flavoured crackers (that are accidentally vegan, of course. :3 ) and i had a few last night topped with onion and chive flavoured Daiya, and an apple to boot.

    I used to have this craving for cake all the time. I would go down to the store, buy an individual sized cake and eat it. Almost every time it made me sick, and now I just walk on through the bakery and don't even take a glance. That's how cravings work, I suppose.

    I've kicked cakes, donuts, candies, crackers and chips this way. Keep it out of the house, then when I do get the craving, go down to the store and purchase an individual serving. Ask myself if the tummy ache and the money spent was worth it. You're always going to get a craving for something or another. Doesn't mean you've failed your diet. Just means you had a craving. Not a big deal.
  • lisabridwell
    lisabridwell Posts: 31 Member
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    Try eating whole grain Triscuits. They have a crunch, are salty and satisfy a carb craving but are still whole grain so the body doesn't convert to glucose and fat as quickly as white carbs like potatoes and pasta.
  • kuroshii
    kuroshii Posts: 168 Member
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    I love air-popped popcorn to satisfy my need for crunch. It's a whole grain!
  • valerianegomes
    valerianegomes Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks for all the suggestions. I really appreciate the help!

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