What Are Your Food Alternatives

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24

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  • kenyainez
    kenyainez Posts: 222 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I have bacon every morning. Low sodium but still. Two strips only costs me 80 calories with 7 grams of fat and I can fit that in anywhere! LMBO

    I do substitute some things though....
    Instead of ground beef I use ground turkey
    Instead of beef sausage I use chicken
    Instead of white pasta I use whole wheat
    Instead of whole milk I use almond
    Instead of using the regular canned tomato sauce; I'll either get no salt added or make my own with fresh tomatoes

    I do a ton of remixing, but I realize you can't remix everything, so if I want M&M's, Twix, or a bag of Doritos then I eat it if I can fit it in my macros for the day.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
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    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Do you guys have any go to alternatives for the not so healthy food you love?

    Instead of potato chips what do you have?
    Instead of a chocolate bar what do you have?
    Instead of bacon wh....there is no substitute for bacon! :'(

    Would love to know your healthy alternatives.

    1. Air popped popcorn, 100 calorie bags of Pop Chips, 1 serving of puffy Cheetos
    2. A protein bar - calories but more filling, 2 squares dark chocolate
    3. Turkey bacon or regular bacon
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    theresakruse48 wrote: »
    Turkey bacon is yummy! And i eat protein bars in place of a candy bar..and in place of ice cream I have a protein shake...but like others have said, sometimes you just have to eat the real thing and fit it into your calories!

    I have switched to coconut/soy milk ice cream bars. Which are actually pretty good. I tried one brand of a protein shake and I couldn't stomach the first sip. It was gross.

    I know what you mean...to satisfy your craving sometimes you just gotta have the real thing.

    And there's often nothing inherently unhealthy or wrong with the real thing either...ironically, coconut and soy milk are much more highly processed than regular old milk (and there's nothing wrong with dairy unless you're intolerant)...which is ironic because milk get some kind of bad wrap and soy/coconut milk is a "health food"....
  • charis2979
    charis2979 Posts: 38 Member
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    I don't really deny myself anything either. I tend to "fall off the wagon" if I do. I just limit the amount of what I eat and if it works into my plan for the day then it's in my belly.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I don't think my alternatives are all that healthy lol. Coffee, diet soda and tea. chug chug. Self abnegation and coffee. Yes, I know I'm messed up.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Instead of potato chips what do you have?
    1-2 servings of potato chips.

    Instead of a chocolate bar what do you have?
    1 oz or so from that chocolate bar.

    Instead of bacon wh....there is no substitute for bacon! :'(
    I don't like bacon, so I don't need a substitute for what I don't eat! :wink:

    I do have a couple of substitutions I was willing to make: diet soda instead of regular and 1.5% milk instead of whole. Everything else just decreased in amount. To make up for that, I just increased my intake of lower calorie foods.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Instead of potato chips what do you have?

    Nada mostly. I've adjusted what I eat to be more satiating so I don't need the snacks, however we do enjoy the occasional batch of the vegetable thins we find at Wal-Mart, usually 20-22 crackers/chips are about 150 calories. However, it's tempting to eat more, so we tend to stay away from it and go for ice cream instead (no sugar added Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom).
    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Instead of a chocolate bar what do you have?

    Again, I go for the Sweet Freedom Ice Cream if I can, it's good fiber and a little protein. But, Skinny Cow brand has a bunch of snacks, including ice cream bars and candy bars, that are lower calorie. But I prefer a good protein bar, usually peanut butter flavored or some sort of chocolate flavor, over a candy bar.
    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Instead of bacon wh....there is no substitute for bacon! :'(

    I honestly don't have an alternative. Turkey bacon is ok for say a BLT, but otherwise I'm not a huge fan. I simply buy the lower sodium versions, and eat less if possible.
    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Would love to know your healthy alternatives.

    Side dishes are an issue for us many times, so things like Macaroni and Cheese or Potato Salad simply get replaced with alternatives like a baked/microwaved potato, or baked cauliflower, or steamed brocolli. A veggie of some sort. Adding in cottage cheese to most meals isn't super expensive on calories if you get the lighter versions and it adds good protein and calcium.

    My absolute favorite snack food is the Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Ice Cream! It is a good source of fiber, and usually is between 80 to 110 calories per half cup. Certainly a lot less calories than half a bag of chips. If you're going for salty snacks you may want to consider peanuts or nuts of some sort, at least you'll get some protein, but the calories are going to be out of control so make sure you have them. Beef Jerky is an alternative but it's chocked full of sodium.

  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Do you guys have any go to alternatives for the not so healthy food you love?

    Instead of potato chips what do you have?
    Instead of a chocolate bar what do you have?
    Instead of bacon wh....there is no substitute for bacon! :'(

    Would love to know your healthy alternatives.

    Popcorn.
    Quest bar (not much of a chocolate fan to begin with)
    And I still eat bacon LOL
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I make my own baked potato chips. But I still eat whole grain tortilla chips from Tostitios though.. :(

    Instead of a chocolate bar what do you have?

    I eat mini's or kisses or snack size. But I do like FitCrunch Protein Bars for a chocolate kick with protein.

    Instead of bacon wh....there is no substitute for bacon! :'(

    NO Substitute for bacon.. I just downed a turkey and swiss and I added bacon to it.. NOM NOM NOM.

    Just for tonight am swapping white potatoes tonight for sweet potatoes,

    But I have changed for the better I think, replaced normal microwave butter popcorn for Skinny Pop popcorn, regular ice cream for Sweet Freedom sugar free, regular soda for diet soda, homemade sweet tea for Milo's unsweet tea, and I watch sodium now (no medical reason, but don't want one either) to lower sodium items when I can find them (canned goods, Rotel, etc.)



  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Instead of eating the entire 3 item combo panda express meal I either split it with my wife or save the rest for another meal. Versions of that for everything else I eat basically.
  • rsnodgrass1128
    rsnodgrass1128 Posts: 16 Member
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    I love sweet potato chips from Trader Joes. I just try to limit myself to how many I eat!
    Dark chocolate is actually pretty good for you. Lots of meal plans allow it. Maybe get a bag of individually packed dove chocolates.
    Turkey bacon from Trader Joes is pretty good! I love me some bacon and I think theirs is pretty flavorful.
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
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    I don't substitute anything. I just have the high calorie stuff less often and don't have seconds.

    And I make a point of only having the"treat" foods I really love. If someone is handing round mediocre chocolates, I can happily decline. Before, I'd have taken a few and probably eaten them all, even if I didn't enjoy them.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    I don't sub anything. If I want to eat something, I will eat the real thing.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    It doesn't work that way. I don't think about single foods as more or less healthy anymore, and I don't do one-to-one substitutions. I didn't overeat certain foods because I loved them, but because I couldn't stop. I haven't cut out anything, but my diet is overall so much better, and I don't fear foods, so I never feel any strong urges for lots of things I used to consume in great amounts. I will eat potato chips and chocolate on occasion, but I don't think there's been an occasion for over a year now? I had bacon less than a week ago. I had fried potatoes for dinner today and I have hot cocoa and other chocolatey foods/drinks regularly.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    Beer. Beer is my alternative to food. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Not a big fan of chips anyway. When I want something salty, I'll have popcorn. A microwave popper is great, you can add just a bit of oil (helps salt stick).

    Dark chocolate is a great substitute. More chocolate, less sugar. It gives me more chocolatey goodness for fewer calories.

    I don't do bacon....always gives me heartburn.
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
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    My problem with the frozen banana thing instead of ice cream is by the times you have added the granola and whatnot so it dosent just taste like banana there is more calories in it than the ice cream you were trying to avoid.
  • 808Trish808
    808Trish808 Posts: 122 Member
    edited September 2016
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    NicoleMichael62 wrote: »
    Tomk652015 wrote: »
    maybe turkey bacon...but all things are in play within your calorie goal.

    I refuse!!! I have a feeling it just wouldn't taste as good. Hahaha.

    i eat turkey bacon almost every day. I agree it doesn't taste exactly like bacon, but it does taste pretty good. Jennie-O and Oscar Mayer brands are the best. I also have been eating egg whites instead of regular eggs to bring down my cholesterol levels.

    However, if there's something that I really want to eat, I'll eat it. Just fit it in to my daily calories and I'm set. I don't deprive myself.
  • ChristinePearlFNP
    ChristinePearlFNP Posts: 72 Member
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    Omg! I love candy bars and cookies! I eat CLIF protein bars and they are organic, sweet, and deliciously healthy!

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