What other healthy-alternative-to-unhealthy-food foods are there that I should know about?

RickMcGuire1021 · March 2018

I started dieting about 9 months ago and long story short have lost 80 pounds. This meant cutting out my binges on things like entire cases of donuts and entire cakes or boxes of peanuts etc. The other day, my mother and I recently started buying treats such as Arctic Zero ice cream at our local grocery store. This has been so revolutionary, as it fits into the diet i have for my strength training program at the gym and a whole pint is less calories than something as small as 1/2 cup of rice dry! Now that I have found a product this amazing, I'm wondering what other healthy alternatives there are like this out there replacing junk food. I'm aware of Halo Top and Enlightened ice creams, but I'm extremely lactose intolerant/ not looking for any more ice cream, as Arctic Zero is all I want and need. We also eat things like sugar-free jello and 94% fat-free popcorn for fun snacks and I only mention that as those are two examples of the food I'm seeking out.

shaumom · March 2018

This is more a piece of equipment to purchase, but seriously, it changed my life: an electric ice cream maker. I think you can usually find them for $20-$40, depending on how fancy you get.

But basically, once you have this, you take any ripe, soft fruit, blend it up in a blender, then dump it in the ice cream maker and bam, instant sorbet. If it's hard fruit, you can cook it (or nuke it) until soft, then do the same thing. Really hits the spot for the sweet tooth, no added sugar needed if the fruit is ripe, and it's super easy.

Best one we made that tasted decadent as heck was with apples - we cooked, them, blended them up well, added a few spices like cinnamon, and then made it into a sorbet. The color ended up this beautiful creamy caramel and it seriously tasted like some kind of apple pie sorbet.

RaeBeeBaby · March 2018

My favorite healthy snacks:

Air-popped popcorn with a tiny bit of butter and a sprinkle of salt
Celery with PB2 (powdered low-fat peanut butter)
Apples with PB2
Baked apple with cinnamon
Baby carrots with hummus
Yogurt cheese (see below)
Olives
Dill pickles

I make yogurt cheese by taking fat-free yogurt, mixing in dried or fresh herbs, garlic and any other seasonings. Strain through cheesecloth. It's a super yummy cream cheese-like spread. You can take the liquid whey and use it in soup.

I also do lunchmeat roll-ups with turkey or ham, spread with the yogurt cheese (or low-fat cream cheese) and wrap around a dill pickle spear. These are always a big hit at parties and nobody knows they're healthy!

kommodevaran · March 2018

I found "healthy alternatives" to be a short-lived bandaid. I would still binge later, but harder. Lasting power has been real, balanced and neutral information, and a shift in attitudes:

There are no healthy or unhealthy foods. It's all about context, portions an proportions. All foods can be eaten in moderation. Demonizing foods I like, only make me crave them more intensely, lose control, attribute the loss of control to the food, demonize it more, feel out of control, miserable, use said food to feel better, overeat on any food, feel worse, and so on and so on. Now, I'm a person who just doesn't routinely overeat. I enjoy food more, and I eat anything I want, but not everything at once, and not all the time. I eat for nourishment and pleasure, but not to ease emotions, not for entertainment.

RickMcGuire1021 · March 2018

I don't binge and don't consider eating unhealthily to be an option anymore. Junk food is junk to me. That simple. I have enough willpower to have not even had a candy bar or donut since i gave it up cold turkey 9 months ago. I don't consider these alternatives short lived. As someone with self control, I just want to find more fun foods to try. There is nothing fun about eating one spoonful of regular, trash, ice cream when i can sit down with my family and watch an hour of Shark Tank over a pint of low-cal, healthy ice cream xD

RickMcGuire1021 · March 2018

And I LOVED yogurt too, but all dairy ruins me for weeks. So much so that I can't even have that much Casein or Whey without getting extremely backed up for 2-3 weeks. It's insane

Francl27 · March 2018

Healthy doesn't mean low calorie.

Personally, I can't stomach sugar free stuff. For popcorn, just pop your own.

RickMcGuire1021 · March 2018

Also, I don't really enjoy unhealthy food like I used to. I had a few chips with salsa at my friend's New Year's party and they tasted REPULSIVELY SALTY, Tostito's Corn Chips having been my favorite thing to eat ENTIRE BAGS OF when I was 240 pounds. I've cut unhealthy foods out of my life to the extent that they kind of make me sick and feel bloated. I don't taste a distinct difference with these alternatives either, these providing me with a taste I remember more than the original foods. After being away from junk so long, my taste buds have changed I'm assuming.

RickMcGuire1021 · March 2018

I'm not looking for people to explain the difference between healthy and low calorie. I eat walnuts, whole grain pasta, salmon, sweet potato, nut milk, and many other high cal foods as bi-daily staples in my diet, as I love them and understand they are healthy. I just want low cal things to munch on. Don't criticize that here please, just suggestions.

toxikon · March 2018

SkinnyTaste Greek Yogurt bagels: https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-bagel-recipe/

They are such a game-changer for me. They're so easy to make and really scratch that bagel itch with much lower calories. And a nice punch of protein.

beaglady · March 2018

When I make coleslaw, I use half light mayo and half 0% Greek yogurt in the dressing, in place of full fat mayo.

Cbean08 · March 2018

It's not exactly clear what you are looking for then. In your first post, you want things that are like "sugar free jello and fat free pop corn." and other "fun snacks." But then you go to say that "junk food is junk" and that you aren't looking to eat things like that. IMO, foods like sugar free jello and diet popcorn and eaten as a replacement when one is craving donuts and candy bars. If you are just looking for "low cal things to munch on" there is a big world of vegetables out there. If you are looking for alternatives, look at Linda's Diet Delights.

What other healthy-alternative-to-unhealthy-food foods are there that I should know about?

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