Healthy substitutes for junk food
Replies
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I hate to say it but diet soft drink. Pineapple, mangoes and berries instead of lollies. I try to substitute coffee wherever possible as I have it without sugar and I love it. distracts me!3
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Just smaller portions8
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Those are good sub! I can’t do without my coffee though @Pastaprincess19780
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Here's a good oil free substitute for potato chips. Thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin or food processor. Spread in a single layer on silicon mesh or silicon coated baking paper. Salt (I use vinegar flavored salt). Zap in the microwave on high for 6 minutes. Check if they are starting to turn golden brown. Zap any stragglers in 1 minute intervals, being careful because the margin between done and burnt is very narrow. These continue to crisp up as they cool down.7
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Here's a good oil free substitute for potato chips. Thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin or food processor. Spread in a single layer on silicon mesh or silicon coated baking paper. Salt (I use vinegar flavored salt). Zap in the microwave on high for 6 minutes. Check if they are starting to turn golden brown. Zap any stragglers in 1 minute intervals, being careful because the margin between done and burnt is very narrow. These continue to crisp up as they cool down.
^This is a great suggestion for chips (can do this for a lot of different veggies)
For your wings, try baking instead of deep fried, pretty darned good!3 -
I roast sweet potatoes or rutabaga in a fry shape on the oven instead of making fries in my cast iron skillet.
Eat regular popcorn unbuttered instead of goldfish.
Except caramel popcorn is like crack for me so it's either a giant bowlful or none at all. I'm glad they stopped having it a free snack in the office.
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Air popped corn with a little olive oil and pink Himalayan salt, so good!!1
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Grill your wings. And/or have them alongside a salad or veggies. For chips? Sugar snap peas and carrots are a nice sub for crunchy. Almonds are good but you have to be careful not to eat too many. They add up fast. Popcorn has been mentioned and can cure the salty crunchy craving. They even make those 100 - 150cal bags so you can have some and keep your portions in check. Baked chips have few calories, but you still have to watch how many you eat.2
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this may not work for everyone, but for me I allot two glasses of red wine in the evening, sipping on wine curbs my appetite for snacks.4
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Pastaprincess1978 wrote: »I hate to say it but diet soft drink. Pineapple, mangoes and berries instead of lollies. I try to substitute coffee wherever possible as I have it without sugar and I love it. distracts me!
yep- I did start buying diet soda occasionally for nights when we are watching TV, and I'm going to have the impulse to boredom snack or have some wine.
OP- those are extremely calorie dense, so a lot of substitutions will be better calorie-wise. Since those are savory/salty items, maybe popcorn. Plain popcorn isn't too bad on calories, and you can get a fine layer for not too many extra fat calories if you spray the popcorn with those aerosol oil spray cans - they make butter flavor ones. and also different flavors of seasonings that can be sprinkled on for very few calories.2 -
Jarrah hot chocolate is 47 calories,
I also have Diet Coke or Pepsi max but do see better weight loss if I can avoid due to sodium and water weight.
But I find portion control is the best option. You can have almost anything you want, but weight it out as one serving instead of just eating away.
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I mean there are tons of substitutes of junk food. There is a whole blue ocean for the healthy people but you need to know how to swim in it.
healthy substitution begins from the kitchen:- flour- grains
- white rice- oats
- white bread- whole grain bread
- chetos- protein chips
- mensquats.com
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I still eat chips and wings if I must but I just portion control and log everything. Instead of full fat chips I might do less fat, baked or whatever. There is no substitute for wings. Just eat em and log em.1
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I agree with portion control. I eat a lot of minis. If you are hitting macros or at least coming close most of the time you don't have to deny yourself of things you like. If you eat too much calorie dense food you may end up feeling hungry though.3
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So it turns out that pork rinds don’t have that much fat and actually have a decent amount of protein. If I want savory and salty and to eat an entire bag of something, a microwave popcorn size bag only has 200 or so calories and tastes great with most of those popcorn seasoning sprinkles. I feel like I get a lot more crunchy bang for my calorie buck than chips.0
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Nowadays I do wings in a hot air fryer. This machine is good for renderering down subcutaneous fat so that the skin becomes very thin and crisp.
I do find dry brining (salt the usual amount, but just do it several hours in advance or the night before) does make for more tender wings. To help the skin crisp up I shake about 12 whole wings (flat+drummette) with a half teaspoon of baking powder (reduces pH of the skin) and 2 tablespoons of potato starch (helps with dryness) in a plastic bag. About 25 minutes at 200C in the air fryer or a fan assisted oven if you don't have an air fryer.
Replace buffalo sauce (which contains butter) with something fat free like sriracha thinned with soy or equal parts honey, mustard and soy.1 -
What do swap your junk food cravings for or do you? I love chips and wings !
I don't...I just moderate them.
I have a sandwich for lunch 1 or 2 days per week and I usually have a single serve bag of chips of some kind on those days.
I have pizza and movie night most Friday nights with the family.
About once per month we go out for "pub grub" and I'll get some wings or fish 'n chips or something along those lines.
I have desert most days with either lunch or dinner, but not both.
Most of my diet on the whole is very healthful...I don't see any reasons to substitute for things that are less nutritious, but that I enjoy, when I can just moderate them.
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Nowadays I do wings in a hot air fryer. This machine is good for renderering down subcutaneous fat so that the skin becomes very thin and crisp.
I do find dry brining (salt the usual amount, but just do it several hours in advance or the night before) does make for more tender wings. To help the skin crisp up I shake about 12 whole wings (flat+drummette) with a half teaspoon of baking powder (reduces pH of the skin) and 2 tablespoons of potato starch (helps with dryness) in a plastic bag. About 25 minutes at 200C in the air fryer or a fan assisted oven if you don't have an air fryer.
Replace buffalo sauce (which contains butter) with something fat free like sriracha thinned with soy or equal parts honey, mustard and soy.
The standard Buffalo-style hot sauce doesn't contain the butter. We cut Franks with butter only to make the "mild" and "medium" wings.2 -
Although I did recently see a Franks "wing sauce" now where they add butter flavoring (low calorie) for those that prefer mild.0
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Beanitos chips are great for the crunch you seek and have a decent amount of protein for a decent calorie load (150 calories per serving?) ... there are several varieties and flavors. Some made with black beans, some pinto and some white beans. I LOVE the Sweet Chili and Sour Cream flavor and the Hint of Lime flavors ...0
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I eat what I want. I make room for the foods I love in my day, every day, and I don't feel even a little bad about it. What kind of diet doesn't allow for booze, ice cream, pizza, etc? No diet of mine, that's what.
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I love hummus on just about anything. Its filling only 70 calories for 2 tablespoons which goes along way.0
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I enjoy junk food in moderation, won't ever give it up.1
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Fruit, tea, air popped popcorn, diet soda, ounce of sharp cheddar.2
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I don't think of any food as junk. I think of some foods being calorie dense so I will keep them to a minimum or at least keep within my allotted calories.
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I love the single serving treats that are in TJ Maxx and Marshalls- cookies, trail mix, popcorn, tortilla chips, Jelly Belly jelly beans, Kind bars, frosted rice cookies (sweet and salty). Usually 120 to 150 calories each, with about 6 individually wrapped servings in a bag.0
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I eat what I want. I make room for the foods I love in my day, every day, and I don't feel even a little bad about it. What kind of diet doesn't allow for booze, ice cream, pizza, etc? No diet of mine, that's what.
A diet when you get into single digit BF percentage. I agree with you, but when your cals are so low for an event, prep, or something you have going on, then none of those things are satiating at such low BF. You crave satiety at that point and not the “fitting it into your macros idea”
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pinggolfer96 wrote: »I eat what I want. I make room for the foods I love in my day, every day, and I don't feel even a little bad about it. What kind of diet doesn't allow for booze, ice cream, pizza, etc? No diet of mine, that's what.
A diet when you get into single digit BF percentage. I agree with you, but when your cals are so low for an event, prep, or something you have going on, then none of those things are satiating at such low BF. You crave satiety at that point and not the “fitting it into your macros idea”
Is this advice for the OP...? I mean, cool story, bro, but how is this relevant to the current discussion?0 -
Jello sugar-free puddings are a lifesaver for me. (60 cal)
That and popcorn.0
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