Easily Manage Your Diet with Tasty & Satisfying Junk Food Alternatives

If you're like most people, chances are you love to eat snacks as well as desserts. Unfortunately, the snacks and desserts that many people choose aren't always so healthy. Candy, cake, ice cream, potato chips and similar items often contain enough calories and fat to sabotage any diet, whether you're trying to lose or maintain your weight. Through a great deal of research as well as experimentation, I have found a way to practically have my cake and eat it too. By finding acceptable yet lower calorie and healthier choices, you can also continue to snack and enjoy desserts without sabotaging your diet, and in fact, you can even lose weight if that's what you're attempting to do.

Acceptable substitute # 1 - Rice Dream - When I first heard about ice cream that was made using rice milk, I imagined that it would be pretty disgusting. Much to my amazement, the Rice Dream was delicious, especially the chocolate-coated bars. What's great about choosing Rice Dream as an alternative snack or dessert is that these treats contain no added sugar and are sweetened with rice that has undergone an enzyme hydrolysis process. My metabolism has always been stubborn, making weight loss very difficult for me, but if I have a Rice Dream bar for dessert as opposed to a regular ice cream bar, I am able to actually lose weight. You can find Rice Dream products at health food stores and at major grocery stores everywhere.

Acceptable substitute # 2 - Carob-covered raisins/peanuts - Like the Rice Dream, when I first heard of carob, which is a healthy chocolate substitute, I expected it to be pretty bad tasting. Immediately after taking the first bite, I fell in love with carob-coated treats, and my finicky children like these treats as well. So far, I've only been able to find carob-coated fruit/nuts at local health food stores, but some fine grocery stores may offer carob-covered treats in some areas. If all else fails, you can always find some online and have them shipped directly to your home.

Acceptable substitute # 3 - Dried fruit - If you're a candy lover like I am, it might surprise you how similar dried fruit is to actual candy. Even though most dried fruit is sweetened with sugar, due to its extreme sweetness, the average person is usually unable to eat much, making it a healthier alternative to chewy candy like Starburst, Skittles, etc. Most grocery stores sell dried fruit, but I like buying the organic pineapples from the health food store.

Acceptable substitute # 4 - Nuts & seeds - a great alternative to potato chips because of their crunch, nuts and seeds aren't only delicious, but they're very nutritious as well. Instead of choosing the regular variety of nuts and seeds, why not choose the raw and unsalted varieties? Most people have never tasted the actual natural taste of nuts and seeds because they're usually smothered in oil and salt. I absolutely love raw cashews, which are my absolute favorite. They're crunchy and healthy (sweet, too) and I can easily stop myself at the suggested handful serving since there are no additional ingredients there that typically cause people to lose control. Raw nuts and seeds can be found at fine grocery stores, at health food stores, and online.

Acceptable substitute # 5 - Homemade goodies - the sky is the limit when it comes to making healthy homemade goodies at home. If you're craving something sweet, whole-wheat flour, ground flax and agave nectar (or stevia) can be substituted for white flour and sugar in most muffin recipes. If you're craving potato chips, then by all means, have some, but make your own. Simply slice up some potatoes (or sweet potatoes) very thin, drizzle with sunflower, olive or some other healthy oil and bake until crisp-yum! You can also make cakes, cookies, pies and other favorites using alternate ingredients. If you usually have microwaved popcorn, start buying the all-natural variety, or better yet, pop your own using healthy oil and your favorite high-fiber popcorn kernels.

There is no reason for you to have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods in order to keep your weight under control. By choosing a healthier alternative of your favorite snack or dessert food, you can prevent yourself from becoming bored with your eating plan. Choosing healthier alternatives doesn't mean that you can't ever enjoy your favorite conventional junk food again, but hopefully after discovering healthier versions, you will no longer desire them. Of course if you still do, having an occasional Twinkie or small bag of Doritos (or whatever treat may be your favorite) shouldn't be a problem.

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