TASTY TUESDAY

this week i'm doing something a little different. i (triplet #2) love finding ways to make healthy alternatives. i found an article with amazing tips that i just had to share. take some notes, write down the recipes, and enjoy!

for those of us who often crave certain things but feel guilty eating them or decide to cut them out forever, forget about it. when you completely deprive yourself of the things you love, you're more likely to give into the craving and overindulge. so indulge in a smart way. it is ok. before diving into your favorite food or craving, think about how hungry you are. decide what food is it that you are actually craving to feel satisfied. you can eat all your favorite foods, but only when you are hungry for them to satisfy your craving. and only every now and then. here are some tips of common cravings for you to enjoy in moderation.

pizza

order pizza by the slice and ask them to go light on the cheese. load it up with your favorite veggie toppings, skip the meat (double the calories).

mashed potatoes

potatoes aren't bad for you, they are a great carbohydrate. its the high-fat and high-calorie butter and cream that get added. instead, flavor your potatoes with salt, peper, or low-fat buttermilk. creamy and lots of calcium, healthy. or even healthier, you can substitute your taters with mashed cauliflower. if that's too gross for you, go half cauliflower, half potato.

apple pie

instead of pie make this instead. preheat oven to 350. wash and core a red delicious apple. mix brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and chopped walnuts in a small bowl. place the apple on the baking dish and fill the core with the yummy mixture. drizzle with honey or maple syrup. add enough water to cover the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until apple is soft. YUM!

chocolate

super-dark chocolate has health benefits with recommended servings of 4 oz. a day! but, that won't satisfy a stellar brownie craving. so instead, pinpoint exactly what you're craving and eat that instead of a cheap crappy stand in. if it's the perfect kind of chocolate, you'll need less to be satisfied.

ice cream

find a light or healthy high quality tasty brand (haagan dazs 5 or healthy choice) . then skip the sugary toppings. if you're really hard core, get sugar free. or if a milkshake is on your mind, make a quick fruit smoothie with nonfat vanilla yogurt, skim milk, a teaspoon of honey, and frozen fruit of your choice. delicious.

cupcake

the good thing about cupcakes is they have built in portion control! one should be enough to cancel out the craving. be wary of mountains of frosting, scrape some off if it looks huge.

potato chips

buy a single serving bag instead of full. or take a handful out of large bag and put it in a bowl. stop there. soy crisps or apple crisps are a great substitute. all you're really craving is the salty satisfying crunch.

mac-n-cheese

forget the box, go homemade. in a medium saucepan, melt a 1/4 cup of shredded low-far extra-sharp cheddar and a 1/4 cup cottage cheese, stir. add a few dashes of hot sauce and pour in the cooked whole-wheat pasta of your choice. enjoy with a salad.

now eat what you want, in moderation of course.