A recent study found that exercise can help guide you to healthier eating habits, but even frequent gym-goers fall victim to the siren’s call of junk food cravings, derailing the most meticulously planned diets. The key to staying on the straight and narrow is knowing how to swap to satisfy your appetite with more wholesome eats. NYC nutritionist Amy Shapiro says cravings, “mean your human.” Here, she shares her advice for curbing a craving healthily, with virtuous swaps:
The craving: Mac and cheese
The satisfying swap: “Use a whole wheat noodle, or a lentil or bean-based noodle,” says Shapiro, to add fiber and a bit of protein. And instead of piling on cheddar or parmigiano, try “low-fat cheese mixed with pureed butternut squash, about 1 and a quarter cups cubed.” Season with a bit of paprika, and viola!
The craving: Ice cream
The satisfying swap: Make your own fruity dessert. “Freeze bananas, throw them into your blender with maybe a splash of unsweetened almond milk.” Dress it up “with a few chocolate chips or a tablespoon of peanut butter.” Shapiro also suggests Yasso ($4.19), a greek yogurt-based ice cream pop, because “it’s high in protein… and portion-controlled.”
The craving: White bread
The satisfying swap: Something with more fiber. “Look for an 100% whole wheat bread”, or sourdough, “it has natural, healthy bacterias which come from the starters that are good for your gut flora (read: digestion).” Siete tortillas ($18.99) are a favorite for breakfast for Shapiro, “toast it up with egg and avocado and some salsa. You’ll be more full because of the almond flour, and it’s amazing.”
The craving: Baked sweets
The satisfying swap: A treat with less processed sugar. When baking at home, “make a peanut butter or almond butter cookie with egg whites, salt, and dark chocolate chips.” The paleo-friendly recipe cuts down on carbs and sugar while keeping you full. Plus, with nut butters, “there’s enough fat to balance out the sweet so that you’re not craving more.” As far as packaged, Shapiro swears by Simple Mills ($4.99), for it’s almond flour-based mixes and “clean ingredients.”
The craving: Chicken fingers
The satisfying swap: A whole wheat crunch — and seasoning to add a flavorful kick. Rather than fry, “I bake them, and bread them in whole wheat panko breadcrumbs,” says Shapiro who suggests mixing in seasoning like “salt, pepper, garlic powder, or italian herbs” with the panko. For diehards willing to invest, “air fryers are great, and will give you the texture that you want.” The appliance uses 80% less oil than a deep-fryer, which cuts down majorly on fat.
