Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring and it sure as hell doesn’t have to involve giving up your favorite meals. Sure, we might have to push aside our craving for eating cupcakes on a daily basis, but I’ve come to find there’s a clean alternative to almost any guilty pleasure of yours. Scroll down for mouth-watering ideas!
Spaghetti/Pasta Dishes
It’s your mom’s favorite dish to cook and you can’t turn on mom. Spaghetti really isn’t the worst meal when you take out all the sodium, sugar, and carbs… okay, so I've seen better. Fortunately for all us carb lovers, pasta alternatives are practically endless. Here are a few substitutions that will make your mom and your tummy happy…
- Spaghetti squash
- Zoodles (Zucchini noodles)
- Spiralized Carrot (Found at Trader Joe's)
- Banza Chickpea Pasta
My favorite way to indulge: RachaelsGoodEats' Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Mariana Sauce https://rachaelsgoodeats.com/spaghetti-squash-with...
Cookies
I’m a firm believer in enjoying life’s sweetest pleasures… that means I’m not giving up dessert. After finding out I was lactose intolerant sophomore year of college, I had to become really creative with getting my sugar fix in. Thanks to Pinterest and a few of my favorite food bloggers (yes, I'll reveal their identity), I found alternatives that taste just as flavorful as 'normal' sweets!
- Use Coconut products instead (i.e., Coconut Flour, Coconut Sugar, Coconut oil)
- Almond Flour/Almond Milk
- Emmy's Organics
- Apple 'Cookies'
My favorite way to indulge: Rachel Mansfield's Paleo Chocolate Chunk Blondies http://rachlmansfield.com/paleo-chocolate-chunk-bl...
Waffles/Pancakes
It’s a fair statement that pancakes are my favorite food in the world. There was no way I was going to shy away from the fluffy goodness that comes with each bite of these morning treats. Luckily, I found several ways to create my favorite breakfast meal that even has nutritional benefits! Hello protein, goodbye stomach ache.
- Banana & Eggs
- Protein pancakes/waffles
- Sweet potato waffles
https://rachaelsgoodeats.com/savory-spiralized-swe...
My favorite way to indulge: RachaelsGoodEats' Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles https://rachaelsgoodeats.com/peanut-butter-banana-...
Smoothies
Don’t get me wrong- there is nothing better than a fresh & fruity smoothie, especially during these hot summer days. The only critic comes into play when the flavor of the smoothie overrides the ‘healthiness’ of it. Instead of sweetening your drink with sugary fruit juices and flavored nut butter, try adding greens and super foods for a better boost.
- Use fresh frozen fruit
- add superfoods: chia seeds, flax seeds, goji berries, ginger, etc
- add greens! Talk about the easiest way to eat your daily dose of veggies.
- add frozen cauliflower
- add plant-based protein powder
My favorite way to indulge: RachaelGoodEats' Deep Blackberry Superfood Smoothie https://rachaelsgoodeats.com/deep-blackberry-super...
Pizza
I know, I was relieved too. No one should be giving up pizza. The debate over pizza crust alternatives took a heated turn there for a second, but I'm convinced you'll be happy with the upgrade. If you're lazy (and not the greatest in the kitchen) similar to me, don't fear because healthier pizza is practically being handed to you these days.
- Cauliflower crust
- Zucchini Crust
- Whole wheat/gluten free crust
- Veggies, Veggies, Veggies
My favorite way to indulge is: Melissa's_healthykitchen's Chicken Jalapeno Sausage Pizza https://www.instagram.com/p/BVdp3QclESJ/?taken-by=...
Chicken Fingers
Okay, so I won’t write this pretending that you can deep fry your chicken and it'll come out in any form of healthy, BUT I can give you advice on how to make your chicken taste straight from the south (or wherever you prefer).
- Almond crusted chicken
- Cracker Crusted Chicken (Jilz Crackerz is great brand)
- Bake it
My favorite way to indulge is: EatCleanLA's Chicken Fingers https://www.instagram.com/p/BWLF3NtFe9m/?taken-by=...
Mexican Food
There's this weird misconception that tacos are bad for you... I refuse to jump on the bandwagon. Fill your taco with protein, veggies and some harmless carbs- it's the perfect combo. Now I know self-control doesn't exactly exist when it comes to chips and salsa or taco Tuesday, and it might not for these guilt-free recipes, either.
- Use Corn Tortillas/Lettuce Wraps
- My personal obsession: Siete Family Foods https://sietefoods.com
- BYOT: Build your own taco instead of ordering heavy-loaded specials (make sure to add protein, veggies, salsa, etc!)
- Homemade Burrito Bowls
- Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Homemade Guacamole
My favorite way to indulge is: Kayla Itsines' Sweet Potato Enchiladas https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/kayla-itsine...
Ice Cream
As said above, finding out I was lactose intolerant put a bit of a doozy on my sweet tooth. To be fair, it worked in my favor because I was forced to opt for healthier options when it came to enjoying my favorite desserts (this doesn’t mean I don’t eat ice cream, gelato, and froyo… because I do... a lot). Here are a few ways to break up with Ben and Jerry:
- Blended frozen fruit
- Greek yogurt
- Pressed Juicery
- Namadoo
- Throw your favorite toppings to add flavor: granola, cacao nibs, peanut/almond butter
My favorite way to indulge is: Rachel Mansfield's Blended Crunchy Chocolate Cookie "Freeze" Vegan Ice Cream http://rachlmansfield.com/blended-crunchy-chocolat...
Chips
Although potato chips might seem like the easiest thing to snack on between meals, they hardly do anything but make you more hungry. Don't stop reading when you see that plants can be made into chips. Trust me when I say the power of the sweet potato works wonders.
- Sweet Potato Fries/Chips
- Kate Chips
- Zucchini Chips
- Roasted Carrots
My favorite way to indulge: Tone It Up's Kale Chips (sub coconut oil) https://www.toneitup.com/recipe/we-love-food-frida...
*** I only mentioned a few of my favorite & go-to food bloggers... check out their pages for inspiration! I'll have an article coming soon with all the best food bloggers to follow on Instagram :)
