4 Healthy Substitutes for the Foods I Crave the Most
While you’re personal training, you probably think you need to avoid your favorite foods, including pasta and ice cream. Is there a way to still indulge without feeling guilty? You bet! Here are my top four substitutes that will convince you they’re the real thing (and they're plant-based!).
You no longer have to stare at pictures of ice cream.
LUNA AND LARRY’S ORGANIC COCONUT BLISS ICE CREAM
Ingredients: Coconut Milk (Water, Coconut, Guar Gum), Agave Syrup, Coconut Cream, Dried Coconut, Coconut Extract, Vanilla Extract.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Why I like it: It’s a non-dairy product with all its fat from coconuts. While you still need to be mindful of your serving size since it has 22g of fat and 16g of sugar, it will satisfy your craving for a milk-based product (which is more inflammatory)—an alternative: Any all-fruit sorbet with no added sugar.
RedHot!
FRANK’S REDHOT BUFFALO WING SAUCE
Ingredients: Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Natural Butter Type Flavor And Garlic Powder.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: I love buffalo sauce, but it’s typically 1 part butter, 1 part hot sauce….a no-no for an ideal diet. Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce is the best-tasting alternative on the market. You can add it to anything. Be mindful of your amount. It packs 460mg of sodium per serving. That’s a big chunk of the recommended 1500 mg of sodium daily in a healthy diet. Photo Credit: Live kindly. co
Bringing pasta back to the healthy table!
BANZA ELBOWS MADE FROM CHICKPEAS
Ingredients: Chickpeas, Tapioca, Pea Protein, Xanthan Gum.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: No way around it: All pasta is highly processed and loses some nutritional value through heating. The Banza pasta noodles give you a higher dose of the valuable fiber and protein (14g) than the white AND wheat noodle options. It contains only four ingredients and avoids toxic additives and preservatives in other boxed foods. Cooking tip: Boil the noodles until they’re al dente, and then quickly rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process (otherwise, they’ll soften too much).
Time for sausage!
BEYOND MEAT BEYOND SAUSAGE
Ingredients: Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Refined Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Contains 2% or less of: Rice Protein, Faba Bean Protein, Potato Starch, Salt, Fruit Juice (For Color), Vegetable Juice (For Color), Apple Fiber, Methylcellulose, Citrus Extract (To Protect Quality), Calcium Alginate Casing.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: My Lithuanian and German ancestors may scoff at the idea of a sausage substitute, but Beyond Meat has magically found the recipe to convince you it could be the real thing. If your focus is a diet with less inflammation and cholesterol, this may still satisfy part of your sausage craving. Disclaimer: Like the pasta recommendation, it’s still a highly processed product containing 500mg of sodium and 12g of fat. Photo Credit: The Happy Pear on Twitter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
