We become impulsive and surrender to convenience once we suddenly become hungry, then gobble down something we shouldn’t. The signs include stomach discomfort and bloating, feelings of dizziness, which are all results from poor but instant nourishment.
These hunger pangs on our appetite can also be triggered by stress or boredom, and what we usually reach for is fat and sugar laden foods for a quick fix.
There are alternate ways to satisfy these cravings, without needing to compromise your diet.
What we’re referring to are the common everyday fast foods in restaurants, that can be conveniently tweaked to make them healthy yet still filling.
The good news is, there are a variety of convenient foods readily available that are classified as “junk food,” which are actually healthy for you.
1.) – Chocolate Milk
Most have already heard the good news, chocolate milk is an excellent post workout recovery drink.
What the fitness experts claim are the virtues of this dairy, as its mixture provides for an optimal balance of protein and carbohydrates to help in muscle recovery.
But the issue is, most don’t work out hard enough to warrant anything stronger than water, to replenish this post workout thirst.
Chocolate milk contains more sugar and calories than white milk, which adds up over time.
So unless you run 5 miles a day under the steaming hot sun, it’s better to stick with water after exercising.
2.) – Yes To Nachos
There are worse things we can surrender to when hungry, than munching on low sodium ground corn nacho chips.
What this quick snack provides is fiber, while the more natural products can contain flax seed. The best is organic blue corn which is minimally processed.
To improve this snack choice even further, try adding homemade salsa which can be extremely nutritious, this by using fresh ripe tomatoes, onions, and freshly squeezed lime.
Load the nacho chip with salsa, along with a tall cool glass of ice lemon water, this to offset the salt.
This can prove to satisfy the hunger pangs, while still thinking it’s junk food.
3.) – Perogies Can Be Perfect
Perogies are easy to make from home, or choose the frozen variety available from the grocer. This food is considered borderline in the “junk food” category.
For best results, they need to be boiled and then lightly pan fried in olive oil until brown. Top with a bit of sour cream. They become a tasty and filling snack.
Perogies are conveniently fast to prepare, relatively low in fat and calories while providing a protein boost. All you need is a small plateful to satisfy that hunger pang.
You can make this healthier by adding carrot or celery sticks alongside, which becomes a reasonably healthy meal, all while still being considered a quick convenience food.
4.) – For The Love Of Pizza
Guess what’s on the top 3 list of everyone’s favorite fast foods list. You’ve guessed it…it’s delicious pizzzza!
Most love to snack on pizza for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Pizza is quick and easy, appetizing and delicious and can be healthy, especially if it’s homemade.
It’s the frozen or quick delivery “brand” name pizza which are loaded with cheap processed cheese, and a variety of poor deli meats, that are bad for you.
What happens is the levels of salt and bad fats skyrocket, making that “delivery” pizza a poor fast food choice.
The key is making it healthier, this by using a thin whole wheat crust. For every 1 meat topping, add 3 vegetable toppings.
So if you’re wanting pepperoni, then add fresh tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, etc.
Make your own tomato sauce and use the most natural cheese available.
5.) – Gimme A Cheeseburger
We all crave for a cheeseburger every now and then. A nice juicy beef patty combined with delicious cheddar and vegetables sounds delicious.
Hamburgers get the “junk food” label because of the type of bread used and the poor quality of beef, which adds excess sodium and fat.
A big bad fast food restaurant burger, can inject your entire day’s quota of fat and calories if not careful.
There are ways however, on how to enjoy this indulgence without overdoing it.
It comes down to portion size and quality of product.
One burger shouldn’t have more that 300 calories and 12 grams of fat, which won’t offset your diet that much.
Make sure that you choose just the cheeseburger itself, and forget the fries.
6,) – Backing Up Bacon
Most can’t survive bacon with their eggs, so there is a solution, as it’s one of the most favorite foods around.
The bad rap on bacon is the sodium and fat piling up because of its frequency of consumption, so portion control becomes key.
Bacon doesn’t need to be a contributor to belly fat. There are now the precooked versions which are available.
Four slices contain 160 calories and 20 grams of fat and protein.
So when it comes to “junk” food, there are worse nutritional profiles available.
Most however wouldn’t consider 4 slices to be enough, so the idea is to stretch it out as much as possible, by making a sandwich out of it.
Try toasted whole grain bread with fresh tomato, avocado slices, lettuce, or with a couple of scrambled eggs.
Add a side of fresh veggies to top it off.
Keep in mind that bacon contains plenty of salt along with nitrates, so keep this favorite at a minimum.
7.) – For Dessert… Rice Pudding
A meal is not complete without some desert. How about something that’s smooth, creamy, and delicious.
What everyone craves for is surrendering to a dish full of rich vanilla ice cream to soothe the woes, but know it’s a sinful wish.
What’s recommended instead is snacking on some rice pudding.
It contains a hefty amount of sugar however, as a serving can have around 120 calories along with 2 grams of fat and protein.
This is manageable however, for something which delivers a satisfying treat.
What makes this snack better is that rice pudding pairs particularly well with cinnamon, which is considered a superfood.
So add a healthy sprinkle, and you’ll gain the benefits of this disease fighting spice.
This combination when you’re wanting something sweet, is also good for diabetics, as it’s known to lower blood and cholesterol levels, so indulge.