Looking for good food substitutions

[pegkerr]

In my quest to lose weight, I'm keeping a food journal and trying to up my exercise. I'm also looking for substitutions, to help me manage when I get a food craving. For example, tonight, I wanted something sweet, hot and fast after dinner. My usual solution would be to make Chocolate Microwave Cake. Tonight, in an attempt to substitute something healthier I searched through my cookbooks and found blueberry cobbler. Take a half cup of blueberries, add a little sugar and lemon juice and heat. Mix 3/8 cup Jiffy Baking Mix with 1/8 cup milk to make a dough. Put blueberries in a ramaken, put the dough on top, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sugar, and bake for 13-15 minutes at 450F. Fast, hot, and much more virtuous.

I've also been making apple crumble a lot: chop up an apple. Melt together 1/2 TB butter and 1 TB orange juice concentrate. Mix with 2 TB wheat germ, 2 TB oatmeal, 1 TB chopped walnuts, and cinnamon to taste. Put crumble topping over apple and microwave for two minutes.

Other ideas for healthy after meal sweet cravings?

Now: I need a healthy alternative to Ranch Doritos. They have been a terrible weakness for me this week. Can anyone suggest something else to eat when I'm craving those?

Comments

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

My mother (who had a heart attack and is thus on the warpath about healthy foods) uses some sort of blue corn chip that's apparently quite good for you, I mean, compared to Doritos. I can ask her next time I see her.

[chance88088.livejournal.com]

um, fruit?

ok maybe i am mad in this, but I find fruit to be the best dessert ever. (and once you stop eating a lot of sweets you find most "desserts" really overly sweet.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like fruit, too, and eat a bunch of it. But it's no help when I'm craving the salty crunch of Doritos. Argh.

[chance88088.livejournal.com]

ok. this will sound sick, but it works for me - eat some salt.

in short order you don't want anything salty.

(though again, a salt fast really helps with salt cravings much like sugar fasts do)

[em-h.livejournal.com]

Salted roasted soybeans? Can you get hold of those?

[anoisblue.livejournal.com]

I like a really good piece of fruit or cut up melon. But for a craving situation, a cup of low-fat hot cocoa does wonders for me.

My biggest life-saver food -- a bowl of hot oatmeal with Splenda and walnuts. Yummy and filling.

[emerald-ibis.livejournal.com]

Can anyone suggest something else to eat when I'm craving those?


Carrots dipped in low-fat ranch dressing (Hidden Valley is actually pretty good) are my own substitute for most chips and crackers.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

My mother in law makes these merengues with no-fat yoghurt and the low-fat whipped cream spray. I'll get the recipe from her.

I get the crunchy salty munches too, and when I do, I usually try to fix it with pretzels or a single piece of toast, unbuttered...

[naomikritzer]

For salt -- maybe steam some frozen edamame beans and salt them thoroughly before eating? I had edamame for lunch today. They're not crunchy the way Doritos are, though.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Seconded the steamed/microwaved edamame. You can get it frozen here, and it really satisfies my salt cravings.

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I craved Doritos for a while, but luckily (for the not eating them), I'm sensitive to MSG, and so they started to make me sick. Nothing like aversion therapy to make me stop craving things. :) If I want chips, I usually go with Garden of Eatin' blue corn chips and my green mountain gringo salsa, but that's probably got the same basic problem, just fewer artificial bits--I've been lured onto the path of organic food lately, not low fat. You could probably mock up a mixture of the spices you like best in the cool ranch chips and use it as a sprinkle or a dip for whatever you want--veggies, or baked type chips or some such.

For My housemates like to mix frozen fruit (blueberries or cranberry slices, mostly) with soy/rice/skim milk and a little sugar/honey/splenda (and sometimes pumpkin seeds, for the crunch) for a dessert type thing. You mash them all around, and it forms into a purple slush type thing that's probably too cold for this weather, but they still eat it. Crazy people. Another one makes frozen pops with low/non fat yogurt/silken tofu and cocoa powder and small paper cups.

Depending on your willpower, there's always things like chocolate chips--I usually can have a small handful and that's enough for me--I've had my chocolate, and I no longer crave bad for me things, but some people have to eat all of it or it's not safe. likewise small halloween sized candy bars are good for cravings like that, but only when I'm not in an eat everything mood.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

For chocolate, substitute packing peanuts.

B

[lkw18.livejournal.com]

I too have a weakness for Ranch Doritos. They sure are addicting.

Blue corn chips really are quite good. You could also try Baked Lays. I remember my mom buying them in an attempt to find low-fat chips. They are salty and low in fat (I'm pretty sure) but *sigh* of course they aren't nearly as good as Doritos.

[(Anonymous)]

SUNFLOWER SEEDS. they help me through everything. they require time and effort, (seeds that still have shells, mind you, so you don't eat as much), they have protein, they are portable(easily snuck into a movie even!), and cheap. They got me over an 11 year smoking habit in two weeks. while they are high in fat proportionatly (sp?) to a serving, a serving is usually half a bag... which can take DAYS to consume.
Only word of advice...carry carmex or chapstick with you!
ENJOY!!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lotuseater/]

Man, I just staggered upstairs after doing a 40-minute workout and this is what's on my flist. :) When I'm craving something sweet, I eat meringue cookies. They sell these really great ones at Target...I can't remember what they're called, but they have a picture of a stylish lady on them. As for saltiness...hmm...well, I'm a big fan of hummus and Wheat Thins. I'm not a salt-craving person, though.

[carenejeans.livejournal.com]

For a sweet dessert I like to make a quick sort of "fried banana" thing. In a small non-stick skillet, toast a scant half teaspoon of sesame seeds and up to about a tablespoon shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened). When this has browned slightly, slice in a banana and cook, stirring, until the banana starts to "melt" (you'll see what I mean). Put it in a bowl and either eat it warm or let it cool a bit. I think it's best lukewarm. It's pretty sweet, especially if the banana is very ripe, and the sesame seeds even give it a buttery taste.

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Air-popped popcorn works for me when I want something salty and crunchy; I still add salt and butter, but it's much less than what's in a bag of chips or a microwave popcorn.

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

Mmmm. You're making me hungry! Cobblers and crumbles sound perfect on wintry days like this. The apple dish sounds like something I could throw together for lunch at my desk some time. Thanks!