Conquer cravings
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last twenty years, you already know why we should be reducing our fast-food, fatty, junky snacking and eating habits. But childhood and adolescent habits can be hard to break, and our culture seems determined to put junk food in front of us.
Here are some ideas and strategies to get past the moment of craving and on to wholesome food.
Strategy one: Pre-plan for real life. Don't just focus on meal planning, although that helps – look at the points at which you're most tempted by junk food and plan for those. Toss trail mix, almonds, or dried fruit into the car for the ride home. Bring your own snack to meetings where doughnuts are likely to be present. Put dessert back on the menu, but focus on fruit or other healthier sweets.
Strategy two: Make it easier to get the good stuff. Don't be afraid to really make it easy on yourself and grab the pre-washed and prepared vegetables from the store, but you can also just wash and prepare your own on shopping day. Store healthy food at the front of the fridge and freezer. Put the fruit bowl back on the counter. The more often you reach for healthy alternatives, the better habits you'll form.
Strategy three: Go gourmet or go home. If you're going to indulge in something someone else has prepared, or add to your calorie and fat numbers for the week, make it an event. Drive past the cheap takeout joint and support a local chef. Stop by the pricey organic farmer's market and pay more for the heirloom tomatoes. Use fresh herbs at will.
Strategy four: Pay more. Yes, the bigger sizes are a better deal – but you might consume the whole two-liter bottle. If you're going to have a root beer, go and get the most expensive fussy little bottle of it you can find. If that one drink is not worth $3.49 to you, then skip it. This can be a winning strategy when dealing with others' junk-food favourites too: if you buy the expensive brand for them, you might feel like it's not worth it to indulge yourself in a late-night grab.
Strategy five: Can the extras. Say no to the side dishes: after all, you came for the margaritas, not the chips and salsa, right?
Strategy six: Say yes. My personal pet peeve is low-fat cheese. Although there are some cheeses that lend themselves to the experience (skim milk mozzarella is not bad!), sometimes it simply is time to break out the good, high-fat stuff. The key is to reduce the portion size and frequency. Whatever your top indulgence is, don't give it up entirely – just try to rely on it a little less. This includes items from the place with the golden arches.
Strategy seven: Remake your favourites. If you secretly indulge in a meatball sub every so often, try one on whole-grain bread with turkey or veggie meatballs – same combination of sauce, meat, and gooeyness, but with less fat and added nutritional punch. You don't have to do it all at once either – you can start with a white bun, but a turkey burger here, roast sweet potato fries there. Keep reading for some specific ways to retrain your palate.
