The Switch-up

I am a seriously picky eater, which often makes healthy eating difficult for me. Over time I have been making substitutions and forcing myself to eat things that I don't really like in order to eat a healthier, more balanced diet. I have found that small substitutions can really make a big difference, so I am going to share a few examples of easy and yummy substitution ideas.

1. I love burritos. There are a few tricks that I have found really help make one of my favorite meals a win-win situation. I first decided that I would start buying the smaller tortillas. This first step is built in portion control. Just don't justify over-eating by saying that you can have more because of the smaller portion...that's the point. I also switched out flour for whole wheat. Swap your fatty beef for lean beef, ground turkey breast (check the package because it might have the skin ground in, which adds lots of fat), or chicken breast. Swap those refried beans for black beans (I throw mine in the food processor with some salsa!) because refried beans have tons of fat, while black beans are full of protein and fiber! And the last swap that you may not have thought of is brown rice with some lime juice instead of Spanish or Mexican style white rice. Don't forget to use low fat or fat free options when grabbing the sour cream and cheese.

2. Sandwiches just aren't the same without mayo. Which is probably a good thing considering it is almost pure fat, even if it is delicious. There are so many other things to throw on sandwiches,  wraps, or burgers that are healthier. Mustard is always a good choice since it is almost calorie free, but if your looking to mix things up, then try a little guacamole on your turkey with Swiss. Making chicken or tuna salad? Mix some Greek yogurt with a little Dijon mustard.

3. Chocolate milk, hold the syrup. I hate drinking milk, but there are times when I just really want a  big glass of ice cold chocolate milk. Even though we buy either almond or skim milk, it turns into a not-so-good treat when you dump a ton of sugary syrup in there to make it chocolaty. What's a better swap? I have recently started making my own chocolate milk by mixing unsweetened cocoa powder, a dash of salt, and a little Splenda into my milk. I know what you're thinking...gross. It isn't! It is possibly better than Hershey's Syrup, and I live in Pennsylvania! That would be considered slanderous here if I weren't using Hershey's Cocoa Powder, although any brand will work just fine. And a tip to mixing it all in, is to put the dry ingredients into the bottom of the cup, then add just a little hot tap water and stir it together before adding the cold milk.

My next switch-up is going to be the cauliflower pizza crust I keeping seeing all over the place. I bet it is going to be super yummy! Maybe I will even let you know how it goes. Let me know what other great switch-up ideas you have!

Lesser of Evils

I love soda. It's terrible, I know, but I seriously love soda. It is a problem. I am a firm believer in lesser of evils because, let's face it, not all of us have an iron will. I know people who do, and it seems like such a simple thing; you just choose to do or not do something, and that's all there is to it. My brother-in-law Nick is one of those people. He resolved to cut out soda and candy, and he started working out. He did it, and he lost a ton of weight. Now, he is a fitness freak, gym junkie, and diet conscious. I don't mean those to be insults either because I envy his dedication. But as for me, I will continue to just try to choose the lesser of evils.

If you are a soda lover like me, I might have a solution for both of us. I do my best not to buy soda when grocery shopping. If I see it in the fridge, I grab it even with the twinge of guilt I feel as I pop the tab, which is why it is best for me to just keep it out of the house altogether. I know that drinking calories is terrible, so I needed a solution to my pop problem. I went for the lesser of evils. I know that there are some people who are dead set against artificial sweeteners, but I have no real issue with them. I started drinking Crystal Light Energy. I didn't want to compromise the caffeine fix in the soda, which I know also isn't great for you, but I wanted to cut down the calories I drank each day.

I have tried the Crystal Light Energy and the Great Value option, and both are good. I have a few warnings though for those who might want to try them out. First, it is advertised that it is only 5 calories per serving, but as with most things, one packet it actually 2 servings, so just be aware of what you are actually consuming. That's a good rule of thumb for all intake. Also, if you see the "citrus" flavor that comes in an orange box and has a picture of an orange on it, it is actually lemonade. I didn't really want orange flavor, but I bought it once because that's all that was stocked, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be lemonade.

I may not have completely quit drinking soda, and the Crystal Light is still just a lesser of evils, but I have come to an understanding through reflection that life should be conducted through conscious decisions. When it comes to my diet, I have realized that the smoothest path to change will be traveled through a series of conscious decisions. I am not the type of person who can change over night. I am making small changes, one at a time. Things like choosing the Crystal Light over soda, or picking black beans over refried pinto beans like my Anything for 10 Sister has been trying to get me to do. I did grab the black beans when I made tacos this week, but I still picked the full fat sour cream. It was a conscious decision for both items. I decided that next time, I would take the next step by choosing the low-fat sour cream. A series of conscious decisions.