Summer is a great time not only because of the awesome weather but because of the awesome food as well! If your dying for some of the so-called “bad carbs” but don’t want to run the risk of gaining weight then you have to start thinking and eating more creatively.
Here are some great summer substitutions to get you on the right track.
If you crave potato chips, corn chips, or any snack chip, try popcorn instead. Two ounces of potato chips have 304 calories, 20 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber, and 365 milligrams of sodium. Three cups of popcorn (unsalted and unbuttered) have 93 calories, 1 gram of fat, 3.5 grams of fiber, and 1 milligram of sodium.
If you love pizza as much as I do, try and choose a slice with extra veggies (yummy!) instead of high-fat meat toppings like pepperoni and bacon. Two slices of pizza with meat contain 600 calories, 24 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 1,365 milligrams of sodium. Two slices of veggie pizza contain 360 calories, 12 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 1,060 milligrams of sodium.
If your fat and sugar cravings start kicking in, it may be because your blood sugar and energy levels are low. instead of having cake or cookies, choose something with carbs and protein, like peanut butter on apple slices. This option will stabilize your blood sugar fast and keep you feeling satisfied longer.
You can enjoy the carb-rich foods like doughnuts, some muffins, and buttery croissants but choose to eat them as a weekly treat rather than something you eat every single day. For the majority of the time choose natural carbs like fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas). Giving yourself a “treat” food or meal once each week will make it easier for you to stick to a healthy long-term eating plan. Im sure you’ve heard about the 80/20 rule! 80 percent of the time chose healthy nutritious foods and 20 percent of the time you can eat sweets and not so healthy foods.
“I’m so hungry I can eat a horse!” If you ever get to this point what I want you to do is go for the “wet” carbs. Wet carbs can be classified as foods like fruit, veggies, oatmeal, yams, or brown rice. These foods are filled with fiber and moisture and will give you that “bulk effect” which will help curb your appetite.
When it’s all said and done one truth that stands the test of time when it comes to carbs is “everything in moderation.”
When you look at moderation it’s more than what you eat - it’s how you treat yourself. Do you treat yourself poorly or well? There really isn’t a right reason to go and deprive yourself of little treats every now and then.
You don’t need to skip dessert every single day. Just as long as you have the discipline and control to “Hit the stop button” you can enjoy a few treats on a weekly basis.
Moderation simply means to enjoy some indulgences while knowing what your limits are. So this summer have some ice-cream, have some cake but please enjoy your carbs responsibly!
Author Bio: Marci Lall is a personal trainer in toronto, and creates workout programs for women. You can get a free proven fat loss routine by checking out his 4 Week Beginners Workout plan.
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