Whoever created the term “junk food” did it just right. We love junk food even though we all know that it’s not healthy and it’s the last thing we should eat.
However, it’s delicious! There is nothing like eating a pizza in the evening after a hard workday and watching your favorite TV show on Netflix.
And while we love it, it’s called ‘’junk’’ for a reason. In fact, it’s the very reason why a lot of us have a hard time losing weight or feel low on energy.
I’m a firm believer that we should eat whatever we want but in moderation. In fact, it is one of those things that most of us can afford.
And, yeah it does bring some happiness! So, why would you want to completely cut out such a pleasurable experience out of your life?
Today, I’d love to show you a few junk food hacks that won’t ruin your diet and progress. These will help you to eat healthier without feeling like you’re completely giving up on your love for pizza or a burger.
In fact, these should let you enjoy yourself a little bit more often without feeling guilty at all!
1. Swap Chicken Wings with Cauliflower Wings
Source: noracooks.com
Have you ever considered what role sauce played in the taste of a lot of foods? While yes, deep-fried chicken with sauce is delicious, would it be that way without any sauce or salt?
Swap buffalo chicken wings with cauliflower ones. They’re super easy to make since you only need to put them into the oven and leave them there.
Also, if you want to cut on those carbs and lower the caloric intake, use almond flour instead of the regular one.
2. Bake Food Instead of Frying It
Frying food often adds crustiness to and makes it delicious. However, you can achieve very similar results with a much smaller amount of oil.
Try baking your favorite chicken wings in the oven instead of frying them. While the taste won’t be exactly the same, you can achieve that crunchy crust!
If you’re a big fan of French fries and onion rings, just use the oven. The difference in taste is going to be very small.
3. Lose the Pizza Carbs with Cauliflower
Pizza can truly make your day. People who love pizza will understand me. However, the crust is always so high in carbs. No wonder a pizza can be as much as 1,000 calories!
If you like pizza that much, try one with a cauliflower crust. You can either make one at home or order it.
Yes, restaurants more and more often include cauliflower pizzas into their menus. So, you should definitely give it a try.
4. Use Greek Yoghurt Instead of Mayonnaise
If you’re a big fan of burgers with mayonnaise, consider swapping it with Greek yogurt. With a little bit of chili or garlic powder, it can give a few unexpected flavors to any dish.
Non-fatty Greek yogurt is around 18 times less in calories and doesn’t contain saturated fats (which, by the way, increases the levels of cholesterol). In addition to that, Greek yogurt has a good amount of protein, which is essential for weight loss.
5. Swap Your Regular Potato Chips to Microwaved Ones
You can make your own crispy chips without needing to fry a thing. In fact, you can use a microwave to make it!
Here is the recipe. It’s very simple, all you need is a little bit of olive oil, seasoning, and potatoes. The good thing about these chips is that you can safely store them and eat them for a couple of days.
So, prep them in bulk and feed your whole family with a healthier option of junk food!
6. Make Your Own Paleo Oreos
Source: livinghealthywithchocolate.com
Now if you’re a fan of Oreos, you probably know how much sugar they have. The truth is, if you invest a little bit of time, you can make your own version of Oreos.
Like most foods, what you make at home is usually lower in sugar, lower in fats, and overall much healthier. Here is a quick Oreo recipe that uses raw Honey to give a little bit of sweetness to the cookies.
Definitely worth a try if you’re a big fan of Oreos.
7. Make Your Own Burger
While ordering a burger in a fast food place is much quicker, you cannot really control how the burger is made. You could easily make a delicious burger of your own at home in a much healthier way.
Instead of frying the meat, grill it. Instead of using white buns, use whole grain ones. Then add a little bit a salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, and low-fat Greek yogurt.
This is how you make a much healthier version of a burger that will probably even taste better than the one from MacDonald’s.
8. Get Sweet Potato Fries Instead of Regular Ones
Yes, oven cooked potato chips are great! However, what’s even healthier is sweet potato fries. Just cooked in the oven!
Sweet potato is a little bit lower in carbs than the regular one. Same goes for the caloric intake. So, the next time you’re craving French fries, make your own oven-cooked sweet potato fries!
9. Swap Ice Cream with Yoghurt Ice Pops
Source: sallysbakingaddiction.com
Summer without ice cream isn’t a summer! However, you cannot really eat ice cream every day! The amounts of sugar it contains isn’t exactly great for your health or your weight!
You can always make your own yogurt ice pops! Just mix yogurt with your favorite berries and freeze it. The beautiful thing about making your own healthier version of ice cream is that you can control the sweetness and the taste.
Also, you can always just make a bunch of those on the weekend to make sure your supply is full for the rest of the week.
10. Swap Donuts with Energy Bombs
Energy bombs have a very similar texture to donuts. They‘re also a much healthier option that you can try.
The good thing about energy bombs is that you can make a bunch of those and it takes minutes to do that. Here is a quick recipe you can follow to kill your cravings!
Conclusion
Next time you’re craving for junk food, try some of these tricks! If you have any other junk food hacks that you’d like to share, let me know in the comment section!
There are so many junk food swaps out there that I’m sure we haven’t heard of!