When it comes to “diets” I say hell nah. I hate the term, the mindset and what it makes many people do. Instead, I opt for enjoying almost all foods in moderation, especially my sweets. Here are a few foods that I only eat in moderation and some healthy alternatives you can try!
Simple carbs.
Think: Breakfast cereals, baked goods, white bread.
These processed foods are loaded with sugar, giving you a quick boost which is why you might feel energetic immediately after eating them and crave them so often. But the reality is they do very little for you long term (aka, an hour later when you’ve crashed) and the sugar found in these items can cause severe life-long problems. I’ve found that these provide little nutrients and energy throughout my day and do nothing to help me beat the bloat.
Try instead: If you crave sugar in the morning like me, opt for greek yogurt with granola on top. I like Oikos Triple Zero Greek Yogurt because it still has flavor without adding processed sugars.
Pop/Soda
Personally, I hate the taste and carbonation makes me feel terrible. But also, who needs more things that will make you bloat? And remember that sugar crash we talked about above? I save this for when I’m sick, going to the movies or really craving something sweet to drink.
Try instead: Water with fruit in it. Make it carbonated using a SodaStream.
Energy drinks.
Death in a can is what I call these things. Just stay away! You will reach the amount of sugar in ONE can that you should be getting in an ENTIRE day, on top of everything else that you eat in the day. About those sugar free, calorie free drinks…. I don’t even know what to say about those. Consult a doctor, but I really can’t imagine those are much better for your health.
Try instead: Teas or green smoothies are preferred. The fruit in smoothies will give you that same initial boost of energy as you’d be feeling from an energy drink.
Ice cream.
Okay. Full honesty here, I rarely ever avoid ice cream. If you’re trying to find THE WAY to my heart, it’s almost always going to be ice cream (or puppies). However, we can’t be eating loads of ice cream every day **sigh**
Try instead: Banana ice cream. I made it before using a recipe to make chocolate banana “nice” cream and I can say that it was one of the best things aside from ice cream I’ve ever had. Personally, I would not go for a vanilla flavor or leave it plain unless you love the taste of frozen banana because it can be strong but the chocolate was SO GOOD and I didn’t even feel bad (physically or mentally) after eating it. Two scoops please!
What are some foods you only eat in moderation? Drop a comment below telling me why!
Xo,
Gina
© Gina Johnson Spoden 2019
