When it comes to changing your eating habits, your food lifestyle or going on a diet, I don’t think depriving yourself of indulgences is a good idea. In fact, I think it’s the quickest way to fail. You need to be able to find a way to still indulge a little bit or before you know it, you’re off the wagon and chasing it down the street.
For example, I don’t have a huge sweet tooth, but when I’m craving something sweet, I will indulge, in moderation. Sometimes the indulgence really isn’t one at all. Frozen grapes are a oft-reached-for snack in our house and great way to satisfy a small sweet craving. I also keep good dark chocolate in one of the kitchen cabinets when I want something more intensely sweet.
There are also ways to change up something that is typically less healthy, and make it a little more figure-friendly. Take tacos, for instance. Nick requested them for dinner last night, and I wanted to oblige him, but at the same time, I wanted to avoid making two dinners. I made the kids the more traditional taco (with a few change-ups), and made mine a fish taco. We all used the same toppings, so it wasn’t double the prep work, and everyone was happy.
A few simple suggestions for making tacos healthier:
- Use whole grain or whole wheat tacos. There are quite a number of varieties on the market, both in soft and crunchy versions.
- Focus more on the healthy toppings and less on the meat. We load up on lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, beans, black olives and sliced avocado.
- If you use meat, go for a leaner choice.
- Say no to the prepackaged taco seasoning and make your own (Sarah has a good one you might want to try).
- Consider swapping out the meat for a nice broiled fish (or try the recipe I made last night, below).
- Make a vegetarian version and skip the meat altogether.
- Use lettuce cups as the vehicle instead of a taco shell.
With a little bit of creativity, you can indulge and skip the side of guilt, which is totally a movement I can rally for….