Making Healthier Choices

Rather than following some fad diet that I will never be able to stick to, I have decided to make small changes, a little at a time, that are sustainable while still enjoyable. I don’t know about you, but my biggest temptation is salty snacks, especially chips. If I want to lose weight, and keep my blood sugar controlled, I need adjust my carbohydrates. Not only do I need to eat less carbs, but i need to choose carbs that are complex and slow burning. On top of that I need to increase protein and fiber in my diet to help with lean muscle to burn fat, and to help slow the digestion of those carbs.

Since I know I will not be able to give up chips forever, I decided to find a healthier substitute that tastes great and satisfies the cravings. I believe by using a substitute I will be more likely to stick with it. My favorite find so far are the protein chips by Quest. The texture is a little different from Doritos, but they taste great. My favorite is the Loaded Taco (shown below). The Chili Lime ones tasted great too, but they were a little too spicy for my sensitive tongue. I recommend trying a few flavors to see what you like best. I tried a combo pack like the one at the link below to see what worked best for me.

Quest Protein Chips Variety Pack

One of my other favorite snacks is Cheez Its and Slim Jims eaten together. My husband thinks this is completely gross, but I am addicted. Cheez Its are out because of carbs, and Slim Jims are out due to my doctor’s recommendation to reduce beef. Not to mention all the extra crap they pack into those things. This week I discovered I could still enjoy my favorite snack, with a couple little substitutions. Quest makes cheese crackers as well! They taste great and the texture is only a little different. The flavor reminds me a little of thr flavor basted Goldfish,

Quest Cheese Crackers

I had already been researching Slim Jim alternatives made with turkey, but most still had all the extra stuff mixed in. I finally found turkey snack sticks that not only have a bunch of protein and no added sugars, but I can actually pronounce and understand every ingredient on the list. Instead of a bunch of chemicals and preservatives, they have natural ingredients. Best yet, I love cilantro lime everything! Check out the label for yourself.

The New Primal Cilantro Lime Turkey Snack Sticks

I love eating these together. I just take a small bite of the turkey snack stick, then add a cheese cracker or two, and eat them together. Sounds weird, but it’s the best.

The biggest barrier in trying these substitutions before now was the price. Unfortunately, these days, anything even remotely healthy is more expensive than the less healthy alternatives. So far I have seen that using these as substitutions not only satisfies the cravings, I have them less often. A 12 pack of chips, 12 pack of cheese crackers, and 20 pack of turkey sticks lasts me at least a month. I really only eat one or the other in a day, and don’t have them every day. When I do have them, I am full and satisfied for a couple hours. I used to snack all day, now I can have one snack between lunch and dinner and I am good to go.

I encourage you to try these or other substitutions in the areas that will help you most. I would love to read your feedback on if you have tried these. Did you like them? What else has worked well for you?