Hello Dear One!
Happy almost Thanksgiving!
As menus get worked out and plans are made, I thought to share some VERY straightforward substitutions that might put your mind (AND WAISTLINE) at ease for this holiday and the holiday season overall.
SIMPLE SUBSTITUTIONS:
COOKING/BAKING:
– Stevia for Sugar
– Full fat Greek yogurt vs Sour Cream
– Apple Cider Vinegar (best)/Balsamic/other vinegars vs Salad Dressing
– No/low calorie Hot Sauce/Siracha, AppleCider Vinegar and Stevia vs BBQ Sauce or something syrupy/sweet
– Applesauce vs Oil (baking)
– Almond/Coconut Flour/Fibergy vs Wheat Flour (baking or thickening)
– Lime/Lemon juice (and ZEST!!) for flavoring sauces/dishes
– Lite Mayo (1/2 – 1/3 of the calories!) vs Full Fat Mayo
– Mustard vs (or cut with) Mayo
– Salsa/Spices for flavor vs calorie rich sauces
– Nutritional Yeast + teeny bit of salt vs Parmesan Cheese
– Salt/Truffle Salt and Pepper
APPETIZERS:
– Soft Cheeses (feta/goat = less calories) vs Hard (cheddar/gouda)
– Cucumber slices vs Crackers
– Endive vs Slices of a Baguette
– Broiled Zucchini slices with Parmesan (or Nutritional Yeast + Salt) and Garlic Powder vs Garlic Bread
APPETIZER SUGGESTIONS (I love):
– Shrimp Cocktail vs loads of Cheese/Crackers/Chips/Heavy Dips to start
–Marinated Olives/Mushrooms, Pickled Vegetables (carrots, radishes, peppers, cucumbers) or Fresh Veggies with Dip (use Greek Yogurt)
– Smoked salmon with Capers, Red Onion, squeeze of Lemon and Neufchatel Cream Cheese on Endive
– Deviled eggs with Lite Mayo topped with sprinkle of Dill or Hot Sauce
SIDES:
– Tofu Shiratki Noodles (super low carb, low calorie) vs Semolina Pasta (apparently Italians have PASTA at Thanksgiving!)
– Bilinski Chicken Sausages (high protein, low calorie) for Stuffing vs another Sausage
– Roasted Brussel Sprouts/Cabbage vs Potatoes/Starchy Vegetables
DESSERT:
– Pumpkin Puree (less carb/calories) for Pie (check out this gluten free version) vs Squash
– Shredded Coconut (unsweetened) for sweetness/texture in Desserts
– Unsweetened Cocoa for rich chocolate flavor
– Choczero Chocolate (no sugar, less calories, more fiber) or Dark Chocolate (less carbs, more fiber) vs Milk Chocolate
– Choczero Hazelnut Spread vs Nutella (less carbs/calories)
– Barebells Protein bars chopped up and added to Trifles/Puddings (adds protein, texture, and low carb sweet/chocolate richness)
DRINKS:
– Fun Non-Alcoholic Seltzers (Le Croix) or “Soda” (Zevia) vs Alcohol or Sugar laden beverages for kids
– Follow each Alcoholic Beverage WITH a Fun Non-Alcoholic Drink
So that’s the long list!
Truth be told whether you make a point to do this for your feast on Thanksgiving or not, I would encourage EVERYONE to start to think about using ANY/MANY of these substitutions MOSTLY.
These quick switches add up FAST in the realm of Insulin Sensitivity (easier to lose weight and harder to gain it) and weight loss in general.
Check them out and see how they serve you. Would love to hear about it if you do.
AND if you’d like to get your body in to a state where weight loss ends up feeling, “effortless”, please check out Fat Burning PRO (self study) or Fat Burning Mastery (one on one coaching).
Happy Holidays! And love to all!
And PS: If you’d like to take a SNEAK PEAK of the beginnings of a new brand and site that’s in the works, please check out Unbound here.
This will be the ultimate destination for courses and a membership+, but in the meantime please give it a look and please share FEEDBACK if you have any.
To getting you clearer on how the body works, and how to make it work for you.
xox, M