Junk food, it’s something many of us wish we didn’t have an overwhelming love for, but it’s also something that isn’t going away any time soon. If you are looking to start eating healthier, there’s a good chance avoiding junk food is going to be very difficult for you; cravings for junk food can be so strong that they can easily cause a good diet to go spiralling out of control if you are not careful. Thankfully, there are plenty of good alternatives to junk food that can be just as tasty while being significantly healthier. Here’s a look at some of the best alternatives to some of the most beloved junk foods out there.
Fries
When looking at fries, one of the most treasured of all junk foods and a fast food staple, it’s not so much about replacing them with something else, but more about cooking them differently. Instead of using the deep-fryer, try baking fries in the oven using coconut oil. This way you’ll get all the benefits of coconut oil while still enjoying crispy fries.
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Pizza
another favourite among junk food enthusiasts, pizza remains one of the most widely consumed junk foods. One way to make pizza healthier is to try making it with a crust made of cauliflower to ease up on the carbs. If it’s a smaller pizza you’re looking to fix up, eggplant and mushrooms make a suitable crust replacement.
Potato Chips
potato chips are the ultimate snack food, so you may call us crazy for suggesting an alternative, but hear us out! Kale chips are an equally delicious snack that will give you that same satisfying crunch, and veggie chips are also a suitable replacement. If you need to, sprinkling a little bit of salt on your kale or veggie chips is not going to hurt anyone.
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Chocolate
if you’re as in love with chocolate as all the other chocolate lovers out there, then it’s probably going to be difficult to resist snatching a chocolate bar at the checkout line every time you buy groceries. But never fear, because there IS a way you can fight back! Enjoying a square or two of dark chocolate is a great way to get your chocolate fix without any guilt. Dark chocolate contains high amounts of real cocoa, which has actually been shown to be good for you.
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Ice Cream
when it comes to dessert, it’s pretty hard to beat ice cream. So it’s probably impossible to find a healthier alternative for it, right? Wrong! You can get the same satisfaction you’d get from ice cream with frozen blended bananas and a few added ingredients. There are plenty of other combinations of fruit and other ingredients, but the point is you don’t have to eat ice cream in order to enjoy a delicious frozen dessert after a meal.
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Soda
if you’re a big soda drinker, it may be difficult to make the move to water, but don’t worry because there are great ways to sweeten your water without all that unhealthy sugar. Kombucha is getting more and more popular as a sweet alternative, and people have been simply adding fruit to their water for years as a way of giving it a little bit of sweetness.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore! Trying out these delicious junk food alternatives is going to help you stay on track when it comes to your diet, while at the same time allowing you to satisfy those cravings for everything sweet and salty.