I’ve tried this type of post before, without much success… hopefully this time is different haha.
What are your favorite foods and drinks when dieting that are actually good?
Qualifications-
-must not taste too splenda-y if it’s dessert like
-no boring classics like chicken and brocc (more in a sec on that)
-texture can’t be shitty, imo that’s the worst when dieting
BONUS! if it’s cheap, easy to get and I don’t have to buy anything online
Some things I like when cutting-
Crystal light peach mango green tea. You all know what I’m talking about if you’ve had it… haha
Sous-vide orange chicken. I eyeball this recipe usually, but it’s simple and hard to mess up. Sous vide chicken isn’t essential, but it’s nice on occasion. I dont use the actual machine, fyi
Diet orange soda
Ginger powder and/or diet ginger ale
Soy sauce
vinegar, i used rice
slow roasted garlic, nom… or powdered garlic lol
tomato paste
better than bullion chicken “broth”
green onions
something spicy, like sriracha
maybe extra sweetener if you need it
puree that and put on cooked chicken breast, or dark meat (preferred, of course)
diet no-bake cheesecake
This can be too artificially sweet if you go with no fat cream cheese, some ppl dont care though.
-Plantain flour crust- not low cal, but incredibly nutrient dense, mainly vit C. my friend makes it. I add both butter and water for it, then bake till crispy.
-cream cheese
-vanilla or whatever flavor you like(though bitter foods like chocolate/cocao will require more sweetener, and that goes south fast)
-berries aren’t a bad idea, frozen should be cooked some to reduce water
-sweetener to taste, a mix tastes better to me
-gelatin, 1 pack per 2-8oz cream cheese
-small portion cold milk to dissolve gelatin in
blend/whip all together after gelatin “dissolves” in milk*** very important, freeze if inpatient like me or throw in fridge for a few hours until set. top with more crap if you can
I can find portions if anyone actually is interested, just wanted to get the ball rolling.
-cottage cheese/greek yogurt mixed with either splenda and cocoa powder or with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and splenda both awesome. You can add some fiber one plain cereal for crunch.
[quote]chillain wrote:
Arctic Zero “ice cream” - to quell a latenight craving[/quote]
These guys, along with some other brands of diet ice cream, got busted a year or two ago for having their label info wayyyyy off the actual content. I haven’t checked lately, but I remember it was something like 60% or 70% more calories than listed on the label. Even if they’ve corrected it since, I have trouble putting faith in food companies that get tripped up with that.
On topic, it’s not sexy, but hard boiled eggs (or egg whites if you really have to) with copious amounts of horseradish can be super-filling if you knock back enough and plenty satisfying.
And can I give an under-appreciated shout out to sugar-free chewing gum? Sounds dumb or overly simple, but a stick or two of gum can tide me over and kill cravings when necessary. Those “Dessert Delights” are pretty awesome and make you feel like Violet Beauregarde. Mint chocolate chip and root beer float FTW.
[quote]xXSeraphimXx wrote:
-cottage cheese/greek yogurt mixed with either splenda and cocoa powder or with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and splenda both awesome.
[/quote]
x2 on this. I used to do this a whole lot with cocoa powder and Splenda. Also a big fan of putting in some frozen berries. Now I’m going to pick up some cottage cheese on the way home and do it again.
Snacks -
As mentioned above greek yogurt or cottage cheese. I will add that ceylon cinnamon added to either is great. Way better than regular cinnamon. It’s more sweet and not as abrasive on the throat.
Dessert -
If I’m craving dessert I put frozen blueberries into a coffee cup and ad a small amount of almond milk. The berries freeze the almond milk and create an ice cream like coating on the berries.
Meals -
Turkey lettuce wraps - Ground turkey cooked with veggies like bean sprouts, carrots, bok choy, chopped string beans. add a small amount of teryaki and hot sauce.
Italian Grilled Chicken Stew - Grate a few zucchini, chop garlic and onions. Cook in a little olive oil in a large pot. Cook some chicken on the grill. (I’ve found a bit of char from the grill really adds to this dish) Chop the chicken and add to the cooked veggies. Add some crushed tomatoes and basil to the pot. Simmer for an hour.
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
These guys, along with some other brands of diet ice cream, got busted a year or two ago for having their label info wayyyyy off the actual content. I haven’t checked lately, but I remember it was something like 60% or 70% more calories than listed on the label. Even if they’ve corrected it since, I have trouble putting faith in food companies that get tripped up with that.
On topic, it’s not sexy, but hard boiled eggs (or egg whites if you really have to) with copious amounts of horseradish can be super-filling if you knock back enough and plenty satisfying.
And can I give an under-appreciated shout out to sugar-free chewing gum? Sounds dumb or overly simple, but a stick or two of gum can tide me over and kill cravings when necessary. Those “Dessert Delights” are pretty awesome and make you feel like Violet Beauregarde. Mint chocolate chip and root beer float FTW.[/quote]
Excellent info as ever, Chris C.
And I’ll echo the sugar-free gum suggestion, as well. (I was annoyed to recently learn that Target stopped carrying the sugar-free Bubble Yum near the check-out register; chomping on two pieces of that for few hrs was also a legit jaw workout
And I should also credit TheMightyStu here for the ‘pickles’ suggestion.
fish sauce: similar to pickles… old and salty tasting. i just throw it on breasts
vinegar: I get special flavors from the asian market. Lately, I’ve been putting down a Filipino spiced coconut vinegar.
crockpot chicken: just throw an entire chicken in a crockpot with whatever spices/veggies you want. no liquid, high 4-5 hours… just too easy.
cubed steak: throw whatever seasoning you want, fry on med-high for 2 minute/side. 10g P and 1g F per oz.
peanut butter on lightly salted/popcorn flavored rice cakes
quaker cheese flavored rice cakes
other than that, it more comes down to saving time. for example, I’ll fry some pork chops in a wok, then thrown onions/garlic in there, then greens, throw some chicken breasts of fish on top of the greens as they simmer.
[quote]1 Man Island wrote:
crockpot chicken: just throw an entire chicken in a crockpot with whatever spices/veggies you want. no liquid, high 4-5 hours… just too easy.
[/quote]
I do this all the time, but with crockpot on low because I start it when I leave for work in the morning (around 7:30 AM), it’s so nice to have a delicious dinner waiting when I get home (usually about 12 hours later). The extra cooking time seems to do two things:
Golden, delicious, crispy skin
More tender meat on the inside
I just toss the whole chicken in with some dehydrated vegetables and a heavy dose of an herbed salt that my GF bought for me rubbed all over the chicken. Sooooo good.
Also, VT-Trainer, more on the topic of satisfying “diet” foods, since I think you’re looking for things like low-cal substitutes for more common staples: I’m a huge fan of cauliflower puree in place of mashed potatoes. Chris Shugart has probably written about that elsewhere on this site, it’s nothing new, but it’s a fairly recent “discovery” for me (just within the past year).
[quote]1 Man Island wrote:
crockpot chicken: just throw an entire chicken in a crockpot with whatever spices/veggies you want. no liquid, high 4-5 hours… just too easy.
[/quote]
I do this all the time, but with crockpot on low because I start it when I leave for work in the morning (around 7:30 AM), it’s so nice to have a delicious dinner waiting when I get home (usually about 12 hours later). The extra cooking time seems to do two things:
Golden, delicious, crispy skin
More tender meat on the inside
I just toss the whole chicken in with some dehydrated vegetables and a heavy dose of an herbed salt that my GF bought for me rubbed all over the chicken. Sooooo good.
Also, VT-Trainer, more on the topic of satisfying “diet” foods, since I think you’re looking for things like low-cal substitutes for more common staples: I’m a huge fan of cauliflower puree in place of mashed potatoes. Chris Shugart has probably written about that elsewhere on this site, it’s nothing new, but it’s a fairly recent “discovery” for me (just within the past year).[/quote]
I do have an affinity for faux-mashed potatoes. Look up some cauliflower pizza recipes, some work pretty good. You usually need mozz and parmesan, plus an egg. The mozzarella makes it higher cal (lower fat versions make a less greasy pizza), but the crust is 10x more nutritious than anything alternatives. I mix mine with coconut flour, still in the works though. You should give it a try.
[quote]chillain wrote:
black coffee or iced americanos - to blunt the hunger
pickles/sauerkraut - to quell a latenight craving
Arctic Zero “ice cream” - to quell a latenight craving
bag(s) of frozen vegs - to go to bed feeling full
[/quote]
my gf loves the arctic icecream stuff, but i just can’t convince myself to pay $5 for like 2 scoops worth of protein powder.
x10 on the frozen veggies, for sure
Some pretty good stuff already guys.I like fat free sugar free jello with fat free whipped cream on top.Cottage cheese with banana flavor Metabolic Drive mixed in.Also the Artic Zero ice cream with a little sugar free maple syrup drizzled on top.I did read that piece about them being called out for their numbers being off(like Chris said)and I too have a hard time believing that there stuff is legit now.
For those who like a vinegar punch (some ppl mentioned pickles above), here’s one I’ve been stuck on lately
Roasted veggies and “vinaigrette”
It’s my own spin on an asian side I tried (miso glazed eggplant)
Things I like in it-
eggplant -2
onions -2 large
carrots -1lb
celery -1 head
potatoes -IIFYM
anything else really
–microwave carrots, potatoes and onions for about 10 min (I use a 4qt pyrex bowl)
vinaigrette- miso:water:rice vinegar:soy sauce at 4:4:2:1
I don’t need more fats w this usually, since I like to eat them elsewhere, add fat if you like. To this add garlic powder, a lot of (cheap) parmesan, pepper, fish sauce and more salt/fish sauce/soy sauce to taste. shake or stir well
after microwaving the carrots, potatoes and onions mix everything together with some vinaigrette, bake at 375 for 45 min (check onions), then top with more vinaigrette.
