I’m 13 weeks post-baby, and I’m obviously trying to tighten things up in any way I can. But it’s also summer, so I’m also trying to eat all of the food and live my life a little, ya know? I had gestational diabetes so for much of my pregnancy, I was robbed of the opportunity to stuff my face with all of my favorite things and call them “pregnancy cravings.”
Point being: I’m currently trying to lose the baby weight without totally sacrificing all of my favorite foods. And because it’s 2020 and cauliflower can literally be anything, it isn’t as hard as you’d think to swap out your favorite indulgences for healthier alternatives. In my world, you can have your faux-Nutella and eat it too.
Here are my top food swaps that I’m obsessed with so that I never feel deprived.
Swap out Nutella, swap in Nutilight. I love that this Nutella-alternative has no sugar added, but tastes just like the real thing. Spread it on celery for a sweet and health(ier) treat.
Swap out pretzels, swap in From The Ground Up Cauliflower Pretzels. My husband is obsessed with pretzels, so these are always on-hand in our house. Not only are they a better-for-you option than regular pretzels, they’re so much more filling. Pro Tip: Dip them in Nutilight and thank me later.
Swap out pizza, swap in Outer Aisle Cauliflower Pizza Crusts. The trick to a perfect cauliflower pizza crust is cooking it on a pizza stone that’s sprinkled with Psyllium Husk, which prevents it from sticking.
Swap out pasta, swap in Palmini or Banza. I mean, if you haven’t already tried a pasta alternative, what are you waiting for? Unless pasta is fresh, it’s basically just a vehicle for sauce anyway, right?
Swap out Tostitos, swap in Siete chips. I honestly think Siete chips (sea salt, always) are waaay better than regular tortilla chips. There, I said it.
Swap out Starbucks, swap in your Nespresso and a frother. Don’t get me wrong: Now that I’m not grabbing Starbucks during my commute each day, it feels like a true indulgence when I do decide to hit the suburban drive thru line and get my favorite order. But day-to-day, I live for my at home coffee situation. To spice things up, I froth things like cinnamon, Simply Inulin and even cocoa powder into my almond milk to top my coffee off with which don’t add on major calories, but add major flavor.
When I’m not in the mood for coffee, I use my frother to make golden milk (almond milk, turmeric + Stevia) and matcha lattes (almond milk + matcha powder).
Swap out granola, swap in High Key Low Carb Maple Granola. I’m sorry, but granola is just empty calories, too many carbs and excess sugar that no one really needs. If you’re looking to spice up your yogurt, try High Key instead. This “granola” is basically just nut/seed clusters that will leave you fuller for longer while still giving you that same crunch.
Swap out wine, swap in FitVine Wine or just add ice. I am obsessed with FitVine Wine Pinot Grigio. What I love even more is that it has 2.5g of carbs and 109 calories per serving. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to sacrifice their daily glass of wine, but also don’t want to totally undo the work you put into your workout, this is the perfect compromise.
My other skinny girl hack that I’m obsessed with is adding ice to my favorite glass of wine (which for me is Whispering Angel). I picked this cute tip up from The Skinny Confidential. Adding ice makes your drink last longer, so that you end up drinking half of what you would have had you just had a normal glass of wine. Plus, I love that I never get hungover when I drink La Piscine-style, since I’m hydrating as I get my buzz on.
Swap out high sugar drink mixers, swap in flavored seltzer/sparkling water. I’m a big tequila girl, and now that I can drink again, there’s nothing I love more than a tequila with seltzer with tons of lime over ice by the pool.
To get fancy, pick your favorite flavored seltzer for an update on your typical liquor-soda order. Some pairs to try:
💛 Grapefruit Spindrift & vodka
💛 Lemon seltzer, Stevia & vodka
💛 Bai Coconut Pineapple & rum
💛 Bai Bubbles in Waikiki Coconut & tequila
💛 Orange bubly & vodka
💛 Coconut LaCroix & tequila
Swap out rice, swap in RightRice. I load up our dinner plates with veggies and protein, but sometimes you just need something else to round out the meal. Specifically, for any Mexican meal, I always reach for RightRice Spanish Rice. I make bomb “burrito bowls” with this as the base. We also love Garlic and Herb, which tastes great with fish, chicken or meat.
Swap out salt & vinegar chips, swap in Blue Diamond Salt ‘n Vinegar Almonds. This is one of my favs. You get the same crunch and flavor as a chip while keeping it cute and low carb. Plus, an almond is way more filling than an overly processed potato chip.
Swap out croutons, swap in nuts or Flackers. When I want a little extra crunch in my salad to keep things from feeling soggy, I crunch up some Flackers as makeshift croutons.
Swap out cereal, swap in HighKey Cereal. As you can tell, I’m obsessed with HighKey foods. I’ve tried a bunch of cereal alternatives and they’re all pretty vile, tbh. I love HighKey’s Cinnamon and Cocoa flavors.
Swap out breakfast sandwiches, swap in Mikey’s English Muffins. I literally live for a big ass bacon, egg & cheese sandwich on a roll from an NYC bodega or suburban deli. Since that’s not in the cards for me right now for many reasons, I DIY my own breakfast sandwich situation with these english muffins, which taste exactly as buttery as the real thing. Toast them in an air fryer or toaster oven instead of a traditional toaster, since they fall apart if you have to fish them out of your toaster.
