From ruining your progress to making you feel like a failure, food cravings aren’t your friend (no matter what they say). In this article, we break down the real reasons you can’t stop over-snacking, and explain how to combine smart behavioral strategies with healthy junk food alternatives—so you can finally conquer your cravings.
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Have you ever stared at a pile of crumbs, with a belly full of shame, and wondered, ‘How did I let this happen?’
We can relate. Because almost everyone can relate.
Besides driving you to eat, cravings can drive you nuts—making you feel like an out-of-control failure who can’t keep from overindulging.
But you aren’t powerless against these urges, even if it seems that way.
The secret to winning the cravings game?
It’s not about eliminating your cravings altogether. That’s wishful thinking.
It’s not about building your willpower, either. Relying solely on self-discipline all-too-often ends with a binge (and then a whimper).
No, the way you conquer your cravings is by outwitting them.
How? By understanding why, where, and when they occur and creating a strategic action plan ahead of time.
Think of it as learning junk food jiu-jitsu.
And if you’re ready, you can start today. We’ll show you how to get off the cravings train for good.
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Dig to the root of your cravings.
No one hates on themselves when they crave a salad, Super Shake, or a grilled chicken breast.
But most cravings are closely tied to junk food and have little to do with true hunger. And each time you indulge these urges you reinforce the behavior, creating a “cravings cycle” that can hijack your progress… and your sanity.
The cravings cycle works like this:
First comes the urge (the craving), followed by the behavior (finding a food that satisfies that craving). Then, you get the reward (eating the food you wanted). That last part is accompanied by a release of dopamine, giving your brain a “hit” of pleasure1.
From there it can snowball: The more often you reward your brain, the more likely it is to stimulate the craving, and the stronger that craving may become.
Find your trigger
Ever had your mouth water at the mere sight of a McDonald’s drive-thru? Or smell that movie popcorn and make a beeline for the concession stand—even though you swore you’d skip it this time?
Cravings are often brought on by environmental cues such as sight, smell, taste, location, or company. So tracking when and where your cravings occur can you help you figure out what triggers them. From there, you can adjust your environment and habits to disrupt the cycle.
Each time you experience a craving, jot down the answers to these questions:
- What are you craving? (A specific food? A certain flavor or texture?)
- Where are you? (Note your location, but also any smells or visual cues—like a restaurant billboard or commercial.)
- What are you doing? (Driving? Working? Watching TV?)
- What are you feeling physically? (Shaky? Lightheaded? Tense?)
- What are you feeling emotionally? (Happy? Cranky? Rushed?)
- What are you thinking? (For instance: ‘I might as well eat this… I’ve already blown my diet.’)
- Who are you with? (Be very specific.)
This isn’t a one-time exercise. Try it for a couple of weeks so you can see what patterns emerge. And trust us, there are almost always patterns.
To make it easy for you, use this cravings journal, which takes you through the process step-by-step.
Change your patterns.
Let’s say you tend to reach for ice cream an hour after dinner every night. According to your notes, you’re not even really hungry; you’re just craving something sweet, salty, or crunchy… or maybe a combination of the three.
Or perhaps you’ve noticed that every day after your 2 pm conference call, you saunter down to the office cafeteria “just to see if there’s anything new.” (There’s not.) And you end up with a 500-calorie “treat” you didn’t need or even truly want.
You’ve just identified a pattern. Now you can disrupt the cycle.
Give your craving a timeout.
Yes, the strategy traditionally used with willful toddlers can also work with Rocky Road.
Notice your snack urge, and sit with it for five minutes without taking action.
This isn’t about exercising willpower. It’s about pausing just long enough to let your conscious mind say, ‘Hey, I’m in charge here!’ This gives you the chance to evaluate all your options, and make a rational decision, rather than a reactionary one.
Are you actually hungry? Or are you bored or stressed or procrastinating?
Does a steak or baked potato sound good, or is it just those donuts in the break room?
These are the kinds of questions you can ask yourself.
Granted, you may still decide to go ahead and indulge. After all, maybe you’re truly hungry. Or perhaps you’re just not having your best day. (Trigger alert.) And that’s okay.
Don’t consider this a failure.
In your efforts to break your cravings cycle, you won’t be perfect. Simply think of this as an opportunity to gather more data about your cravings, so you better understand them for next time. (And give yourself a pat on the back for taking five minutes.)
But here’s the really important part: You don’t have to choose between giving in to your cravings and depriving yourself.
There’s a space in between the two, and that’s where you can really break the cravings cycle.
Choose an activity that doesn’t involve chewing.
What happens if you step away from the freezer and go for a walk, clean up your phone’s camera roll, or make a new Spotify playlist?
By immersing your mind or body in an activity long enough, you may run the urge all the way out of your system.
That’s because cravings are often psychological rather than physical. And with the exception of very strong grief or trauma, intense feelings don’t usually last longer than 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re not really hungry, the craving will likely dissipate.
You’ve probably even experienced a form of this “diversion therapy” before. Ever get so involved in a project that you actually forget to eat lunch? Or the afternoon flies by, and you didn’t even think about a snack? Same concept, only this time, you’ll do it on purpose.
Once you sense a craving, choose an activity you can really dig into, such as:
- working on a project you’re passionate about
- crossing an item off of your daily to-do list
- responding to a few emails
- calling a friend
- playing an instrument or video game
- shooting hoops in the driveway
- coloring a page or two in a coloring book
- exercising, gardening, or cleaning
Remember, you’re looking to activate and occupy your mind and/or body. So, while different activities may work better for different people, watching TV probably won’t help (and in fact, is often a trigger).
Try an experiment.
Hunger and cravings tend to come in waves, rising and falling throughout the day.
It helps to understand how this feels. That’s why we often suggest our healthy clients (those without any pre-existing health conditions) try a fasting experiment. For 24 hours, they don’t eat (they’re reminded to stay well hydrated, though). Although some are afraid they’ll be “starving all day long,” that’s not usually what happens.
Yes, they get hungry. Yes, they get cravings. But these feelings come and go, and for many folks, this can be both eye-opening and empowering. In a sense, fasting forces them to “lean in” to urges, and accept “it’s okay to be hungry.”
Do they waste away? No.
Do they collapse from exhaustion? No.
Does the world end? No.
Again, this isn’t about testing your willpower or denying yourself. It’s about giving you a fresh perspective, and reducing the anxiety, discomfort, and urgency you feel the moment hunger or cravings arise.
Indulge your cravings—under these conditions.
Really craving a chocolate bar? Okay, have one. But choose a pricey, high-quality chocolate. Eat it slowly, and savor the experience. Though it seems counterintuitive, clients tell us they eat far less of the chocolate (or any craved food) this way. And research shows the same.
Or even better, try this unconventional strategy from Krista Scott-Dixon, Ph.D., Precision Nutrition’s Director of Curriculum. She tells her clients they can have any snack they want, but it has to be purchased—right before eating—from a grocery store that’s 15 minutes away.
She’s discovered that half the time, people decide it’s not worth the effort.
What about clients who do set out for the grocery store? By the time these folks arrive, they sometimes don’t even want the snack because the craving’s gone.
Precision Nutrition Master Coach Dominic Matteo has used a similar method with his clients. It goes like this:
You can eat it, but you have to make it.
That’s right: Potato chips need to be sliced from actual potatoes and cooked in the air fryer. Cake needs to be baked in the oven. Ice cream needs to freeze.
Sound ridiculously impractical? Sure, it does, and that’s the point.
It helps answer this question: How hungry are you, really? Besides, this is exactly what people have had to do for most of human history. (Sans the air fryer, of course.)
One important consideration for both of these strategies: They work a lot better if your kitchen pantry and office desk aren’t full of ready-to-eat temptations.
So remember Berardi‘s First Law (named for its originator, Precision Nutrition co-founder Dr. John Berardi):
If a food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it.
Eat the right foods during the day.
Though cravings can happen any time of day, nighttime cravings and overeating are very common.
At PN, we don’t necessarily like to tell people exactly when or how many meals to eat. It’s okay whether you eat a couple of times a day or several, or if you have most of your food in either earlier in the day or later. So long as it’s working for you, it’s all fair game.
But over the years, our coaches have discovered clients who overeat at night are often restricting their intake throughout the day—knowingly or unknowingly.
For example, they might be skipping breakfast and having a salad with little or no protein for lunch. By dinner, they could be making solid choices rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, but their appetite is already in overdrive. So it’s no wonder they’re feeling snacky before bed.
What you eat during the day matters. Not so much what you eat on any given day, but what you eat most days.
Fiber (especially from low-calorie vegetables) helps fill you up, and protein keeps you full longer between meals. This makes eating a combination of these nutrients, in sensible portions at regular intervals, key for regulating appetite.
Through years of experience, our coaches have found that even small adjustments to eating habits, such as adding a daily breakfast with a healthy dose of protein and veggies—along with reasonable amounts of smart carbs and healthy fats—can help curb after-dinner overeating.
The message here is simple: If you have a voracious night-time appetite, look at what you’re eating the rest of the day. You may find if you do a better job of nourishing your body at other meals, you won’t hear that little “feed me!” voice when you’re about to brush your teeth.
Junk food alternatives: Marketing trick or healthier treat?
Answer: It depends.
“Healthy” snacking options are everywhere, from frozen yogurt to those keto-friendly “fat balls” that keep showing up on your Instagram feed.
These junk food alternatives can be helpful, but there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind.
First, these shouldn’t be your only strategy. There’s evidence2 suggesting that when people purposely choose a “healthy substitute,” they often overeat later.
So in order for junk food alternatives to be helpful—instead of harmful—they need to be used in conjunction with other strategies, like the ones in this article. Otherwise, you’re just continuing the cravings cycle with a different type of food.
Second, not all substitutes are created equal. Though they include labels like “organic,” “gluten-free,” or even “low calorie,” store-bought junk food alternatives are often made with a delicious combination of sugar, fat, and salt or other brain-pleasing ingredients.
In fact, they’re frequently manufactured to be easy to eat in large quantities. So sure, these products might be slightly better choices than straight up junk food. But they’re unlikely to help you avoid overeating when cravings strike.
But hey, it’s not all bad news.
Chosen wisely, healthy substitutes could help change your taste preferences. If you become accustomed to eating homemade, no-sugar-added ice cream, you may start to crave that instead of the store-bought stuff.
After that, maybe the next step is switching to fresh fruit when you crave something sweet. You’re still dealing with a craving, but you’re making progress toward prioritizing healthier foods.
Eventually, you may start to crave fruit itself, and in most cases, craving fruit isn’t too big of a problem for anyone.
For these reasons, choosing junk food alternatives that contain mostly whole-food ingredients, can be made at home, and aren’t extremely calorie-dense is your best bet.
Decide if you want the real thing.
Arguably, truly enjoying a full-fat ice cream in a reasonable portion beats a compulsive, automatically-gobbled pint of a “healthy substitute” that leaves you with a weird chemical aftertaste. And no matter what your goals are, you absolutely have the right to choose to indulge from time to time.
So before opting for a junk food alternative by default, decide whether or not you truly want the “real thing.” Ask yourself:
- When was the last time you had it?
- Are you actually hungry? Or do you just feel like eating?
- Do you think you can eat it slowly, mindfully, and stop when you’re about 80 percent full?
- Will you be able to feel happy and satisfied after eating it? Or are you more likely to feel guilty and regretful?
If you decide you want to eat the real thing, enjoy it. Savor it, and then move on. (And note all of this in your cravings journal.)
If you decide the real thing isn’t worth it or that you don’t really want it all that badly, go for a swap that’s both wholesome and satisfying.
And remember, not eating anything is also an option. If you’re not truly hungry, you may find doing one of the activities listed earlier helps relieve the craving.
Satisfy your craving with a healthier substitute.
Disrupting the cravings cycle is key, but it takes time and practice to master it.
And no matter how in tune you are with your appetite, emotions, and eating habits, there are going to be times when you have a craving, truly feel hungry, and want another choice.
That’s when healthy junk food alternatives come in handy.
And you won’t find better options than the 16 recipes that follow, created by Precision Nutrition Chef Jennifer Nickle.
Most of these treats can’t be whipped up in just a couple of minutes… and that’s a good thing. Because they take a little time and effort, they may even help disrupt your cravings cycle. And though they taste indulgent, they’re made with fresh, wholesome ingredients.
So go ahead: Enjoy them all… just not all at once.
Recipes: 16 junk food alternatives to satisfy your craving
If you’re craving: Chocolate…
Chocolate Avocado Mousse
prep time: 15 minutes | makes 16 servings
- 4 ripe bananas
- 2 ripe avocados
- 4 tbsp almond butter
- 4 tbsp cacao powder
- Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth.
- Divide mixture equally into eight small containers. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Chocolate Avocado Mousse |
Kraft® Chocolate Mousse |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 80 | Calories 220 |
| Carbs 10g | Carbs 17g |
| Fat 5g | Fat 16g |
| Protein 1.5g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 3g | Fiber 2g |
If you’re craving: Spicy potato chips…
Edamame with Wasabi and Sea Salt
prep time: 10 minutes | cook time: 10 minutes | makes 2 servings
- 2 cups frozen edamame beans (in pod)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp wasabi paste or powder
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil.
- Add edamame and cook for two minutes.
- Drain and toss hot beans in a bowl with coconut oil, salt, and wasabi. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Edamame with Wasabi and Sea Salt |
Miss Vickie’s® Jalapeno Potato Chips |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 80 | Calories 260 |
| Carbs 9g | Carbs 29g |
| Fat 5g | Fat 15g |
| Protein 7g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 4g | Fiber 2g |
If you’re craving: Coffee ice cream…
Espresso and Cacao Nib Ice Cream
prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight freezing | makes 8 servings
- ½ cup pitted prunes
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1 ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons brandy
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ (14 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (or unsweetened almond milk)
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- In a blender or food processor, blend the prunes, instant coffee, cocoa powder, protein powder and brandy until a smooth paste forms.
- Add the unsweetened almond milk and coconut milk in a slow stream.
- Add the yogurt and cacao nibs, and pulse until just combined.
- Freeze overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Espresso & Cacao Nib |
Häagen Dazs® Coffee Ice Cream |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 98 | Calories 250 |
| Carbs 10g | Carbs 20g |
| Fat 5g | Fat 17g |
| Protein 5g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 1g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Fudge…
Spiced Date and Almond Balls
prep time: 30 minutes | makes about 30 servings
- 2 cups chopped almonds, divided
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 1 cup dried figs
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ cup warm honey
- Using a food processor, blend dates, figs, water, spices and one cup of the almonds into a paste, scraping down the sides as you go.
- Form mixture into one-inch balls.
- Roll each ball in honey and coat with remaining almonds.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Spiced Date and Almond Balls |
Eagle Brand® Maple Walnut Fudge |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 90 | Calories 180 |
| Carbs 14g | Carbs 18g |
| Fat 3g | Fat 12g |
| Protein 2g | Protein 2g |
| Fiber 2g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Frozen yogurt…
Frozen Yogurt Fruit Pops
prep time: 15 minutes, plus overnight freezing | makes 8 portions
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 2 cups strawberries
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup water
- Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Pour mixture into small paper cups or popsicle molds.
- Place popsicle stick into the center of each and freeze overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Frozen Yogurt Fruit Pops |
Ben & Jerry’s® Strawberry Banana Low Fat Frozen Yogurt |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 70 | Calories 120 |
| Carbs 12g | Carbs 23g |
| Fat 1g | Fat 1g |
| Protein 4g | Protein 3g |
| Fiber 1g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Savory potato chips…
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
prep time: 10 minutes plus 30 minutes to marinate | makes 4 to 8 servings
- 6 baby cucumbers, cut into ½ inch slices
- ¼ cup rice or wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp chopped fresh dill
- Toss all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well.
- Chill and marinate for thirty minutes.
- Refrigerate up to ten days.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Quick Pickled Cucumbers |
Lay’s® Dill Pickle Chips |
|---|---|
| Per ½ recipe | Per ½ recipe |
| Calories 25 | Calories 270 |
| Carbs 6g | Carbs 26g |
| Fat 0g | Fat 17g |
| Protein 1g | Protein 3g |
| Fiber 1g | Fiber 1g |
If you’re craving: Strawberry shortcake…
Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Cottage Cheese
prep time: 10 minutes, plus 10 minutes to marinate | makes 4 servings
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
- Sea salt, for garnish
- Mix together strawberries and vinegar. Let marinate for ten minutes.
- Top with cottage cheese or yogurt. Garnish with salt.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Cottage Cheese |
Duncan Hines® Strawberry Shortcake |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 56 | Calories 300 |
| Carbs 5g | Carbs 51g |
| Fat 1g | Fat 8g |
| Protein 7g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 1g | Fiber 1g |
If you’re craving: A frozen margarita or daiquiri…
Watermelon “Gazpacho”
prep time: 15 minutes | makes 2 servings
- 2 cups seedless watermelon chunks
- 2 cups sparkling water
- 2 sprigs fresh mint (about 10 leaves)
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
- Combine watermelon, sparkling water, and mint and blend until smooth.
- Top with raspberries. Serve ice cold with a soup spoon.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Watermelon “Gazpacho” |
Frozen Margarita |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 60 | Calories 200 |
| Carbs 15g | Carbs 30g |
| Fat 0g | Fat 0g |
| Protein 1.5g | Protein 0g |
| Fiber 3g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Chips and onion dip…
Spiced Yogurt and Veggies
prep time: 15 minutes | makes 4 servings
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chopped dill
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
- 1 cup vegetable crudites
- Mix yogurt, herbs, and salt in a small bowl. Chill and refrigerate for up to four days.
- Drizzle with olive oil and serve with raw vegetable crudites.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Spiced Yogurt and Veggies |
Ruffles® Onion Dip & Regular Chips |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 66 | Calories 340 |
| Carbs 8g | Carbs 28g |
| Fat 2g | Fat 23g |
| Protein 3g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 2g | Fiber 2g |
If you’re craving: Chocolate ice cream…
Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight freezing | makes 12 servings
- ½ cup blanched hazelnuts
- ½ cup pitted dates
- 1 ½ teaspoons cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (or unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
- 2 cups 1% chocolate milk (or chocolate unsweetened almond milk)
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks
- In a blender or food processor, puree hazelnuts, dates, cocoa powder, and salt until a chunky paste forms.
- With blender running, slowly add yogurt, protein powder, and chocolate milk until everything is combined; stop blender.
- Add dark chocolate chunks and pulse.
- Freeze overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Ice Cream |
Häagen Dazs® Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 103 | Calories 300 |
| Carbs 12g | Carbs 26g |
| Fat 4g | Fat 19g |
| Protein 5g | Protein 5g |
| Fiber 2g | Fiber 2g |
If you’re craving: French fries…
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Prep time: 10 minutes | cook time: 20 minutes | makes 2 servings
- 1 (½ lb) sweet potato, skin on, cut into ½ inch batons
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread onto baking tray in a single layer.
- Bake for about twenty minutes, turning once, until golden brown.
- Let cool for ten minutes on tray before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Baked Sweet Potato Fries |
McDonald’s® French Fries |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 126 | Calories 350 |
| Carbs 20g | Carbs 46g |
| Fat 4.5g | Fat 17g |
| Protein 1.5g | Protein 4g |
| Fiber 3g | Fiber 4g |
If you’re craving: Peanut butter cups…
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Pudding
prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight chilling | makes 12 servings
- 3 cups water
- 10 dates, pitted
- 4 Tbsp peanut butter
- 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp Chia seeds
- Blend water, dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and salt in a blender until smooth.
- Add mixture to a large bowl with chia seeds. Whisk well.
- After ten minutes, whisk again. Ladle mixture equally into six small containers.
- Chill overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Pudding |
Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 148 | Calories 220 |
| Carbs 22g | Carbs 24g |
| Fat 6g | Fat 13g |
| Protein 4g | Protein 5g |
| Fiber 7g | Fiber 2g |
If you’re craving: Cookies…
Almond oatmeal cookies
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 10 minutes| makes 12 cookies
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup protein powder
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 2 egg whites
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup almond butter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl, and wet ingredients in another large bowl.
- Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well until incorporated.
- Form twelve small balls and place onto a baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for ten minutes.
- Remove from tray and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Almond oatmeal cookies |
Pepperidge Farm® Oatmeal Cookies |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 175 | Calories 195 |
| Carbs 10g | Carbs 33g |
| Fat 10g | Fat 8g |
| Protein 12g | Protein 3g |
| Fiber 3g | Fiber 1g |
If you’re craving: Bar food, like Buffalo chicken wings…
Tandoori roasted cauliflower bites
prep time: 25 minutes | cook time: 25 minutes | makes 6 servings
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 Tbsp store-bought tandoori spice paste
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix yogurt and tandoori paste together in a large bowl until combined. Add cauliflower and toss to coat well.
- Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for twenty-five minutes or until dark and crispy. Garnish with lime wedges.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Tandoori roasted cauliflower bites |
Perdue® Buffalo Style Chicken Wings |
|---|---|
| Per 140g serving | Per 160g serving |
| Calories 70 | Calories 320 |
| Carbs 8g | Carbs 2g |
| Fat 3g | Fat 20g |
| Protein 4g | Protein 36g |
| Fiber 2.5g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Italian ice or sorbet…
Mango and lime granita
prep time: 1 hour | makes 8 servings
- 2 ripe mangos
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup apple sauce
- 1 lime, juiced & zested
- Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a shallow tray and freeze.
- After thirty minutes, scrape the partially frozen mixture using a fork. Scrape again every thirty minutes until frozen and flaky.
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Mango and lime granita |
Häagen Dazs® Mango Sorbet |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 40 | Calories 150 |
| Carbs 10g | Carbs 38g |
| Fat 0g | Fat 0g |
| Protein 0g | Protein 0g |
| Fiber 1g | Fiber 0g |
If you’re craving: Vanilla ice cream…
Ginger, Saffron, and Vanilla ice cream
prep time: 20 minutes, plus overnight freezing | makes 8 servings
- 1 ½ (14 oz.) cans full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon saffron threads
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
- ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (or unsweetened almond milk)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the coconut milk and add the honey, ginger, saffron, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean.
- In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of coconut milk mixture with arrowroot starch until smooth; pour back into the pot, whisking as you go.
- Squeeze out and remove the vanilla bean, and pour the mixture into a food processor or blender; add the yogurt and salt and slowly blend until thick and frothy.
- Freeze overnight.
Nutrition Facts
| Precision Nutrition Ginger, Saffron, and Vanilla ice cream |
Häagen Dazs® Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream |
|---|---|
| Per serving | Per serving |
| Calories 140 | Calories 330 |
| Carbs 9g | Carbs 25g |
| Fat 12g | Fat 22g |
| Protein 2g | Protein 7g |
| Fiber 0g | Fiber 2g |
Want help becoming the healthiest, fittest, strongest version of you?
Most people know that regular movement, eating well, sleep, and stress management are important for looking and feeling better. Yet they need help applying that knowledge in the context of their busy, sometimes stressful lives.
Over the past 15 years, we’ve used the Precision Nutrition Coaching method to help over 100,000 clients lose fat, get stronger, and improve their health… for the long-term… no matter what challenges they’re dealing with.
It’s also why we work with health, fitness, and wellness professionals (through our Level 1 and Level 2 Certification programs) to teach them how to coach their own clients through the same challenges.
Interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching? Join the presale list; you’ll save up to 54% and secure a spot 24 hours early.
We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Coaching on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019.
If you’re interested in coaching and want to find out more, I’d encourage you to join our presale list below. Being on the list gives you two special advantages.
- You’ll pay less than everyone else. At Precision Nutrition we like to reward the most interested and motivated people because they always make the best clients. Join the presale list and you’ll save up to 54% off the general public price, which is the lowest price we’ve ever offered.
- You’re more likely to get a spot. To give clients the personal care and attention they deserve, we only open up the program twice a year. Last time we opened registration, we sold out within minutes. By joining the presale list you’ll get the opportunity to register 24 hours before everyone else, increasing your chances of getting in.
If you’re ready to change your body, and your life, with help from the world’s best coaches, this is your chance.
[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].
References
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The post Conquer your cravings: Break the sinister cycle that makes you overeat appeared first on Precision Nutrition.
from Blog – Precision Nutrition https://www.precisionnutrition.com/junk-food-alternatives
via Holistic Clients
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