Healthy Alternatives for "Junk Food" cravings... trade ideas!

[nattery]

I thought this might be a fun thread to start. I am currently 5 months pregnant and like a lot of pregnant (and non-pregnant!) women, I have massive cravings at times for food I know is not the best choices for me and my baby. Lately I've been challenging myself to come up with alternatives and have really been enjoying the process of experimenting with good food (and not feeling guilty about wolfing it all down either!). I will warn you, I am NOT a calorie counter. I eat when I'm hungry and I an conscious about what I eat (I try to only eat food that provides vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and unprocessed foods). I am also a vegetarian (you don't have to be to post your recipes) so a lot of my alternatives focus on alternatives to deserts and my incredible sweet tooth I often experience.

So here are some alternatives I've made and really enjoy. I am not suggesting it's a good idea to eat a lot of these ideas all the time but in a moment of craving some junk food, I don't feel so guilty when I eat my healthy alternatives!

"Chocolate Ice Cream" Alternative: Freeze any over ripe bananas you've got and save them for this recipe. Note: you must have a decent blender or it won't make it ice cream smooth. I use a vitamix. Put in 2-3 frozen bananas, 3-4 fresh dates (or soaked dried dates), 2.5 tablespoons of cocoa powder or raw cococa nibs, and if you want, a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. It's just like creamy soft serve chocolate ice cream without the processed sugar or dairy fat. Plus, bananas are AWESOME for you during pregnancy, so many vitamins, and minerals as well as dates. High in fiber too! I don't feel guilty when I eat a whole big bowl of this.

Chocolate Pudding Alternative: Take 2 avacados, 4-5 fresh dates (or soaked dried dates), 2.5 tablespoons of cocoa, and a teaspoon of agave or honey sweetener. Again, tastes just like chocolate pudding. You will also need a high powered blender for this recipe to make it smooth. Yes I know avacados are high in fat but it's a good healthy fat and as long as you aren't over indulging, there is no need to feel guilty as they are also high in a lot of nutrients.

Orange Julius: When I am wanting a smoothie / milk shake kind of drink, I often mix either yohgurt or almond milk (for a dairy free option) in with some orange juice (or just oranges!) and some dates (can you tell I use dates a lot?). Because I have a high powered blender, I also usually add one handful of spinach. It turns the smoothie green, and you're getting all the benefits of eating the leafy green but it tastes so similar to an orange julius, you can't even tell you're eating spinach.

I would love to hear other people's ideas. I will post more as I come up with more! I am having a lot of fun playing with Chia seeds right now as well as yohgurt from the farmer's market (I can trick myself into thinking I am eating strawberries and cream cake!)

[somegirl99]

The frozen bananas are awesome, I found that my last pregnancy.   If I cut them into quarters or so first then I would be able to get them smooth enough with my immersion blender.  I never added chocolate or dates but that's an interesting idea, just had them plain and it tasted like a great banana flavored gelato.
 

Your other ideas sound interesting too.  I've been having a good amount of avocados this pregnancy, finding a good dose of healthy fat helps a lot with the hunger pangs.

[velveeta]

I love to blend full cream (raw if available) until whipped in vitamix. Then some frozen cherries and a few drops of vanilla stevia. So good!

[amlikam]

I want a vitamix... sigh...

[bearandotter]

mmmm... ice cream

How about this 'junk food":

Chick Pea Crunchies

Pre heat oven to 375'

Rinse a Can of chickpeas (bonus for low sodium ones) or grab some cooked ones from the freezer (I do several lbs at a time in the slow cooker and then freeze on a tray and then throw in a bag)

Toss chickpeas in ~1tbsp oil and either 1) pinch of salt and some garam masala or 2) 2tbsp maple sugar and 1tsp cinnamon

Throw onto a cookie tray, better if parchment or silicone sheet lined

Bake for ~45min, roll or stir them around a couple times during that period

Let cool (especially the maple ones, they burn your mouth)

enjoy your sweet or savory 'chips'

*I frequently make these while baking something else to save on electricity usage. They do fine on a low shelf, but make sure you roll them often.

[LambQueen]

good ole fashioned popcorn (alas, Popped in the microwave) often does the trick

it's when I add on the butter and salt that I think, "did I really have to do that?"

I would love more ideas since there are days when I am driving with a Sprite and bag of peanut m&m's in my minivan's cupholders.  When did I last buy HFCS drinks?!?! Dairy?!?!

[tillymonster]

Great thread! I can't wait to read more! I was on a whole foods diet before expecting and now am craving all the crap I shouldn't have. I actually caved and had an Italian sub on white bread at togos. Man. It was worth it but I wish I just took the time to make something similar at home. First trimester nausea isn't helping!

For some reason I am enjoying raw veggies (last pregnancy they made me so ill!) so I decided to whip up some honey almond butter!

I took about 2 cups of roasted or raw almonds (add salt if they aren't salted) and let them go in the good processor for 6 mins scraping down half way.

Once it's creamy (be patient it does just take forever!) then I whirred in some honey. SO good with celery, carrots, apples and especially strawberries. Much better than any other dip with processed crap and soybean oils etc.

[amlikam]

Originally Posted by tillymonster 

Great thread! I can't wait to read more! I was on a whole foods diet before expecting and now am craving all the crap I shouldn't have. I actually caved and had an Italian sub on white bread at togos. Man. It was worth it but I wish I just took the time to make something similar at home. First trimester nausea isn't helping!

For some reason I am enjoying raw veggies (last pregnancy they made me so ill!) .

Sounds a lot like me. Any cooked veggies first trimester made me feel sick- even just looking at them. And I seem to have forgotten how to cook this pregnancy. I was wheat free and sugar free but now I'm only able to think of thinks with carb dense bulkiness or sugar. First trimester I also juiced a lot. Going to start that again (if I remember how to use the juicer) :-)
One of my easy wanna be junk food snacks is whole milk with coco powder and a little maple syrup. And caco nips if I have them. Whipped with the blender (similar to what someone posted).