Healthy Eating and Enjoyment

Hello my Vocal friends! I hope you are having a good day so far. Since my transition to independent living in the summer of 2018, I started learning about nutrition and exploring unique and wholesome junk food replacements. I made a promise to myself that I was going to start looking after my health and wellbeing, but it was not going to be something I would fix overnight or in two weeks. As I have explained in one of my previous recipe blogs, I will relapse after trying to deprive myself of sugar for a day of two. In order for me to be consistent with my diet, I can’t have the "it's bad or it's good" mindset, but rather eat things in moderation and allowing myself to have the odd binge. The SlimFast diet is the most effective diet for me compared to the Ketogenic, Paleo, Vegan or Atkins diets. I want to enjoy all of my favourites while managing my sugar and carbohydrate intake.

It was not until the fall of 2019 when I discovered a top-notch health food store called Nutrition House, which is just down the street from my condo. During my first visit to Nutrition House, I met a wonderful lady who is a holistic nutritionist, but works at the store during the weekends. With all of the low-carb, paleo, sugar-free, vegan and healthy candy, chips, protein powders and baked goods that she sells, I started going more often. I started purchasing products like Quest bars, Quest chips, GoodFats bars, protein powder samples with assorted flavours (my favourites are the peanut butter and chocolate and the cookies and cream) and bought the CarbRite brownie mix one time which became my new addiction. I no longer have the necessity to make regular trips to the local convenience stores, fast food joints or bakeries since those healthy snacks I love satisfy all of my cravings. Instagram is also a good resource for me, since constant promotions for healthy and low-carb dessert products are continuously happening. Now it is 2020 and I still wish to keep purchasing these types of products as opposed to the typical Coffee Crisp bar, that large DQ blizzard that I loved as a teenager, and that chocolate chip muffin from Tim Hortons that I used to get twice a week. I feel better when I don't consume too much refined sugar. I mainly get most of my sugars from natural, plant-based and healthy staples like yams, grains, fruits, corn and squashes. I do not keep white or wheat flours in the house. I do not keep milk chocolate or granulated sugar, except for something I am making for a party or a casual-get together. I refuse to buy sugary cereals such as Frosted Flakes or Nesquick since I will devour a whole box in three days!

I would like to share some of my favourite healthy food replacements with you! Hopefully, you’ll get some ideas after you check out this story!

1. Avocado Brownies

During quarantine, I discovered the best vegan, healthy, low-carb and all-natural variations to making brownies. I found these recipes on Instagram, which is one of my favourite resources to find such cool things such as recipes and healthy dessert ideas. I first started making them in the spring, but it took me five times to really perfect my batch of avocado brownies. When I took my first bite of a homemade avocado brownie, I fell in love. I no longer needed to purchase Betty Crocker Brownie mixes when I could enjoy concocting hidden ingredient vegan brownies from scratch. I use almond or coconut flour, peanut butter or almond butter, coconut oil, dark chocolate and stevia. My recipe does not include any refined ingredients which is why they are so nutritious. I typically do not like avocados, but I love them in baked goods and desserts. Incorporating things like avocados into my sweets help me invest a variety of wholesome foods. This is an impeccable replacement to anyone who regularly visits the bakery and that loves to bake delicious things!

2. Moon Cheese

I am a huge cheese lover, so this is the perfect snack for me. My typical kinds of snacks are crackers with cheese or hummus, popcorn, apples and peanut butter, ice cream, flavoured cottage cheese, yogurt, cereal or cookies. From time to time, I get tired of eating these foods on a daily basis. Because I am attempting to moderate my starch and sugar intake on a daily basis, I need some low-carb snack alternatives for when I crave the higher-in-carb snacks like goldfish crackers, oreos, Smartfood popcorn and cheese flavoured bugles. I have many alternatives that I enjoy, but moon cheese is one of my favourites! Every time I grab a bag of moon cheese, I feel like I have satisfied my "goldfish cracker or potato chip" cravings for the day! It is high in protein, low in calories and low in carbs which makes it a nutritious snack for all cheese lovers. You can purchase these online or at your local health food store. They are also easy to find at supermarkets and places like Walmart.

3. Cottage Cheese (Flavoured or Unflavoured)

In addition to yogurt and low-calorie ice cream, I also love flavoured cottage cheese. I first discovered these Nordica Smooth Cottage Cheese cups in 2017 when my mom told me about a commercial she saw on TV one night. I have always been a yogurt person. When I was younger, my mom use to hoard the YoCrunch yogurts in the fridge. These yogurts consisted of vanilla yogurt and assorted candies and cookie crumbles to add in the yogurt. I was addicted to these and would eat them pretty much every day during and after school. Since cottage cheese has more protein than the typical yogurts that I used to consume (not referring to greek yogurt), my mom started buying these and I loved them. My favourite flavours were the salted caramel and the vanilla bean. These are awesome alternatives to YOP drinks or YoCrunch yogurts and would suggest including these into your kids lunchboxes.

4. Cashew Milk Ice Cream

Out of all the dairy-free frozen desserts I have had in the last two years, cashew milk ice cream would have to be on the top of the list! I have been an ice cream addict since I was a child and it has not stopped as an adult. After ditching all of the extra trips to places like Dairy Queen and Baskin Robbins (except for the odd cheat day), I have found replacements like cashew milk ice cream. SoDelicious is one of my favourite dairy-free ice cream brands because of all of the interesting flavours. The Chocolate Banana Flambe flavour is definitely my favourite, but I'll have to try other ones such as Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Cookies 'n' Cream, Salted Caramel Cluster and Dark Chocolate Truffle and see what else will be my favourite! These are easy to find at your local grocery store. If you see any of these, I recommend purchasing them instead of going for your typical Breyers ice cream. Your kids will also enjoy this scrumptious dairy-free option!

5. Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Nothing is better than having a fresh out-of-the-oven cheese pizza during the weekends! One of my favourite foods is pizza. Some days, I just have the instinct to spend $20.00 on a large cheese pizza and devour it under a tree at a local park. However, I know deep down that it is unhealthy and is too much food for just one person. So what is my solution? Cauliflower crusted pizza. During my teens, my dad and his wife used to purchase pre-made cauliflower pizza crusts that they would keep in the freezer. Some night were considered "pizza nights" for the family. My dad was trying to watch his carbohydrate intake, while enjoying all of his favourite dishes. So what would he do with the rest of the family? He would grab a cauliflower crust out of the freezer and create DIY cauliflower pizza. The first time I had a cauliflower crust pizza was the best experience. I loved it and it did not even feel like I was eating cauliflower. I struggle with making a homemade cauliflower crust and refused to buy it at a store due to the ridiculous price. Moving forward, I will go hunt for cauliflower crusts at the local health food store since I crave pizza more nowadays! I recommend you guys purchase the cauliflower crusts at your local health food store or make it yourselves! This is a great alternative for family pizza night!

6. Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Whole Wheat Pasta

I have a massive list of favourite pasta dishes. On the top on my list is macaroni and cheese. I would die for mac and cheese whether it is vegan or not! Since I am trying to be healthy and watch the amount of white pasta I consume, I usually aim for whole wheat pasta or lower carb pasta sources as much as possible. Dairy is healthy, but too much dairy is not healthy. With that being said, there are days when I consume more dairy than others. I need to manage how much dairy I eat, so I have a solution for myself and others. Instead of whipping up a box of Kraft Dinner or going for that crumbled baked mac and cheese, I love eating vegan mac and cheese. I have had it a few times, but would like to get in the habit of eating it more often. Dairy free mac and cheese products such as Daiya can be found and bought at your local grocery stores or online. This is a good staple to keep in the house!

7. Chickpea Pasta

Out of all the vegan/vegetarian protein sources I include into my daily meals, chickpeas or any legume is my go-to source of vegan/vegetarian protein! I am not considered a vegetarian/vegan, but I only consume meat sparingly for spiritual and mental health reasons. I feel better mentally, emotionally and physically when I don't consume as much meat and I feel more connected to the environment when I don't have meat on a daily basis. There are various way to eat and cook legumes. I love when the legumes are already incorporated into a dry food product such as pasta. In lieu of having a grain or an extra source of refined carbs, I aim to go for the legumes or rather plant-based carbs. I would make chickpea or legume pasta with tomato sauce, alfredo sauce, rose sauce or I would simply make my own sauce using vegetables, olive oil, salt, pepper and assorted spices. This is another healthy staple to keep in your house for when you are craving pasta! If you are parents with kids that are trying to eat healthy, I recommend you pack this in your kids lunches! They will love it!

8. Seafood

Any kind of seafood is appealing to me. I do not like canned fish because of the pungent smell. The type of seafood I ultimately enjoy is baked or fried fish. I also enjoy all types of shell fish such as shrimp, lobster, crab, calamari and scallops, which are my favourite types of seafood. I like to eat shell fish both cooked with pasta or in stir fry and raw with caesar salad, whole wheat or gluten free crackers, rice cakes and raw lettuce wraps. It is extremely delicious and I eat shrimp, crab and lobster regularly. I only get scallops or calamari when I go to a Japanese or Italian restaurant because it is either hard to cook or it is too pricey for me to purchase. If you are a huge seafood fan, remember to stock your freezers with shrimp, lobster and crab, so you can cook and eat it at any time! Seafood is a great protein source, especially for pescetarians!

9. Low Carb Waffles/Pancakes

I am a huge waffle and pancake fan. Whenever I visit a diner for brunch with my mom, I crave waffles and pancakes every time. However, I am reluctant to order them because of its high refined-sugar content and it does not fill me up. It was not until recently when I came across these random low-carb pancake and waffle mixes at the local health food store and on iHerb. I do not like making pancakes at home since frying food is too messy for me. I am scared to use a waffle iron in my apartment. So I bought this Lakanto Sweetened Waffle/Pancake Mix on iHerb and a red silicone waffle mold on Amazon to keep in my apartment for whenever I wanted to safely make healthy waffles. These waffles are extremely tasty and go really well with calorie-free and sugar-free syrups or melted nut butter. The best thing about these kinds of waffles are they are high in protein, high in fibre and have zero sugar! I totally recommend purchasing this mix online or at your local health food store. You can use a waffle iron or silicone mold to make waffles. If you want to make pancakes, you can either make them on a stove or make low-carb sheet pancakes in the oven for your family to enjoy!

10. Nice Cream

During my teenage years, I would make constant trips to Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins, Yogurty's, Menchies, Yogen Fruz and the local convenience stores to buy ice cream on a regular basis. I would either go during my walks on the weekends or after school. At the convenience store, there are these freezers with popsicles and ice cream and these f'real milkshakes that I became obsessed with. Over time, the amount of sugar I consumed from these specific ice cream products took a toll on my health which was contributing to my constant weight gain. As soon as I discovered Nanashake from one of my friends, I started eating vegan banana nice cream on a regular basis and it was so flipping good. Nice Cream is a new favourite of mine and I continue to make it in my apartment so I don't have to spend money on Nanashake ice cream. The place is also a bit far from me, so I try to make it at home as much as I can! This is a healthy, nutritious and guilt-free alternative whether you are vegan or not! You can create all kinds of flavours and enjoy it on a nice sunny day or whenever you want ice cream!

I hope you guys are inspired by this post since I love helping people overcome binge eating problems and junk food addiction! I have lived with it myself, so I know what it is like to constantly struggle with the specific challenges. Overcoming any type of addiction is hard, so we need replacements to gradually overcome our addiction. If you struggle with any kind of eating disorder or food addiction, please refer to my list of healthy food swaps! Show your friends and family this post. Have a splendid day and stay healthy! Bye for now my Vocal buddies!