Are you trying to stay on track with a healthy diet but find constant cravings get in the way? These 10 Healthy Dining choices can help you curb those cravings and keep you on track towards your health goals.
Anyone’s willpower can be tested this time of year with an abundance of Halloween candy and holiday goodies. Cravings can make it even more difficult and are often triggered by all the sweet treats around the house, office and beyond.
Foods and Healthy Dining choices like these can help you avoid and manage cravings to better stay on track:
Whole Grains One of the best ways to curb cravings is to prevent them in the first place. Eating regularly to prevent extreme hunger as well as choosing high-fiber ingredients like whole grains helps to keep you full and your blood sugar steady. Complex carbs found in whole grains are digested slowly and steadily, meaning no big energy crashes to trigger cravings. Enjoy whole grains in these Healthy Dining choices:
- Thai Chicken Pizza on Whole Grain Crust at California Pizza Kitchen
- Veggie Burger on Multigrain Wheat Bun at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes
- Greek Chicken Pita and Fresh Fruit Side at Zoës Kitchen
Lean Proteins Similar to whole grains, lean proteins can help keep you feeling satisfied longer to prevent cravings that can derail your diet. Protein is also the building-block of our muscles, bones, and tissues—so eating protein while on a diet can help you maintain muscle while you lose fat. Opt for choices like seafood, chicken, turkey, soy, beans, and legumes at each meal to keep you feeling steady and strong throughout the day. Look for these lean protein choices at Healthy Dining restaurants:
- Quarter White Meat Skinless Rotisserie Chicken Meal at Boston Market
- Fit Fare® Alaska Salmon at Denny’s
- Buffalo Chicken Pita (Small) at Extreme Pita
- Lighter Italian Fare: Garlic Rosemary Chicken (Dinner) at Olive Garden
Healthy Swaps When cravings do strike—and they happen to all of us—you you still have options to satisfy them without straying from a healthy diet. Craving something salty? Try a small handful of roasted nuts like almonds, pecans, or walnuts. Craving something sweet? Fruit is nature’s candy! Something creamy? Indulge in some non-fat yogurt flavored with fruit, nuts, or even a little honey. Not only can these choices help keep you on track with your goals, but they also add health-boosting vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals to your diet. Give these healthy—but crave-worthy—Healthy Dining choices a try:
- Blueberry Yogurt & Wild Blueberry Parfait at Au Bon Pain
- Florida Cobb Salad with Wood Grilled Chicken at Bonefish Grill
- Two Grilled Pacific Mahi Mahi Taco Plate at Rubio’s
No matter how hard we try to avoid it, realize that sometimes you will just have to indulge a little to stay on track with your diet in the long run. Opt for a small serving of the food you’re craving and ENJOY every morsel of it. In other words, eat slowly and mindfully. You’ll satisfy your craving without doing in your diet, and you’ll prevent over-indulging later on.