Stay Back, Stay Alive

Stay Back, Stay Alive is my motto for many things in life.  If someone is being crabby, if there is a big mess or a disaster or if there is food around that you should avoid at all costs.  I get a lot of healthy living emails per week and one of the emails that I got today was about 10 Foods to Avoid.  Most of them seem obvious to me, such as cheesburgers, red meat, fried food.  This article got me thinking about things that I love that may not be good for me and what healthier alternatives may exist to satisfy my cravings. 

Top 5 Favorite Foods and Alternatives

1. Chips
The salty, crunchy delicious goodness of chips is my number one weakness.  I love Old Dutch Nacho Burst tortilla chips and Lay's Sour Cream and Onion.  Seriously, there isn't much I wouldn't do to get my hands on a bag of chips.  So, obviously chips are high in fat, calories and sodium, so I try to avoid them now, but I must admit that it is really hard.  I try to eat Popchips, Baked Chips or Goldfish to satisfy my desire for salt and crunch, but only in moderation.

2. Sandwiches
I know that you're thinking this seems like it couldn't be that unhealthy, however my favorite sandwich is buffalo chicken which is made with butter and other unmentionable fatty items and topped with delicious, but not nutritious blue cheese.  So, I try to make things that still give me the Buffalo chicken flavor without all of the guilt.  I love the Buffalo Chicken Choppity Chop Salad from Hungry Girl.  I eat it as a salad, as a sandwich topper and even on a wrap as a pizza topping.  It is delicious and has way less fat and calories in it.

3. French Fries
Honestly, I struggle with this one.  I mean, in my book there is not much that can compare to a hot crunchy delicious french fry.  However, I reallty like the Alexia brand foods.  They are all natural foods that contain real ingredients and several healthier alternatives when it comes to getting a potato fix.  I love the Oven Reds potatoes.  You can eat 8 pieces (which are pretty decent sized) for 3.5 grams of fat, 120 calories and only 19g carbohydrates!

4. Pizza
I used to work at a really good pizza place when I was in college and part of the perks of working there was being able to take home pizza pretty much whenever we wanted to.  It was a blessing as a poor college student and a curse to my waistline.  I have gotten pretty good about satisfying my pizza cravings these days by simply buying Flatout wraps and topping them with pretty much anything imaginable.  I make regular pizzas, veggie pizzas, taco pizzas and buffalo chicken pizzas.  The wrap is only 19g carbohydrates and when you top it with healthy veggies and just a little cheese it is a great alternative to greasy and fattening pizza.

5. Chocolate
My love for chocolate may be slightly abnormal, but I honestly love the stuff.  I grew up in a house where my Mom baked everything from scratch and everything was delicious, but very fattening.  I must admit that I still haven't found anything that really satisfies my sweet tooth that is still a healthier alternative.  I will eat some sugar free pudding, Skinny cow ice cream sandwiches or chocolate goldfish crackers or some of the 100 calorie packs that have chocolate things in them to try and satisfy my craving, but sometimes it just isn't enough. 

So, there you have it.  My five food weaknesses and some of my healther alternatives.  If you have any suggestions for me feel free to let me know. What are your weaknesses and how do you deal with them or satisfy them in a healthier way?