Healthy Cheats For Your Cheat Days

I promise you that chocolate bar isn’t calling your name. The longer I work in an ice cream shop, the more I’ve noticed people coming in on their cheat days who are uncomfortable by large portions. Dieting is often an intense and personal practice, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some healthy snacks that you can be content eating without any of the guilt artificial sugar provides.

1. Nuts

Yeah yeah, nuts are good for you etc. Growing up, we all had older relatives who sated their cheat days with various types of nuts, but have you ever considered trying to make that work for you too? Sure, you tried almonds like the nice ladies at your gym eat, but they tasted pretty bad without all the salt added in. Try something else! Do you know how many types of nuts there are out there? Neither do I, but it’s probably a ton. Just don’t sit around eating nuts all day or you might get kidney stones. Yeah. Doesn’t sound fun to me, either.

2. Black coffee

Why we talk about coffee so much in medicine is beyond me, but types of it have been shown to be healthy and beneficial. While you might not like black coffee at first, I would actually encourage you to whether it through and drink it for a while to see if the taste grows on you and you like it. For me, coffee became one of those filler foods where I found myself craving something- anything- and then soothed that urge by making a warm cup of Joe. Not to mention it helps to have a go-to in the mornings if you don’t have time to grab much of an actual breakfast, and the caffeine can drag you up off of your fit a little bit.

Coffee addiction is a bad concept and line of thinking, do NOT let you convince yourself that it’s quirky that you require a certain level of stimulant to pick yourself up in the mornings. Grab those anti-blue light glasses and go to sleep early, that or see a doctor. It’s 2019 and we don’t stan insomnia nowadays.

3. Poke

Poke is a form of raw fish I first tried earlier this year and fell in love with. If you live in or around a city, chances are there’s a great poke place waiting around the corner. It originates from Hawaii, and the taste can vary drastically depending on what you put in it. To tell you the truth, I used to think I hated all fish before I tried this stuff. The rich flavor contains none of the brininess other types of fish hold, which is why I can’t recommend poke enough.

In terms of wellness, poke is full of omega 3 (remember learning about those?) and vegetables.  If there is no place nearby where you live, consider whipping some up yourself. There are recipes and tutorials all over the internet, and as long as you check the healthy nature of your ingredients then you should be fine. Whether you’re making this for your cheat days or your family, poke makes a great snack or meal that will improve your quality of eating and your health.

4. Fruit salad (yummy yummy)

I ain’t talking about what your aunt used to make when you were 10 years old and eating as many marshmallows as your little mouth could handle, we’re talking an actual fruit salad for your cheat days full of fresh fruit you buy from the farmer’s market or grocery store. This serves two purposes: To reward yourself with a natural-sugar containing treat and to teach yourself what different fruits look like when they’re actually ripe and in-season. It’s a great skill to learn, and one I’ve been picking up via experimenting with trying every fruit I’ve never tasted before on top of Google.

Never tried these? Already had a few? Give the others a shot! There’s plenty of alternatives out there, and the only way to decide if they’re effective is common sense and testing them out.

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