Healthy food alternatives to your favorite junk food

Surely, most of us have a lot of food cravings right now, considering that we are encouraged to stay indoors and are basically living off of homemade and canned food.

From burgers, to ice cream, we long for junk food that can be oh-so-tempting.

While there’s no problem with a bit of indulgence from time to time, eating unhealthy food can cause a whole lot of health issues, including heart conditions, stroke and diabetes.

So, for your next venture to the market or grocery store, we’ve provided you a list of things to buy that will satisfy your junk food cravings and can also keep you healthy at the same time.

Healthy food alternatives to your favorite junk food.

Ice Cream

Avoid ice cream and embrace fruity frozen yogurt. Ice cream is essentially churned frozen fat and sugar while Frozen yogurt is a lot lower in both and contains probiotics to help our digestive system. Ice cream is not the only way to get your frozen dessert fix. If you’re in a creamy mood, you can add diced fruit into your favorite yogurt. The great thing about making your own frozen desserts is that you control the sweetness, and you can make large batches that stay good for months in the freezer.

Chocolate

Did you know that eating organic dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate is much better for you? Dark chocolate is actually quite nutritious and contains fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium – all of which are good for the body. It’s also full of antioxidants, which help keep you young.

Potato Chips

Replace potato chips with Crispy Kangkong. Using greens makes your chips have significantly fewer grams of fat and more nutritional value, but still gives you a satisfying crunch.

French Fries

Instead of using potato for your fries, make use of sweet potato. They are not just as delicious as potatoes but they are also a great source of beta-carotene.  Cut a sweet potato into slices or wedges, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste. Roast in the oven and you’ve got yourself a healthy substitute to a large fries from your favorite fast-food chain. 

But, if you’re insistent on using potatoes for your fries, you can make use of coconut oil or olive oil. It’s a healthier alternative for regular cooking oil and using them to your fries will give you flavors that may surprise you.

Pancakes

While it easy to make pancakes with a ready-made-pancake mix, the bleached flour found in pancake mix has had the bran and germ removed, meaning that it no longer has fiber, vitamins, or minerals. Instead of pancakes, make Maruya, or banana fritters instead. They are more flavorful than traditional pancakes, cook up just as fluffy, and absorb syrup just as deeply. Of all the junk food alternatives, Maruya might be the easiest to make and enjoy.