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After you’ve been so cautious all week — eating the right amount of lean protein, reducing refined carb intake, and including the healthiest fats you can find to help you burn more fat — weekends seem like they were made for a little cheating. Specifically, cheating on your diet with cheat foods.
The term “cheat foods” has gotten a lot of attention lately, with many experts saying a little indulgence now and then can actually help you lose weight (if you feel like you aren’t depriving yourself of everything good, you’re more likely to stick with your diet). The key though is to remember it’s a cheat meal, not a cheat day.
“Cheat days serve a couple of purposes. First, it is important to clarify that a cheat day is most successful when a single meal that day is regarded as the cheat. If you allow all of your hard work to unravel for an entire day, you can quickly void the progress you have been making all week, especially if weight loss is a goal.” Jillian Guinta, professor in the Health and Physical Education Department at Seton Hall University, told Medical Daily.
If you don’t want to succumb completely to sugar cravings, but still want to enjoy a more decadent snack or meal, here are five weekend cheat foods that actually won’t ruin your diet:
Burritos
Burritos sometimes get a bad rap because we associate them with fun fast food and high carb and fat ingredients like processed cheese and sour cream. But, the beautiful thing about burritos is that they are customizable and can transform into a super healthy (but still delicious) meal with just a few adjustments.
Swap flour tortillas for whole-wheat tortillas and fill your burrito with seasoned white turkey meat, black beans, low-fat sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, and a small amount of cheddar cheese. You'll feel satisfied and won't miss high-fat condiments and refined carbs.
Dark Chocolate
When your sweet tooth calls, answer it — but choose antioxidant-rich dark chocolate over milk chocolate. The benefits of dark chocolate with a higher cacao content include lower sugar and fat content than milk chocolate and a boost in heart and brain health that can help fight off certain diseases.
Sweet Potato Fries
You're craving French fries, but you're also well aware of their high fat and carb content. Chop up a few sweet potatoes instead and either bake them in the oven until they're crispy or toss them in your air fryer and add a sprinkle of sea salt and cinnamon or brown sugar. Sweet potatoes are an amazing source of vitamins A, C, and B6 and they make you feel fuller faster.
Sorbet
A healthier alternative to ice-cream, sweet and creamy sorbet can be made at home with just two to three ingredients and your blender. Blend your favorite fruits with a few ice cubes, low-fat milk, and a drop of agave syrup or honey if you prefer it really sweet. Then, freeze your sorbet for an hour or two and it makes for a healthy, simple treat that won't mess with your weight loss goals. The key here is to make your own sorbet, which will be much lower in calories and sugar than store-bought varieties.
Vegetable Pizza
As far as fast foods go, pizza is one of the most-craved, but there's one simple way to make it work even better in your diet: Add a ton of vegetables on top and choose thin-crust or whole-wheat thin-crust pizza. Limit yourself to one or two slices and rely on fiber-rich veggie toppings like broccoli and cauliflower to help fill you up.
For more cheat day tips, check out 4 Cheat day foods that are actually good for weight loss on SHEFinds.com.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
