Give up the ‘vehicle’ If You Are Dieting
Some foods are too tasty to skip altogether when trying to lower your calorie intake. For me, it’s like a filling or sauce, which usually requires additional high-calorie food to deliver a delicious delight to my mouth. If you’re on a diet, it’s wise to replace the delivery method with something healthier – or just do what I do and give it up entirely.
These delivery methods, or “delivery vehicles” as I call them, are usually chips, crackers, bread, or some other item that exists for the sole purpose of delivering a delicious bowl or jar flavor to my impatient taste buds. For me, it’s usually tortilla chips for guacamole, pita chips for hummus, and slices of toast for peanut butter, avocado, or sardines. Now I know that each of these cars can add flavor and mouthfeel to every bite, but they are not helping me shed the festive weight.
I realized that I eat most of these things as a snack – just for the pleasure of eating, not because I’m hungry. And when I start, I don’t stop. This is a problem because it results in me consuming a lot more calories than I need each day. So, I figured it would be best to skip snacking by changing my approach. If I wanted hummus, I could bury myself with carrot slices; if I wanted peanut butter, maybe I would use celery; etc…
But then I realized that the car did not bother me at all. I only wanted sauces and toppings. Now I am completely out of technology (and possibly crazy). If I want peanut butter, hummus, or even guacamole, I just spoon it up. I take one large spoon and put the treat away from my eyes. This spoon gives me the flavor and joy I need while still applying some sort of portion control and ridding me of the extra calories I would get if I accidentally swallowed a half packet of pita chips. If you love sauces and toppings as much as I do, perhaps this approach will help you the next time you want to shed a few pounds.