Easy Diet Hacks

Eating similar foods while adding more low-calorie, high-nutrient-density bulk is a big win. 

In short: sometimes you can add something to a meal that makes it a lot more filling, without a lot of extra (whatever you don’t want too much of).

Here’s an example. When I’m pressed for time, I’ll make chicken tikka masala from a freezer bag (Sukhi’s, available at Costco; their meal packs at mainstream supermarkets are tasty, but they add rice and samosas and other stuff I keep to a lower portion of my diet).

It’s a big meal if you eat the whole bag, but it’s mostly protein from chicken and fat from the sauce.

But! Now add an entire portion bag of riced cauliflower with other veggies, from the Tattooed Chef, also at Costco.

The size of the meal, by volume, doubles … but the total calories only go from ~630 to ~750. It’s still super tasty, and it’s FILLING AS FUCK. In fact some days I probably don’t “need” the whole meal, but I tend to finish my days undershooting my calories a little, and I enjoy fixing that with big dinners.

That’s just one way to fill your tummy without exploding any calorie limits you might be trying to stick to. Similarly: I’m one of those weightlifting nerds who swears by lean animal proteins like chicken and tuna, and who uses broccoli less as a side than as “the other half of the big meal.” Throw some spicy something on it … low sodium, if you’re sensitive to it, or whatever tastes good to you … and very few people are going to critique your choices. High fiber, good potassium and Vitamin A, and hyuge amounts of Vitamin C; if it appeals to you at all, there’s a good chance you can “binge” on it without, you know, bingeing. Consult a real dietitian to be sure. Use some other vegetable instead if you dislike broccoli (hey: you do you, and more for me, I will gladly sacrifice myself to make sure you don’t have to eat a bite of it.)

Most of how I’ve leaned out over the years has been about “hacking” my taste buds and my food consumption this way. I’m always looking for something I will anticipate eating with pleasure, just with less of what packs on additional pounds too quickly.

I did the whole “diet by depriving yourself of joy” thing on my first round with Weight Watchers 15 years ago. That was despite the fact that Weight Watchers (or at least, my meeting leader) basically told us: “DON’T deprive yourself, find ways to enjoy eating differently.” I thought I was going to be the big exception. *Look how well I can deprive myself!*

Nope. I’m a hedonist. Food is a source of pleasure. I’ve just learned a few ways to have pleasure more nutritiously.

My food substitution habits started way before I got into exercise in such a big way. Although I still generally ate a bit more than my body needed, and thus slowly put on added weight over the years, it was also true that the nutritional value of what I was eating also slowly improved. I can’t prove it, but I suspect that was part of why my weight gain didn’t cause me some of the usual issues until later than it might have for others. (To be very strict and fair: I also probably got dealt a fortunate genetic hand, through no effort of my own. I knew people who are much smarter than me whose cholesterol numbers were noticeably worse. Those are not easy issues for people who have to confront them, which is one reason I cheerlead people as assiduously as I do without trying to shame them—or let them shame themselves—for how the results don’t always match the effort as well as we might hope).

So by the time I ramped up my dietary knowledge for real, back in 2014, I was somewhat familiar with changing my food habits to prioritize pleasure and nutrition at the same time.

I don’t mean to minimize how challenging it can still be. There is a lot of dietary information out there, and alas: yes, some of it is marketing hype designed to lead us down a wrong path because that path lines someone else’s pocket. Sorting through it all, learning what’s good science AND what feels good for us as individuals, is not always easy or linear. I’ve made plenty of weird little mistakes, and am still learning.

But think about whether you can apply this approach in your own life. Have the food you like, maybe a little less if it’s one of those calorie-dense foods we’re meant to eat “in moderation” … and add something else you enjoy that is a more filling and nutritious supplement.

Anytime we can keep our taste buds and our tummies happy without packing on pounds we aren’t looking for, we’re winning.

© 2022 Grampa Fitness

Disclaimer: Ideas expressed in this blog post should not be construed as official advice on how to safely perform fitness activities. Always consult with your doctor and other medical professionals as necessary, before engaging in exercise.