I always love hearing from BariatricPal members about your great ideas for satisfying cravings with healthy substitutes. You might make them yourself with new recipes, or order a dish from a restaurant but with certain requirements, like bunless or without sauce.

I know a lot of substitutes, like portabello pizza for real pizza, and pureed cauliflower or turnip for mashed potatoes, and baked “fried” chicken with Fiber One or almond meal instead of breading and frying…but I know you all have a ton of excellent ideas that are WLS-friendly solutions for all those craveables!

Share them here, please, and we’ll all be able to satisfy our cravings a little more easily!

When eating soft gourmet cheeses, hummus, tapenade, etc., I often use a baby spoon to eat it. Really. Why add carbs or calories when a spoon will suffice? The richer the cheese or spread, the less likely I am to need an alternate method of transportation from container to mouth. I still measure out my amount, and I take teeny scoops at a time, but it's delish. If I need crunch, I use red pepper.

I am totally prefer savory over sweet. Olives, pickles, pepperonicinis and almonds are my nibbles instead of chips and popcorn. I love cheese crisps, the kind made of 100% cheese, with no carbs. They satisfy the need for chips completely.

There is no shame in my low carb game. The ladies at the deli counter are used to me asking for 2-3 slices of cheese or lunch meat. Pair that with some onions, tomatoes, pepper strips, etc. from the salad bar and I can make a heck of a no carb wrap.

I ask the sushi guy to make my sushi without rice. The first few times, he totally didn't get it. (No, not sashimi, I wanted rolls.) Now he loves making me something special.

When edamame is on the appetizer menu, I ask the waiter to have it tossed in whatever spicy sauce that might be offered on another dish. It's a bit messy, but delicious.

When a friend orders a salad, I ask him/her to order a second add on Protein to be put on a side plate. I usually enjoy a small piece of salmon, steak or a few shrimp for about $5 and it's just my serving size. If no one is getting salad, I ask if I can get a side salad with the add on. They always say yes.

food preparers are willing to work with me when I explain that I avoid carbs and restrict my portions. I leave a great tip, and they remember me next time!

When eating soft gourmet cheeses, hummus, tapenade, etc., I often use a baby spoon to eat it. Really. Why add carbs or calories when a spoon will suffice? The richer the cheese or spread, the less likely I am to need an alternate method of transportation from container to mouth. I still measure out my amount, and I take teeny scoops at a time, but it's delish. If I need crunch, I use red pepper.

I am totally prefer savory over sweet. Olives, pickles, pepperonicinis and almonds are my nibbles instead of chips and popcorn. I love cheese crisps, the kind made of 100% cheese, with no carbs. They satisfy the need for chips completely.

There is no shame in my low carb game. The ladies at the deli counter are used to me asking for 2-3 slices of cheese or lunch meat. Pair that with some onions, tomatoes, pepper strips, etc. from the salad bar and I can make a heck of a no carb wrap.

I ask the sushi guy to make my sushi without rice. The first few times, he totally didn't get it. (No, not sashimi, I wanted rolls.) Now he loves making me something special.

When edamame is on the appetizer menu, I ask the waiter to have it tossed in whatever spicy sauce that might be offered on another dish. It's a bit messy, but delicious.

When a friend orders a salad, I ask him/her to order a second add on Protein to be put on a side plate. I usually enjoy a small piece of salmon, steak or a few shrimp for about $5 and it's just my serving size. If no one is getting salad, I ask if I can get a side salad with the add on. They always say yes.

food preparers are willing to work with me when I explain that I avoid carbs and restrict my portions. I leave a great tip, and they remember me next time!

Woah. Ok all of these are genius ideas and are now in screenshot form so I can refer to them in the future. Can you explain what you tell the sushi guy?

Oh and btw... I have created a folder on my phone just of your ideas...

Thankyouthsnkyouthankyou

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I said... "So, can you make this roll without rice?".

He wraps in seaweed or in thin ribbon of cucumber. It's definitely less stable and not always as pretty but it's delicious! It works well as hand rolls, too.

big mac salad.

a little romaine lettuce chopped up, topped with my ground meat mixture that has melted shredded cheddar in it, topped with a tsp of thousand island dressing, 1 green onion chopped, 1 dill pickle slice chopped and some sesame seeds.

I've always had a particular weakness for spaghetti alla carbonara. Now when I crave it I soft boil a couple of eggs, leaving nice, runny yolks. Then I split them on a plate and top with a strip of chopped bacon, some minced and sautéed onion and garlic, shavings of parmigiano reggiano, and of course heaps of fresh ground black pepper.

Works for me!

4 days after surgery, I was dying for something crunchy. Anything!' I took corn chips that they serve with salsa dip.. Fat free and all. I took one piece, chewed it and then spat it out. Then I rinsed my mouth and cried a little in shame...

Protein powder mug cake! Fast, easy, and hits the spot when I want chocolate or cake.

Here is one many don't think a lot of:

spices. Stop the constant salt salt salt on everything. I rarely use it. I use and try all sorts of herbs, herb combinations. It can help the same old thing become new.

Vic

It's definitely less stable and not always as pretty but it's delicious!

Again, I love it when you talk about me like this...

Works for me!

I'll give you a tip - it's working for me too!!!

You're DEFINITELY doing the cooking when I come to visit...

And on a different note -

I've just learnt to use the 'quote' thing...

Go me!!!

Oh yeah, my craving substitute...

I used to crave a nice long sleep in before waking up to a nice, hot, triple espresso...

I've replaced that with 4am wake up calls, cold trips to the gym and alternating between protein-induced diarrhea and constipation...

Yeah...

F*cking brilliant!!!

You're DEFINITELY doing the cooking when I come to visit...

Luckily for you, I do love to cook.

I've just learnt to use the 'quote' thing...

Go me!!!

Took you long enough!

Oh yeah, my craving substitute...

I used to crave a nice long sleep in before waking up to a nice, hot, triple espresso...

I've replaced that with 4am wake up calls, cold trips to the gym and alternating between protein-induced diarrhea and constipation...

Yeah...

F*cking brilliant!!!

I debated over whether or not to like this post. In the end I decided that your new mornings sound like a downgrade from your old ones, and so I did not.

Too funny @@CHM

Mean in places...

But funny...

I'm just a baby sleever. I'm learning a lot from these posts. I do love fresh organic red pepper with hummus. One of my goto meals.

Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

I have been mixing things into my cottage cheese.

So, for instance, I have been making a Greek salad with cottage cheese. A bit of feta, a tbsp of tzatziki, some Kalamata olives, pickled peppers, and tomato makes a feast.

Yesterday, I mixed in a tbsp of Mediterranean goat cheese spread in my scrambled egg.

I can't seem to stomach olives, pickles, marinated mushrooms, did I used to LOVE before! Maybe it's the acid and I'm not far enough out yet. I need to find a way to get more calories in. I usually have an egg and a few tbsp of cottage cheese in the morning or just a muscle milk, which is 210 calories and 25 grams of Protein for Breakfast. Then lunch may be hummus and an organic red or yellow pepper. Then dinner is usually a chix breast with spinach (Pam spray). During the day I drink as much Water I can tolerate and an Isopure which is 40 grams of protein. Tonight I'm trying, for the first time, a beef patty and some egg whites. Haven't had beef yet.

Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App