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No matter how healthy you are everyone has a weakness. While it's okay to indulge occasionally, the sky-high calories, fat and carbs can throw a wrench in your healthy eating plan for your wedding day. "The easiest way to 'health-ify' a fatty favorite is to base the meal around vegetables," says registered dietician Lisa Ganguzza, MS CDN. Read on for tips from NYC-based registered dietician Rachel Stahl, CDN and Ganguzza to cut calories from some of your favorite meals.
Instead of French fries have Jicama fries
Calories: 365 calories vs. 125 calories per serving
Potatoes don't count as a healthy vegetable when they are drowned in oil and deep-fried. Ganguzza suggests baking Jicama — a crunchy root vegetable — instead.
"Jicama is lower calorie, lower carb and higher in fiber than white potatoes," she explains.
Instead of a cheeseburger have a black bean quinoa burger with avocado
Calories: 300 calories vs. 95 calories per patty
Go veggie and skip the beef and cheese. Ganguzza likes a black bean quinoa burger for a high protein, high fiber meal. The avocado adds healthy fats and the creamy texture makes you forget about the cheese. Enjoy on a whole-wheat bun or in a lettuce wrap.
Instead of spaghetti have spaghetti squash
Calories: 200 per cup vs. 42 calories per cup
Let's be honest — who stops at one cup of pasta? At 200 calories per cup plain, those extra bowls and add-ons can kill your diet. Stahl recommends subbing spaghetti squash, for added fiber, and serving it with tomato sauce or olive oil topped with fresh parmesan cheese and herbs.
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Instead of pizza have Portobello mushroom pizzas
Calories: 285 calories vs. 175 calories per "slice"
"We all love a good slice of pizza, but the refined carb crust and greasy cheese does not make for healthy bodies," Garguzzo says. Instead she suggests subbing the crust for Portobello mushroom caps. Fill it with your favorite vegetables and sauce and you have a low calorie swap that fills you up.
Instead of chicken wings have cauliflower buffalo bites
Calories: 300 calories vs. 50 calories per serving
If your fiancé is a football fan, chances are Sundays are full of unhealthy food like buffalo wings. Garguzzo loves this swap that ditches breaded and deep-fried chicken wings for baked high fiber, low calorie cauliflower bites.
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Instead of ice cream have frozen Greek yogurt
Calories: 500 per cup vs. 250 per cup
For brides with a sweet tooth, it can be hard to nix sugar. Stahl suggests making your own ice cream with nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt. "Greek yogurt not only maintains that creamy ice cream texture, but boasts a high protein content which is great for weight control," she notes. In addition, Stahl says, it's chock full or probiotics to aid digestion. Stahl recommends skipping versions with added sugars or fruits and adding your own healthy mix-ins like natural peanut butter, dark chocolate chips, chia seeds, unsalted nuts and fruit.