in

3 Foods Worthy of Your Next Cheat Day

It’s no secret that people love fresh-starts, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that New Year’s Resolutions have gained so much traction over the years. There’s something universally appealing about a blank slate. The opportunity to break old habits and to form new ones. The chance to leave the past in the past and to fix your eyes on the road ahead.

And now that the first week of 2019 is officially in the books, New Year’s Resolutions are well underway. People across the country have resolved to live a healthier life in 2019. To exercise more. To eat cleaner. And to prioritize their mental health. For some, this might entail a combination of Whole 30 and 6am spin classes. For others, it might mean jumping on the Keto bandwagon and aiming for 10,000 steps a day.

Regardless of how you plan to achieve your health and wellness goals in 2019, it’s important to allow yourself a cheat day every now and then. A day where you can indulge in your favorite foods without an ounce of guilt. And as long as the occasional cheat day doesn’t turn into a cheat week or a cheat month, you should have no trouble achieving the health goals you set for yourself this year.

With that in mind, here are three foods worthy of your next cheat day.

1. Pizza

So let’s say you’ve played by the rules of your new diet all week, but Saturday rolls around, and your friends invite you out to your favorite local pizza joint for dinner. Can you really say no to that? After all, you didn’t resolve to spend less time with your friends this year, you resolved to eat healthier.  But sometimes, clean eating can be a tricky resolution to keep while also maintaining a social life. So, what do you do?

You go. And you eat a slice of pizza… or two. All things are good in moderation, right? And your diet will be waiting for you Monday morning.

2. Ice Cream

But pizza isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer to satisfy their sweet tooth, rather than their salty or greasy one, on a cheat day.

If that’s you, then ice cream might be the way to go. So, treat yourself to a cone of Cherry Garcia from Ben & Jerry’s, or pick up a pint of your go-to flavor at your local grocery store. And even if you find that your “cheat days” are beginning to pile up, you can opt for a healthier ice cream brand, like Halo Top or Enlightened. Either way, you don’t have to cut ice cream out all-together… even if you’re dieting.

3. Pasta

If you’re a pasta lover on a diet this New Year, you’re probably already having a hard time going without spaghetti, or fettuccini, or macaroni and cheese… or all of the above.

Sure, there are healthier alternatives to wheat pasta, like zoodles and the wildly popular Banza noodles, but nothing can truly measure up to the delicious wheat pasta you’ve grown accustomed to eating. That’s why it might be time to make pasta your official cheat day food. After all, should you really have to settle for zoodles on a cheat day?

Now the only question is– will you try a new pasta dish at home or reserve a table at your favorite Italian restaurant on your next cheat day? The choice is yours.

Report

What do you think?

Written by Stan Nicholas