Skinny Foods for Valentine’s Day
The typical Valentine’s Day foods can present a paradox. The very treats used to celebrate this day of love can make you feel bloated and sluggish. That has be the opposite of how you would want to feel when you are around that special someone or if you are simply trying to show yourself a little love. This Thursday, do yourself proud while enjoying seasonal treats to celebrate.
Bruschetta
Start your meal with some appetizers, but do not throw off your entire day with excessive carbs, fat, and calories as you might get from spinach artichoke dip with chips, fried shrimp, or cheese fondue with bread.
Instead, try low-carb bruschetta made with Parisian Rusk Bread. Each serving has 110 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein, but only 5 grams of net carbs. Pile it with chopped tomatoes marinated with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil, and top with shredded parmesan to start your meal off tasting right without putting you over the top for the day.
Spaghetti
A plate of fettuccine alfredo or spaghetti carbonara can pump up the love, but it can also pump up your waistline. If regular pasta is too heavy in carbs for your lifestyle, check out our selection of Protein and Low-Carb Spaghetti. Options include nearly carb-free shirataki noodles, protein pasta, and superfood black bean and mung bean pasta.
Try any of our diet-friendly pasta alternatives with a simple blend of olive oil, salt, basil, and parmesan cheese or tomato sauce with mushrooms and ground turkey. If you are on your own or do not feel like cooking, feel free to choose an Instant Protein Entrée such as Spaghetti Bolognese. It can warm your soul as you lose weight.
Hot Chocolate
It is only natural to want to extend the evening with a hot drink, possibly while watching a movie. Do you know your little glass of hot cocoa can contain 300 calories and 40 grams of sugar? It may not seem so heart-warming once you know that!
Protein Hot Chocolate can provide the warmth and chocolate taste you want with barely any sugar. Each cup provides about 15 grams of protein and under 5 grams of carbs, allowing you to indulge without a sugar high before bed. Choose Classic, Marshmallow, Cinnamon, or another flavor to get your fix without paying a heavy price.
Cheesecake
Let’s hear it for cheesecake as a great Valentine’s Day dessert. In just a few bites, you can down a day’s worth of saturated fat and sugar and a meal’s worth of calories. What is so great about that?
Try Protein Cheesecake Pudding instead if you really want the flavor but are too savvy to fall for the diet-busting pitfalls of regular cheesecake. Have it plain for 90 calories and 15 grams of protein in a few minutes. You can also make it fancier by topping it with sliced strawberries or raspberries and calorie-free chocolate sauce.
There is no need to deviate from your weight loss goals when you want to celebrate. Just make smart substitutions. Have a healthy, Happy Valentine’s Day!
