21 Real Food Alternatives to 'Diet' Foods

Since this week's challenge was to give up artificial sweeteners, I wanted to give us all some appetizing alternatives to the 'diet' foods we've become so used to. I think that you'll find after getting used to the switch to these real alternatives, you'll never want to go back to fake food.

Better Than Diet Soda

• Water with slices of citrus (lemon, lime, or oranges)
• Seltzer water with slices of citrus
• Homemade iced tea (optional: sweeten with local honey or orange slices)
•  - try 1 bag of mint with several bags of black tea for a refreshing mint iced tea
• White pomegranate tea makes an excellent bright pink iced tea (no artificial colors)
• 1 part organic cranberry juice (100% juice) mixed with 3 parts filtered water or seltzer water
• Cucumber water  - Martha Stewart's recipe
• Coconut water
• Fruit infused water - super cool site with fruit infused water recipes
• Iced coffee
• Pour cooled coffee over ice, add milk (or your favorite substitute), add honey
• On-the-go: Crystallized lemon, lime, and orange flavors such as True Lemon

Better Than Sugar-Free or "Light" Yogurt

• Plain organic yogurt - either regular or Greek style - add your own mix-ins
• Honey (local is best) or real maple syrup
• All fruit style jelly or jam 
• Fruit 
• Make your own muesli 

Better Than "Light" or "Diet" Beverages 

Those juices with 50% less calories? They usually contain artificial sweeteners. Flavor packs like Crystal Light? Same deal. Protein powders, mixes, etc? They have them too. 

• Buy organic juice - 100% juice - then water it down by half or more if you are worried about calories.
• Drink filtered tap water, water doesn't always have to have a "flavor."
• Try making a high protein smoothie instead - this recipe has 38g of protein! 

Better Than "Healthy" Breakfast Cereals

• Oatmeal - buy the stuff where the only ingredient is OATS. There are no other necessary ingredients to oatmeal. Choose your style, cook and mix with your favorite dried fruits and nuts. Add a little real maple syrup for sweetness. 
• Organic Cereals with less than 5 ingredients - I personally like Kashi's organic Autumn Wheat and Cinnamon Harvest, and more importantly, so do my kids. 
• Homemade Granola
• Mix it up at breakfast - try pastured eggs a few times a week, make some whole grain healthy muffins, try a breakfast smoothie. Nobody ever said we have to eat cereal at breakfast.

Have you found other foods that contain artificial sweeteners that you didn't expect? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear about it. 

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