It’s that time of year when all of the holiday meals are going to go against our daily routines and diets, but do not fear! This just means you get to treat yourself to the perfect cheat meal. Now don’t take the term “cheat” too literally. You are not going to be actually cheating on your diet because these cheat meals will actually be able to help you stick to your diet. It can be hard to stick to a bodybuilder diet of just grilled chicken and brown rice, so we are here to encourage you to “cheat” with that one meal to help rejuvenate your confidence in food!

These are the three meals we would recommend as a cheat meal:

A Typical Cheat Meal

Even when the holidays aren’t around the corner, a cheat meal is good to give you that little bit of faith in food. It is important to learn how you can eat your favorite foods that don’t necessarily fit your diet plan, but allow you to stick to your diet in the long run. If you love pizza, burgers, pasta, or basically anything that has carbs, you’re in luck. We recommend you eat a burger with the bun and some fries, whether they are sweet potato or curly, because it will curb your craving while still giving you the protein and nutrients you need. This can also go for a large pizza with all of your favorite toppings or some pasta with fish or chicken. Whatever carb meal is your favorite, make it with some protein and that will be one of the best meals you can eat on your typical cheat day!

Image via Tiff’s Burger

A Thanksgiving Cheat Meal

Now it’s time to get to the hardest part of the year: Thanksgiving. There is no way that you are going to tell me you actually want to eat grilled chicken and brown rice over the delicious food your family has slaved to make all day. The best part of this meal is that we actually want you to eat everything. This includes turkey, mashed potatoes, any casserole, stuffing, pies; have it all. Thanksgiving is known to be a holiday where everyone is stuffed, just like the turkey. This cheat meal will be an overload, but it only comes once a year and you can prepare for it before and after so that you are ready to go back to your healthy diet. So, get to eating all of your favorites!

Image via Flickr

A Holiday Cheat Meal

Last but not least, December is full of different holidays and the end of a very fast year. It is filled with more holiday meals from Hanukkah, to Christmas, and even Kwanzaa. Just as we discussed earlier in the Thanksgiving meal, it is too hard to watch your family eat all of this traditional food and not enjoy it yourself. The hardest part for me, because of my sweet tooth, is saying no to any of grandma’s Christmas cookies! Allowing yourself a cheat meal during the holidays will help you feel happy about your diet rather than negative about it. So for the Holidays, we recommend eating the meat, if any, to get your protein and then cutting out half the amount of carbs you ate at Thanksgiving. This way you can taste just about everything on the table, but still control your portions. Then when dessert comes, you have a little more room to splurge.

Image via Wiki Commons

So this holiday season, get the most out of your traditional foods! The rest of the year calls for some regular cheat meals, about once a week, just to make sure you are happy with your diet. Not allowing yourself to cheat every once in awhile will make your meal plan feel like a diet rather than a lifestyle. The holiday season only comes once a year, so allow yourself to indulge a little, just don’t fall completely off the wagon. Happy Holidays from all of us at Tiff’s Burger!