Your Guide To Cheating (On Your Diet)

Cheat meals are a necessary part of every balanced diet. Two leading nutritionists give us a cheater’s guide so we can make more mindful choices even while bingeing.

- Parizaad Khan Sethi

We’re all making better food choices everday. We pick whole grains instead of refined, consume healthy fats as opposed to those of the saturated variety and struggle to shake off our sugar cravings. But in order to stay on the straight and narrow, sometimes we have to let loose. Even disciplined eaters need to indulge their darkest food fantasies.

Unfortunately, all cheat meals are not created equal. We asked Mumbai-based physician and medical nutritionist Dr Vishakha Shivdasani, and Tanya Zuckerbrot, a New York-based registered dietitian, to rank popular cheat meals from best to worst, across categories. So, the next time a craving hits, you’re going to be better equipped to choose wisely.

JUNK FOOD

PIZZA

Choose a wholewheat pizza crust, eliminating the refined flour. There is protein in the form of cheese and meat toppings, plus a small amount of vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms. To loose weight, eat carb-heavy meals like this for lunch, not dinner, advises Shivdasani.

CHICKEN WINGS

This is pure protein without any carb content, so it’s high on Shivdasani’s list for weight loss, despite being fried.

JUNK FOOD A CHINESE MEAL

Adding a meat (such as chicken, fish or lamb) to rice or noodles reduces the glycemic index, lowering the carb content of your meal. But eat it at lunch.

BURGERS

Set aside the top half of the bun and eat the meat with half the bread— again, protein and grain together are a better choice than grain alone.

PAV BHAJI

Shivdasani’s lowest grade goes to this carb bomb of potato and white bread with zero protein content.

Rotis contain fibre and protein, leaving you fuller much longer. “Fibre also keeps nutrients in your digestive system longer, which promotes absorption,” says Zuckerbrot.