What is a good cheat meal for weight loss?

A cheat meal can be a strategic part of a healthy weight loss plan. Cheat meals provide a mental break from rigid dieting and allow you to satisfy cravings in a controlled way. When planned appropriately, a cheat meal will not negatively impact your weight loss progress. The key is choosing a cheat meal that is reasonable in calories and nutrition.

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What is a Cheat Meal?

A cheat meal is a meal where you loosen the rules of your diet plan and enjoy foods that are outside of your normal eating pattern. For example, if your diet avoids sugar, gluten, and dairy, a cheat meal may include pizza, ice cream, and beer.

Cheat meals serve several purposes in a weight loss plan:

They satisfy cravings for “off-limit” foods so you don’t feel deprived.
They provide a mental break from the rigidity of dieting.
They replenish glycogen stores after an intense workout.

They prevent your metabolism from downshifting due to prolonged calorie restriction.

When cheat meals are planned strategically, they can aid weight loss and prevent binge eating. However, cheat meals can also be detrimental if they are excessive. The trick is choosing a cheat meal that satisfies your cravings without going overboard on calories.

Guidelines for a Good Cheat Meal

Here are some guidelines for choosing a cheat meal that won’t sabotage your weight loss goals:

Keep it to one meal, not an entire cheat day. A full day of unrestricted eating can quickly add up to thousands of excess calories.
Plan your cheat meal for when cravings strike, not on a scheduled basis. Allow your body cues to guide when you need a cheat meal.
Focus your cheat meal on the foods you miss most or have been craving. For example, pizza, burgers, fries, or sweets.

Savor and enjoy your cheat meal. Eat slowly and really taste the foods. Avoid feeling guilty.
Choose a reasonable portion size. Eat until satisfied but not uncomfortably full.
Fill up on protein, fiber, and water before your cheat meal to help control portions.

Avoid making the cheat meal too high in fat, which can stimulate overeating.
Limit alcohol, which is high in empty calories.

With the right guidelines, a cheat meal can be an important part of any healthy eating plan.

Nutrients to Focus On

When planning a cheat meal, aim to include reasonable amounts of protein, fiber, and micronutrients. This helps to keep you feeling satisfied. Some nutrients to focus on include:

Protein: Keeps you feeling fuller for longer and supports muscle mass. Choose a burger, pizza with meat toppings, tacos, wings, steak, etc.
Fiber: Promotes satiety and digestive health. Enjoy a side salad, beans, fruit, or whole grains like a whole wheat bun.

Calcium: Important for bone health. Have a serving of cheese, yogurt, or milk.
Potassium: Helps lower blood pressure. Opt for banana, sweet potato fries, tomatoes, or avocado.
Iron: Supports oxygen circulation and energy levels. Red meats, spinach sides, lentils/beans are good sources.

Zinc: Boosts immunity and wound healing. Include oysters, beef, nuts, or seeds.

Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods will help you feel satisfied while providing essential vitamins and minerals.

Low-Calorie Drink Options

Beverage choices can make a big impact on your cheat meal nutrition. Here are some lower calorie drink options:

Water – Always a zero-calorie choice.
Unsweetened iced tea or coffee – Avoid adding sugar.
Diet sodas – Artificially sweetened, zero calories.

Seltzer water – Flavor with lemon/lime.
Low-fat milk – Provides protein, calcium.
Fresh fruit juice – Limit to 4-6oz for less sugar.

Dry wines or light beers – Stick to one serving.

Avoid high-calorie choices like frozen blended coffees, sweet tea, craft beers, piña coladas, margaritas, and anything ending in “-ccino.”

20 Better Cheat Meal Choices

Here are 20 cheat meal options that let you indulge without going overboard on calories:

Burger and oven-baked fries: Look for single patty burgers or mini-sliders. Pair with sweet potato fries.
Tacos: Fill corn tortillas with carnitas, chicken, or shrimp. Load up on salsa, tomatoes, onion, cilantro instead of cheese/sour cream.
Pizza: Opt for thin crust with lots of veggie toppings. Just 2-3 slices.

Pasta with meatballs: Stick to 1 cup pasta with marinara sauce. Pair with a side salad.
Sushi rolls: Emphasize rolls with vegetables instead of fried options. Miso soup makes a nice starter.
Steak with baked potato: Splurge on a 6oz filet. Top potato with Greek yogurt instead of butter/sour cream.

Stir fry: Load up your dish with lean protein and veggies. Use reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Fajitas: Fill lettuce leaves or corn tortillas. Skip the rice, beans, cheese, guacamole.
Wings: Enjoy 8-12 wings with carrot/celery sticks. Get sauces on the side.

Omelet: Fill a 3-egg omelet with veggies. Pair with fruit.
Burrito bowl: Brown rice, black beans, chicken, salsa, guacamole. Limit chips/tortilla.
Ramen noodles: Opt for reduced-sodium broth. Load up with lean protein, veggies, soft boiled egg.

Chicken sandwich: Grilled chicken breast with avocado and sprouts on whole grain bread.
Bunless burger: Lettuce-wrap your burger to cut carbs. Side salad instead of fries.
Steak salad: Top greens with grilled sirloin steak. Lemon juice dressing.

Veggie pizza: Load up the pie with mushrooms, peppers, onion, spinach. Limit cheese.
Fish tacos: Choose grilled fish in corn tortillas. Top with shredded cabbage and salsa.
Satay skewers: Grilled chicken or shrimp skewers paired with a small bowl of brown rice.

Stuffed peppers: Fill bell peppers with ground turkey, quinoa, tomatoes, onion.
Lasagna: Opt for a veggie-packed lasagna made with part-skim ricotta and marinara sauce.

These options provide wiggle room for cravings without going overboard. Keep portions moderate and fill up on nutritious ingredients like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains.

Good Snack Options

If planning a larger cheat meal, you may want smaller snacks earlier in the day to avoid overeating later on. Some smart options include:

Protein bar: Look for one with around 200 calories and at least 10g protein.
Greek yogurt: Choose unsweetened varieties. Mix in berries.

Nutrition shakes: Low-sugar, high-protein shakes can curb hunger.
1-2 hard boiled eggs: Provide protein to fill you up.
Hummus with veggies: Fiber and protein keep you satisfied.

Apple with nut butter: Fiber-rich fruit paired with protein-packed nut butter.
Edamame: Filling soybeans packed with protein.
Low-fat cottage cheese: Add tomato and avocado for a savory snack.

Pairing fiber, protein, and healthy fats is key for a pre-cheat meal snack. This helps control portions at your later cheat meal.

Pre-Cheat Meal Strategies

In addition to a small snack, other strategies can prime your body to minimize cheat meal damage:

Hydrate well: Drink plenty of water before and during your cheat meal. This helps fill your stomach.

Eat slowly: Take small bites and chew thoroughly. Pause between bites. Using utensils can slow you down.
Savor the food: Take time to enjoy the tastes and textures. This satisfies cravings.
Use small plates: Dish out small portions onto salad plates instead of large dinner plates.

Load up on veggies first: Fill up with a broth-based soup or big salad before the main meal.
Pause before getting seconds: Wait 10-15 minutes to allow fullness signals to register.
Socialize: Chat with friends and family during your meal. Social distraction can curb overeating.

Implementing some of these tips will prime you to succeed with your cheat meal without going overboard.

Post-Cheat Meal Strategies

The way you follow up your cheat meal can get your weight loss quickly back on track:

Don’t restrict calories the next day. This often backfires into a second day of overeating.

Drink extra water the next 24 hours to rehydrate and reduce sodium bloating.
Add an extra workout. Some cardio or strength training helps your body refocus.
Choose higher protein meals with vegetables. Emphasize nutrients.

Limit refined carbs and sugar the next day. Stick to complex carbs like oats, quinoa, beans, and starchy veggies.
Get right back on track with your normal healthy eating routine. Don’t let the cheat meal derail your progress.
Avoid feeling guilty about the indulgence. Remind yourself that it was planned and now it’s time to get back on your program.

With the right follow up, one cheat meal will be a blip on the radar in your overall weight loss efforts.

Final Word

A carefully planned cheat meal can be an important part of a sustainable weight loss program. By thoughtfully choosing your foods, controlling portions, staying hydrated, savoring your meal, and getting right back on track, a cheat meal won’t negatively impact your progress. Use these tips and your next cheat will be guilt-free and may even boost your results in the long run. Just remember to keep it reasonable in the calories and get back to healthy habits right after.