Glycemic Index Chart

 

Real-Life “Better” Snack & Junk-Food Swaps (From My Own Pantry)

By Ashley Adamo, PA-C – All-American Weight Loss & Wellness

One of the biggest nutrition principles I teach my patients is simple:

If you can, shop the perimeter of the grocery store.
That’s where you’ll find real, minimally processed foods — produce, meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy.

From a health, hormone, and metabolic standpoint…
The less processed your food is, the better.

That being said — we’re human.

Even when you’re doing all the right things, cravings still happen. And pretending they don’t usually leads to feeling restricted… which often backfires.

So today I wanted to share a few “better than the original” snack and comfort-food options that I’ve personally tried and actually enjoy.

These are not meant to replace whole foods — but they can be helpful swaps when the junk-food craving hits.

First — a quick reminder

My ideal approach always looks like this:

Most of your food → whole, minimally processed foods
Some of your food → smarter convenience options

These products below are:

• Higher in protein

• Lower in sugar

• Lower in net carbs (generally)

• Better macro profiles than the traditional versions

…but they are still processed — so keep them as occasional tools, not daily staples.

My personal favorites

  Quest Chips & Snacks – by Quest Nutrition

These are one of my go-to salty snack options.

What I like about them:

• ~18 grams of protein

• ~150 calories

• ~5 grams of carbs (varies slightly by flavor)

My favorite flavors:

• Nacho Cheese

• Pizza

• Barbecue

They really help when you’re craving chips but don’t want a huge carb and calorie hit.

They also make peanut-butter-cup style treats that are a great alternative when you’re craving something sweet.

 

🍩 Legendary Foods Donuts – by Legendary Foods

If you’re a baked-good person… these are honestly impressive.

My favorites:

• Chocolate donut

• Strawberry donut

• Cinnamon bun

Pro tip:
Put them in the microwave for a few seconds — they are so much better warm.

These are higher in protein and much more blood-sugar-friendly than a regular donut from a bakery or convenience store.

Gummy candy cravings

Try gummies from:

• Lily's Sweets

• SmartSweets

If you’re someone who just wants something chewy and sweet from time to time, these are much better alternatives than traditional gummy candy.

They:

• Use far less sugar

• Are generally lower glycemic

• Still satisfy the craving

Again — not something I’d eat daily, but helpful when the craving hits.

🍕 High-protein pizza – Quest Pizza (by Quest Nutrition)

Quest pizza is:

• Much higher in protein

• Lower in carbs than standard frozen pizza

• Surprisingly good

Is it the same as a fresh wood-fired pizza?
Of course not.

But from a macro and blood sugar standpoint — it’s a much better option when pizza is what you want.

The honest truth

These foods are:

✅ Better than their traditional counterparts
✅ Helpful for staying consistent
✅ Useful during weight-loss, hormone optimization, and metabolic reset phases

But…

They should never replace real food as your foundation.

Your base should still be:

• lean proteins

• vegetables

• fruit

• healthy fats

• quality carbohydrates (Low Glycemic)  

Think of these as:
strategic swaps — not daily nutrition.

My goal for my patients

At All-American Weight Loss & Wellness, my goal isn’t perfection.
It’s sustainability.

If I can help you:

• eat better most of the time

• stabilize your blood sugar

• support hormones

• maintain muscle and metabolism

…while still enjoying life — that’s a win.

If you’ve found any “better swap” foods you love, I’d love to hear them too the next time I see you!  

Quest Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

Quest Protein Chips

Quest Pizza

Legendary Protein Donuts

Legendary Protein Cinnamon Rolls

Lily's Gummies

Smart Sweets Gummies