5. Nachos: You can make tasty, healthful nachos by blending fresh tomatoes, chilies, garlic, onions and peppers. Pour over reduced fat chips, then sprinkle with low fat cheese.

6. Popcorn: Air pop, instead of using oil. To cut back on calories from butter, season with pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon and even lime juice. By the way, did you know, popcorn has higher levels on antioxidants than many fruits and vegetables?

Here are other tips to improve the healthfulness of junk foods. Make fast foods at home, that way you can control ingredients. Drink a full glass of water before eating. This will make you feel fuller, so you’ll eat less, and make sure you’re taking a good vitamin/mineral supplement, because without certain nutrients, you can’t metabolize or use carbohydrates and fats.

Finally, if you are going to have fast or junk food, plan to do it. What I mean is many folks try to eat healthy while not being able to get bad foods out of their mind. Then many consume vast amounts of these unhealthy foods, a little at a time. By the end of the weekend, they’ve eaten huge amounts of junk food, and now feel guilty and defeated. If you “plan” to indulge just a certain amount, you’ll not only get the physical satisfaction, but the emotional as well. That makes it easier to get back on track.

Diet or exercise question? Email me at dwcrocker77@gmail.com. 

David Crocker of Landrum has been a nutritionist and master personal trainer for 26 years. He served as strength director of the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., head strength coach for the USC-Spartanburg baseball team, S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, and the Converse college equestrian team. He served as a water safety consultant to the United States Marine Corp, lead trainer to L.H. Fields modeling agency, and taught four semesters at USC-Union. David was also a regular guest of the Pam Stone radio show.