While we all know that consuming sugar is not good for your health, desserts may act as an instant mood booster and calm you when stressed. So, a small amount of dessert can be added to a healthy diet.
The right way of consuming sweets is to control portion sizes. You will need to pay attention to foods you eat that contain added sugar, like protein bars, cereals, bottled teas, juices, and coffees, to avoid overdoing your sugar intake.
Regularly consuming high amounts of sugar may increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, liver disease, and diabetes and also ruin the effect of your keto or other diets.
If you take supplements to reduce weight, excessive sugar will make it challenging to get your desired results. It’s advised to limit your sugar intake to 6 teaspoons or 25 grams for women per day and 9 teaspoons or 36 grams for men per day.
Besides controlling portion sizes, there are several ways to satisfy your cravings. Continue reading for some tried and tested ways to integrate sweet healthily into your diet.
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Stock Up with Healthy Options
You don’t just need to count calories. Instead, consider making every calorie count. Look for desserts or treats that contain 100 to 200 calories and have some nutritional benefits.
Check the nutritional label to pick treats that deliver necessary nutrients, especially ones that we usually get in lower amounts from our diet, like calcium, fiber, and whole grains. Choose low-fat baked goods, baked chips, and chocolates made with dried fruits and nuts.
Look for Natural Desserts
When most people crave sugar, they reach for high-sugar, high-fat foods like chocolate. However, replacing junk food with delicious fruits is a good idea when you look for something sugary to enjoy the sweet hit and satisfy cravings.
Fruits like mangoes, oranges, or pineapples are naturally sweet but also provide fibers and plant compounds, helping you to deal with cravings and keep you healthy. Eat fruits slightly higher in sugar, like grapes or mangoes, to suppress temptation.
And if you are also hungry, add some yogurt to your sliced fruits to make a delicious and satisfying snack.
Opt for Acai Bowls
This is ideal for people who want to try something unique and tasty without getting too many calories. Acai is a superfood packed with antioxidants.
However, this frozen food can be high in calories and contain added sugar, so watch toppings and serving size. You can also look for acai with no added sugar and low calories in the market.
Acai bowls can contain 600 calories and 75 grams sugar in a single serving.
Choose healthy toppings like nuts, seeds, or fresh fruit to keep it healthy and tasty. Also, don’t get greedy; keep your bowl small to keep calorie counts low.
Eat Dark Chocolate
Chocolates are one of the most preferred snacks people eat when they crave sweets. They are more true for women. If you crave chocolate, you can opt for a healthier option, i.e., dark chocolate.
These delicious snacks contain more than 70% cocoa. Dark chocolates are also rich in healthy plant compounds called polyphenols.
In fact, research has also shown that polyphenols’ anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects may improve markers of heart conditions.
Keep in mind that dark chocolate contains fat and sugar like any other regular chocolate. So, take it only to satisfy your cravings and avoid overeating.
Munch on Nuts
Nuts are the perfect option to kill your boredom and enjoy a sweet treat without getting any artificial content like added sugar and fillers that may impact your health. You can eat them separately by controlling your greediness to use them as a topping.
Nuts taste sweet and crunchy and are an excellent rouse of several nutrients. This includes fiber, healthy fats, protein, and others. But they are also calorie dense, so it’s important to limit portions.
You can pair nuts with granola or dried or fresh fruits. Even dark chocolate-covered nuts are a good option, as the ratio of dark chocolate to the nut is pretty small.
Go for Healthy Snack Bars
Many snack bars you can find in the market are not healthy. Some of them are very high in sugar and fat. But if you are craving a sugary treat, there are some healthy options. Look for snack bars with whole oats and dried or fresh fruit to sweeten them.
Make sure to avoid treats that claim to add “healthy” sugar, such as coconut syrup, honey, or agave syrup. These are added sugar that is not good for you and may lead to weight gain.
To choose a healthy bar, look for ones made with whole foods. They contain beneficial nutrients and are likely to be higher in fiber, even if they are sweet. If you love to cook, you can make your own snack bar in a home that contains all healthy ingredients.
Keep Your Serving Small
While chips, cookies, and ice creams are unhealthy, it might sometimes be hard to control your cravings for these things. So, you don’t need to completely cut off these items from your life. Instead, eat them once in a blue moon.
Also, to avoid overeating, buy single-serving treats and sweets for portion control. Other ways to limit portions include getting ice cream in a cone and buying pint-size containers.
Resolve Nutrient Deficiencies
Opting for a healthy option looks challenging for some people, especially if they eat desserts with added sugar daily. But with practice, you can leave this habit and get on track to living a healthy life.
Also, if you choose sweets to kill your hunger, look for the cause that might make you more hungry than you should.
Taking top quality supplements may help with getting back the nutrients you may be losing and may be a healthy option that you need to recover those nutrients.
If you’re a supplement provider, look no further than SMP Nutra. SMP Nutra may be able to help with any and all of your manufacturing needs.