Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth without Breaking the Calorie Bank

After my last blog entry someone dropped me a note and said, “Glad to hear how versatile beans can be, but what I am supposed to do with my sweet tooth?”  Good question.

The short answer is, do not ignore your sweet tooth.  During my weight loss I did not eliminate anything from my diet.  Instead, I ate sweets and other favorite foods like pizza in moderation.  Also, whenever possible I tried to satisfy my craving for sweets by making a better choice.

More often than not, the key to effective weight loss is moderation, creativity and convenience.  I applied these same simple principles to enjoying sweet treats.  During the height of my weight loss, I still ate the occasional piece of cheesecake, my favorite dessert – perhaps once a month or so.  But most of the time, when I craved something sweet I opted for satisfying, low calorie, convenient and creative options. Here are some sweet tooth satisfying options for approximately 50-100 calories:

 

All Natural Frozen Fruit Bar – Edy’s makes a tasty bar for just 50 calories.

Ice Cream Float – Pour a can of any diet soda over a half a cup of your favorite light ice-cream.

Sugar Free Jello – I love the cherry!  Add a dollop of Cool Whip for a tasty treat.

Hard Candy – Jolly Rancher suckers are flavorful, long lasting, satisfying and only 60 calories; and remember you don’t have to finish the whole things at one time.

Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Squares (70% cocoa or more) – Healthy and delicious.

Fresh Smoothies – Blend a cup of fresh berries with a teaspoon of honey.

Frozen Sherbet – I always found a half cup of orange or berry sherbet quite enjoyable.

Ocean Spray Fruit Snacks – A small snack pack of chewy sweetness hits the spot for only 80 calories.

Most of the time these “better” options satisfied my sweet tooth, every now and then I needed something a bit more.  Instead of eating a whole donut or an entire piece of cheesecake, I learned that two bites of my children’s favorite desserts were often enough for me.  I could satisfy my craving, avoid feeling deprived and still not break the calorie bank.

Next time you have crave something sweet, try one of the above ideas.  In fact, come up with some of your own low calorie ways to satisfy that sweet tooth.  And most importantly, please don’t forget to share your ideas with the rest of us!