If you found yourself dipping into the Halloween candy this past week or weekend, you may find yourself craving more of the sugary stuff this week.
It’s just the way your body is programmed. The more sugar you eat, the more you crave it – and as long as you continually give in to your craving for it – the more the cycle is perpetuated.
So before you find yourself down at the drugstore purchasing discounted Halloween candy (oooh so tempting), or hitting up the pastry counter with your morning coffee, check out my suggestions below for satisfying your sweet tooth without the added sugar.
And let’s face it. There’ll be no shortage of sweet stuff coming your way in the coming weeks with all the holiday parties and events. Might as well give your body a break now;)
Cut the sugar but keep the sweetness with these ideas…
1) Baked apples (or pears). Slice them up and drizzle them with coconut oil and cinnamon (no need to add sugar), and bake them in the oven. Feel free to top them with chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds. This used to be one of my go-to treats when I was a kid. Actually, I just made these a few weeks ago – here’s the picture!
2) Cocoa sweetened with Stevia. This can take many different forms from a stovetop homemade hot chocolate (raw cacao or cocoa powder, stevia, plus dairy or nut milk) to a chocolate flavoured protein powder or greens powder (Botanica makes a yummy one) mixed with almond milk. This can be the perfect little snack in the evening hours when you desire a little something chocolaty. The key is that the sweetness is coming from stevia (a zero-calorie natural sweetener) rather than added sugar.
3) Root vegetables. Choose one or a combination of any of the following: beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, and sweet potato. Chop them up and roast them with garlic and fresh herbs. As the veggies roast in the oven, the starches naturally break down into sugar, making them not only easier to digest but sweeter tasting too. They’re delicious eaten hot or after they’ve cooled in the fridge.
4) Winter squashes. I can’t get enough these days! Acorn, kabocha, hubbard, butternut, pumpkin, etc. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and roast them in the oven with some coconut oil, cinnamon, and sea salt. You can puree them into a soup or a side-dish if you desire, but my method of choice is to just eat them straight with a spoon. And yes, I eat the skin too!
5) Dark chocolate. Okay, technically there’s added sugar here BUT if you stick with a higher cocoa content (70-85%), and just a few squares, the added sugar is really quite low. The caveat of course though is if you can’t stop at just a few squares and find yourself regularly chowing down on half the bar (or the whole thing), you might want to reconsider this a viable option – especially if you’re determined to nix the sugar from your life. I posted a picture of my favorite 85% bar here. If you’re a dark chocolate fan you’ll love it!
Now I want to hear from you!
What do you reach for when you want something sweet but without the sugar? Share your favorite naturally sweet or low-sugar treats below!
xo Elaine
Interested in private coaching? Check out my 3-month nutrition coaching program.
Download a copy of my Elegant Eating Handbook to learn simple and effective strategies for permanently living at your natural weight.
Hi! I’m Elaine, a Certified Nutritionist and Master Certified Health Coach. I support women in achieving their health and body goals while prioritizing a peaceful and balanced relationship with food.
Get a free copy of my handbook!
The Elegant Eating Handbook: Timeless Strategies for Lasting Weight Loss and a Peaceful Relationship with Food.
share with friends
keep reading...
I’m not really sure this counts as healthy but maybe you can say differently Elaine! I’ve started keeping raw local honey on my desk. I have these miniature honey bears that I fill up from my big pint at home about once a week. I think they hold about 2 ounces. If I crave something sweet, I eat about a teaspoon of it. I don’t really have a sweet tooth. I prefer savory over sweet. But a teaspoon of local honey can help with allergies and for me, if I am getting hungry, it can calm my appetite for a couple of hours. People in my office (especially during the holiday season) always have candy. If I really feel like I want to get a candy, I reach for my honey instead.
I made a apple and pear crumble last night! I used coconut oil and quick oats as a topping after I tossed the slices of fruit in cinnamon! It was SO easy to make!
Hi Tammy,
A teaspoon of raw, local honey doesn’t sound so bad! Especially if you find it helps you with your allergies. Of course it always comes down to the individual health circumstance but if you find it works for you with no issues (i.e. steady blood sugar, no yeast-related issues) than it’s likely fine for you.
The crumble sounds delicious!
Hi Elaine,
I love your posts and recipes.
I use stevia often to sweeten my foods. I never use sugar, maybe organic maple syrup at times. I use your almond bread recipe often. I do not indulge in dairy, gluten, grains, or meats, and as a result I often times do not know what to eat. In addition to the aforementioned, I exercise food combining. So, it has been more difficult to come up with viable, enjoyable meals. However, when I have a sweet tooth, I eat 85% dark chocolate and prettily much eat half the bar. Is that really bad? I don’t see sugar as one of the ingredients. Anyway, I am going to try the winter squashes. That sounds delicious, but pretty starchy.
Thanks…..
LB
Thanks Linda!
I guess it depends how big the bar is…half a bar might be fine for some people. I think it comes down to context (i.e. what else did you consume that day, health circumstance, how regularly you eat it, etc). I’m not sure which brand you eat but most dark chocolate has sugar in it..unless it’s sweetened with stevia or something else.
I know speaking from my own experience I used to go through a lot of dark chocolate (easily half a bar on a regular basis) but when I got honest with myself I realized I was consuming way too much – it’s still sugar after all. And the more I ate of it, the more I craved it. Now I prefer to keep it as a treat – but that’s just me:)
The squash is somewhat starchy but I think that’s okay. I don’t do much grain either so the starch that I do eat comes primarily from starchy veggies (i.e. squash, root veggies)…and usually just at one meal:) Give it a try!
I find that nut and nut butters help me! Obviously they are easy to over due but not for me, so it works! I love a grain-free seed cracker topped with a little almond butter! YUM
Hi Amanda
Yes, nut and seed butters are great! Always a good option for a blood sugar balancing snack:)
where do you find alter ego bars in Toronto? I love the quinoa crisp one :)
Sorry, I’m updating my earlier comment. You can buy them at The Big Carrot in Toronto! I forgot that the actual name of the bar was “Alter Ego”…I always refer to it as Black Out (my favorite one!)