Does your sweet tooth battle it out with your will to stay in shape?
If you feel like you’re addicted to sugar, you might just be right. Sugar addiction is real. Wrap your head around this: The average American consumes about 80 grams (equal to 20 teaspoons) of sugar a day! Also, diseases like diabetes and heart disorders are on the rise due to sweets, not fatty foods as was previously thought.
But don’t worry. You don’t have to give up the sweet stuff altogether. You can break up with sugar without giving up the taste of something sweet every now and then. Here are some yummy and healthy sweet snacks for you to nosh on.
1. Flourless Cakes And Brownies
Have you ever had a slice of vegan cake?
If you’re not behind the vegan or Paleo trend, you might think the concept of a dairy-free, sugar-free dessert is ridiculous.
Well, according to some expert foodies, vegan baked goods actually taste delicious. And although not all vegan choices are necessarily sugar-free, they offer some substitutes for traditional cake ingredients which are actually healthy.
For instance, almond flour makes for a low-carb cake base. Silken banana also makes for a fine ingredient. Here’s a basic sugar-free cake recipe. But if you want to wing it on your own, just remember to substitute any all-purpose flour with almond flour.
2. Homemade Granola and Fruit Bar
When you’re on the go or in a hurry, that’s when you’ll most likely reach for a processed snack packed with sugar. Vending machines are never too far away, and they don’t disappoint your pallet with their offerings.
However, if you make your own granola snack bars at home, you can save yourself some money at the vending machine. And hey, you can even save the girth of your waistline.
There are a variety of bars you can bake or put together without baking. Just make sure to use natural sweeteners like Agave or Stevia. Also, bake with oats rather than flour.
For an even healthier snack on the go, make sure to add fruit to your bar. Fruits like Strawberry are satisfying without being overwhelmingly sweet.
3. Fruit Leather
Have you ever tasted leather?
No, not the kind your jacket is made of; the kind that’s slightly sweet and maybe even tangy. Fruit leather is the natural, healthy version of a gummy, sugary fruit roll-up.
All you need in order to make fruit leather at home is a dehydrator. Follow the instruction booklet that comes with your fruit dehydrator, and zap the juices right out of your fruit. The best fruit for this snack are ones you can slice lengthwise. You can even blend some fruit together, as is done in these recipes.
4. Raisels
Are you not a DIY kind of girl or guy?
That’s ok. Not all packaged snacks are unhealthy. Take Raisels, for instance.
Raisels seem like they’re just raisins, but they’re so much more. They are a perfect substitute for someone who likes snacking on gummy, sweet-and-sour snacks.
Yes, Raisels are sprinkled with a little bit of sugar, but they aren’t coated with the sweet stuff, unlike traditional candy. They are a yummy portable snack for both kids and adults.
5. Frozen Grapes
Are you a slave to Italian Ice or frozen fruit pops?
If so, frozen grapes are your savior. They may not sound very appetizing, but when frozen, grapes offer a surprisingly juicy and sweet flavor.
Simply take a bunch of fresh grapes off of their vine, put them in a resealable freezer bag, and set them in a freezer. If you prep them early in the day, you’ll have a yummy frozen treat for dessert that evening.
You can also do this with strawberries and blueberries. Prep the strawberries by slicing them in half or into quarters. If you want an even sweeter treat and you can sacrifice the juiciness, try this with a sliced banana as well.
6. The King of Sweet Healthy Snacks: Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Seeds
Are you a chocolate fiend?
If so, the thought of giving up sugar cold turkey is probably depressing. And who can blame you? Chocolate is the bomb.
However, don’t eliminate chocolate just yet. Studies show that dark chocolate is actually healthy for you. It’s full of antioxidants, and it may actually be heart-healthy.
Pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) are chock full of healthy, valuable nutrients like magnesium and zinc. Combine them with dark chocolate and you have a super-power snack to munch on when that chocolate craving hits you hard.
If you don’t like to make your snacks from scratch, you can easily get these prepackaged and ready-to-eat. They’re another of those packaged snacks on the healthy side.
7. Chia Pudding Parfait
If you like your desserts creamy and hardy, a chia pudding parfait might be for you.
It sounds fancy, but it really doesn’t require a lot of effort to make. Just melt some chia seeds in a cup of milk, add some walnuts or almonds, and maybe top it off with some delicious granola.
the result is a creamy, slightly grainy-textured bowl of goodness that’s healthier than a standard pudding or cereal. Its nutty flavor appeals to just about anyone who likes seeds and nuts. Also, the sugar from the milk makes the treat a sweet one.
8. Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Oh, the things you can do with an avocado.
If you want to stay extra healthy, embrace this exotic fruit–yes, even for dessert. You can mash up an avocado, blend it with some cocoa powder, vanilla extract, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Then, put it into the fridge to chill, and enjoy it a few hours later.
You can barely taste the avocado in this chocolate avocado pudding. This gift from the Gods is so mild in flavor and malleable in texture that you can do with it as you wish.
Ready to Eat Some Healthy Sweet Snacks?
Who said giving up sugar has to be brutally boring?
In fact, as you can see from the above list of treats, you might find that healthy sweet snacks can be adventurous. Why not try these snacks and discover your new favorite? Come back for more tips on how to keep your healthy lifestyle from getting stale.