4 Healthy Ways To Satisfy A Sweet Tooth

Sometimes when you are trying to eat healthily it can be really difficult to fight sweet cravings! 

While I don’t believe we should restrict ourselves of anything in life (moderation is key!), I understand that when you are trying to stick to your health and fitness goals, it’s handy to have healthy food swaps when it comes to sweet food.

That’s why in this blog I’m going to offer some tips for those ladies out there with a sweet tooth! 

How to tackle sugar cravings

You may already know that eating refined sugar can have a negative impact on your body and health.

If you are used to eating a lot of refined sugar, then it may not be easy going cold turkey once you start trying to be healthier! 

However, if you work on decreasing the overall amount of added sugar you consume over time, then your body can become less used to it and you should begin to crave it less.

How to satisfy a sweet tooth 

Follow these 4 healthy tips to satisfy your sweet tooth next time you feel a craving for something sweet.

Sweet tooth tip 1. Choose naturally sweet food

If you have a sweet tooth, try to find healthy and nutritious options that contain natural sugars — instead of refined and processed sugar — to help ease any cravings that you might get. 

Fruit is a healthy option that can often help curb sweet cravings — rather than just eating it whole, there are lots of different ways you can use it to sweeten things up for you! 

Try chopping up fruit at the start of the week, portion it out into containers and then freeze them so they’re ready to go when you feel like something sweet. Alternatively, you might like to flavour your water with some berries or other seasonal fruit.

Sometimes, combining a few small slices of fruit with natural Greek yoghurt can make this sweet snack more filling and can help it feel like a proper meal. Sticking to healthier yoghurts, such as plain or Greek yoghurt, is a good way to reduce the amount of added sugar in your snack.  

Sweet tooth tip 2. Drink smoothies

Smoothies can be a filling and nutritious way to satisfy a sweet tooth! 

By having the fruit I mentioned above ready to go in the freezer, when you feel like something sweet you can mix some of these frozen pieces into a healthy fruit smoothie with some baby spinach and milk of your choice. Add a dash of honey or maple syrup and you’ll have a deliciously sweet and nutritious drink. 

Sweet tooth tip 3. Get creative with healthy desserts

We all know the feeling — you’ve finished your meal and you want something sweet, and nothing else will cut it! This can be especially true if you’re in the early stages of your health journey.

There are actually lots of  healthy dessert options you can make ahead of time so you’ve got something available when you want dessert. While I believe that we shouldn’t deprive ourselves of the foods we love, there’s always a way to strike a balance by making sure you’re in a position to make healthy choices.

For example, if you love ice blocks or ice-cream, then nice cream or fruit popsicles are a really simple and tasty alternative that you can make to keep in the freezer.

I have so many healthy dessert options in the recipe section of my blog so check them out if you are looking for more ideas.

Sweet tooth tip 4. Make healthy chocolate swaps

Making small healthy food swaps can have a positive impact on your health and can help decrease sugar cravings over time. 

I know chocolate is one food many ladies feel they need to give up in order to have a healthy lifestyle. This isn’t necessary though! You can still get that chocolate hit, it’s just a matter of choosing healthier options where you can. 

Some healthy swaps to try when you’re craving chocolate may include:

• Instead of milk chocolate or white chocolate, try dark chocolates with a high percentage (75% or more) of cocoa. 
• Try products that contain cacao or carob instead.

Be careful when buying “healthier” chocolate from the grocery store, though. Sometimes these alternatives can still have a lot of added sugar and are actually unhealthy foods in disguise. Make sure you check the ingredients and find a chocolate with less or added sugar. 

Another option is making your own chocolate. It’s a great way to stay on track because you know exactly what ingredients it contains. My chocolate bark is a great treat at any time of year (and actually makes a great gift) — and it’s healthy too! 

Everything in moderation!

I don’t believe in labelling foods as “good” or “bad”, because when you cut out whole food groups because you think they’re “bad”, you might actually just crave the food more! 

Making realistic and sustainable choices is SO important if you want to be healthy, with habits you can keep in the long term. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you feel that you’re not depriving yourself.