Sweet Tooth

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For many of us, our sweet tooth is our downfall when we start a diet. We can eat well all day but sneak a candy bar or a bowl of ice cream to satisfy that craving for something sweet. Unfortunately, this can throw a wrench into the diet plans completely and possibly cause discouragement. Don’t let that happen to you! Instead, plan for your sweet tooth ahead of time. Learn how to indulge your sweet tooth while still sticking to your diet. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

1. Eat smaller portions

One of the biggest mistakes people make when the snack is they start to munch on a treat and before they know it, they have eaten half of a cake or an entire package of cookies. Don’t allow yourself to do this!

You don’t have to completely turn away your favorite foods. The key is to eat those foods very mindfully. A part of doing this is sticking to extremely small portions. Two bites of cake literally have a fraction of the calories of an entire slice of cake. Take a bite of your favorite sweets (you don’t want to be rude after all), but keep it at just that: a bite.

2. Eat fruit

While fruit still has sugar in it, it’s a much better alternative than eating a piece of cake or pie. Keep your fridge stocked with watermelon, grapes, berries, and other yummy options. That way, when you have a craving for something sweet, you can eat the fruit and not consume an excessive amount of fat or calories. There are multiple unique ways to prepare fruit if you’re looking for something new. Try grilling watermelon, baking apples and sprinkling them with sugar, or freezing grapes. If you like popsicles, look for options made from fruit and with no additional sugar added. To take your snack on the go with you, try dried fruit. It’s easy to pack, and it’s a great treat in between meals.

3. Drink flavored water

Most people don’t get the amount of water they need in a day. If you could drink more water and indulge your sweet tooth that would be great, right? Well, try flavored water! You will get the sweet taste of fruit while also hydrating yourself. Another added advantage is that drinking a lot of flavored water can even curb your appetite. Drinking water makes you feel full, and it can prevent you from eating something that you shouldn’t be eating.

4. Make healthy versions of your favorite desserts

Cookies, cake, and brownies don’t necessarily need to be bad for you. Granted, most of the time they are, so it’s understandable to be suspect anytime you see a product like healthy brownies. Take a look at the nutritional information and ingredients. You may be surprised that you can make sweets in a healthy way. Many times, people will use dark chocolate instead of regular chocolate and sugar-free sweeteners to get the taste you love. If you do decide to eat healthy sweets, make sure you pair them with fat-free milk instead of whole milk.

5. Eat Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is delicious food that’s also good for you. Many people choose it for breakfast, but it can be a healthy way to give you something sweet at any time of the day. Keep plenty of Greek yogurts at home and at work for when you’re hungry. Consider adding fruit, granola, or dark chocolate chips for additional flavors. If you really have a craving for ice cream, you can even freeze Greek yogurt to give you a similar treatment without the fat, calories, and sugar.

6. Brush your teeth

This may sound silly, but one way to stop yourself from snacking on something unhealthy is to brush your teeth when you get cravings. Nothing looks appetizing right after you brush your teeth so this can help you make the right decision. If the mint flavor wears off and you’re still hungry, try mouthwash or chew some gum (sugar-free, of course). It doesn’t hurt that your teeth will be cleaner, too.

7. Don’t give up

Look, the fact of the matter is that there will be temptations during your diet. You may give in to temptation on occasion. That doesn’t have to be the end of the world (or your diet). If you do cheat on your diet, don’t look at that as an excuse to continue to eat poorly. Just because you ate chocolate chip pancakes and a chocolate Frappuccino for breakfast doesn’t mean you need to eat poorly for the rest of the day. Quite the opposite, actually. When you choose to enjoy something you shouldn’t, savor it and then make better decisions for the rest of the day.

A diet is a very difficult test in self-control. Self-control can be very difficult when you have delicious desserts in front of you, especially if you have a sweet tooth. Maintain focus on your ultimate goal of living a happier and healthier life. In order to stay on track, you need to be prepared to face temptation. Do this by having sweet treats ready for you all throughout your day to give you better options. The more prepared you are, the more successful you will be. You can also use some of the tactics mentioned above to curb the cravings in the first place. Happy dieting.

About The Author:

Elizabeth Marks is a freelance writer with a passion for learning new things. She writes regularly about Medical, Health, and Nutrition.

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