How to get a sweet taste without the sugar?

It happens to all of us- the craving for something sweet. Added sugars pop up in everyday items like cereal and yogurt, which makes it tough to keep sugar calories in control. Here are some swaps to try to enjoy a sweet flavor without excess calories!

Instead of —> Try

Ice Cream —> Homemade “Nice Cream.” Place a diced frozen banana, 2-3 Tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened) and 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened almond or coconut milk, or low fat milk, into a food processer and mix until the bananas are somewhat fluffy, about 1 minute. Spoon out into a small bowl. Optional: Drizzle with 2 tsp almond or peanut butter.
Or, try a delicious healthy homemade popsicle recipe.

A fruity sweetened drink —> sip on a smoothie - Blend up 8 ounces unsweetened almond milk with ½ cup berries and ½ cup frozen peaches

Soda —> Seltzer water with no added sugar

Sweet Iced Tea —> Unsweetened tea with fresh lemon wedges, or flavored teas like raspberry and pomegranate brewed and then chilled

Coffee with sugar —> Coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice blend

Chocolate —> A Tbsp of peanut butter spread on a halved banana and sprinkled with cacao nibs

Granola and snack bars —> Choose a bar with less than 6 grams of added sugar (1.5 tsp) like Kashi and Kind Nut and Spices varieties (such as Madagascar Vanilla Almond)

Candy —> Munch on frozen fruit, Mangos and grapes are tasty alone or topped on a bowl of plain yogurt

Apple pie —> Baked apple sprinkled with cinnamon, crushed walnuts, and a dollop of yogurt or lite whipped cream

Yogurt with sugared fruit mixed in or on the bottom —> Plain yogurt with a drop of liquid flavor extracts like vanilla, coconut or banana. Add fresh fruit like berries.

Sweetened Cereal or Oatmeal —> Look for cereal with 6 grams of sugar or less and at least 3 grams of fiber. Try plain oats sprinkled with unsweetened coconut flakes and cinnamon, fruit, or with a tsp. of unsweetened nut butter mixed in. Try cold cereals like shredded wheat, Kashi Go Lean, Kashi Heart to Heart, Barbara's Original Puffins, Cheerios, Total, Wheaties, Grape Nuts (delicious on top of yogurt)

Bottled salad dressing —> Swap out sugary dressings like Ken's Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette (7 g. per 2 Tbs. serving) with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, try some lower sugar bottled dressings, or make your own dressing

Sugary Cocktails like Mojito —> A Mojito contains about 11 grams of sugar. Instead, try a vodka with club soda and lime, or have a mojito spritzer, or stick to your favorite no sugar added flavored seltzer

 Use these tips to keep your sugar cravings at bay throughout the day:

1. Keep some low calorie swaps on hand- Sugar free pudding, Jello, or low calorie fudge pops can be a sweet and refreshing dessert, especially after a long and hot summer day.

2. Divert to another solution- Try brushing your teeth, sipping mint or flavored herbal tea, or chewing some gum if your craving won’t go away even after eating a snack.

3. Portion control- If all you want is a baked good (cookie, muffin, sweet bread, etc), bake a batch yourself with a reduced sugar recipe, and pre-portion the servings into “bite-size” or mini’s. Take one to enjoy in a quiet spot so you can savor and be mindful of the experience so you won’t be tempted to go back for more.

4. Don’t skip meals- Avoid going longer than 4.5 hours between meals and/or snacks. When you miss a meal or snack, your blood sugar level dips leading you to crave a sweet fix to pick it back up. Getting ahead of this mechanism will ward off cravings and keep you feeling even-keeled.