When you feel the need to snack on something sweet, it can be very difficult to resist that urge. A slab of chocolate or box of biscuits can be quite tempting but not necessarily the best for your diet. Instead of ignoring those cravings, you can use these sweet treat ideas with a healthier twist.
Strawberries are a delicious treat and, if you love chocolate, you can dip them. Now, you might be thinking that you have to skip chocolate altogether but this is not completely true. Since you are only dipping the fruit, you don’t have to worry about consuming too much. In addition, if you want the healthiest option, choose dark chocolate rather than milk or white chocolate.
Popcorn is another popular snack and it’s usually topped with salt, butter, and all sorts of other high-fat toppings. You can skip the salt and turn this treat sweet. Melt peanut butter and dust with cocoa powder. If you don’t love peanut butter, you can use a chocolate spread instead. Remember, you don’t need a lot. The popcorn should be the main attraction with just a hint of sweetness.
For the winter months, you could whip up some chocolate dipped frozen bananas. All you need to do is remove the banana peel, freeze them, and dip in melted dark chocolate. If you like, you can take it a step further and roll them in a topping like crushed nuts. Freeze again until set and enjoy!
Smoothies are popular and they are both healthy and nutritious. You can choose to combine several different types of fruit and you can also choose between using water, milk, and yogurt. The types of fruit, forms of protein, and any dairy you include in your recipe will help dictate the number of calories. You can enjoy smoothies in between meals or, if you prefer, you can drink your smoothie instead of a meal like breakfast.
If you simply cannot resist the delicious taste of chocolate, then it is best to remember two rules. Firstly, dark chocolate is the healthiest option and, secondly, moderation is key. No matter how healthy dark chocolate might be, enjoying large amounts will not prove healthy in the end.
There are also some low calorie or sugar-free biscuit recipes out there. If you have a particular favourite type of biscuit, take a moment to search for a healthier version of the recipe. Another great option is to choose fruit instead of processed sugars. Natural sugar is far easier for your body to process and, when eating fruit, you will enjoy the added benefit of all those vitamins and minerals.