Healthier Sweet Teats to Curb Your Cravings While Nourishing Your Body
November introduces all the baked goods and sweet treats. At-home bakers and holiday gift makers are flexing their creativity muscles and share the sweetest gifts. I mean that literally and figuratively.
I myself love to whip up a sweet treat every now and again. I once made a gallon-sized jar filled with granola and gifted it to my brother. I bought all types of noms: chocolate chips, dried fruits, oats, and nuts. The kitchen was a granola making factory and sheet pan after sheet pan I was cranking out granola to give as gifts.
But sometimes we're not trying to spend hours in the kitchen mnkaing desserts and that's okay! We have healthier option that are more convenient because they're semi pre-made.
In May of earlier this year I went on TV to share healthier summer dessert recipes. I made this epic Dairy Free Banana Split Pie using a gluten-free crust by Wholly Wholesome. It was super yummy, and I made a few substitutions in the original recipe to make it healthier.
While I did strive to make the dessert more nutritious, I realized that a lot of people mistake healthy for "free". By that I mean if a food is "free" from something it's automatically healthier. That's not always the case.
I notice that people try to eliminate ALL dessert from their lives instead of learning how to make behavior changes when it’s around. It's that type of polarized nutrition behavior, the all or nothing thinking, I strive to help people change so that a healthier lifestyle is a sustainable one. If extreme elimination diets work for you great but for most people it doesn't work forever. I'm here to teach how you can work in those indulgences when and if you want to and here’s why:
Dessert will show up just about everywhere, anywhere and at anytime. At work, mountain weekends with friends, even at your gym's anniversary party.
You’ll be more successful having the skills to learn how to politely decline or pass it up when it’s offered.
You’ll close an opportunity to get something that could be nutrient dense in your diet - like the Banana Split Pie I made. It's a dessert, yes, but it's loaded with protein and covered in vitamin rich fruit. The healthier sweet treat is a vehicle for essential nutrient your body needs.
The next time you're craving a sweet treat, consider something from one of these categories! Because when you crave dessert, there's something that you're wanting- flavor and texture wise. Start with those cravings and then honor both your wants and needs with the healthier sweet treat!
Sweet & Cold & Creamy
Sweet & Salty
Sweet & Baked
Sweet Cold & Creamy Sweet Treats
I recommend frozen bananas with nut butter blended like an ice cream or a smoothie bowl or Greek yogurt. Check out my Smoothie Bowls post for 6 different ideas!
Want Something Sweet & Salty?
I recommend something like 2-4 dates stuffed with a favorite nut butter and a touch of salt or a Popcorn with a little dark chocolate drizzle and sea salt. Check out more popcorn ideas here!
When a Sweet & Baked Treat is All You Need
I like to make protein bars with protein powder and applesauce in place of butter and oil. Brownies made from a healthier-ingredient baking mix like Simple Mills Almond Flour Brownie mix is what I carry in my house!
What kind of sweet treats hit the spot for you? And don't forget to sign up for a free 3-day meal plan!