The best healthy sweet snacks
In most minds, snack time conjures up images of forbidden foods or “cheating” on our quest to eat a healthy diet. Looked at it more logically, snacking may actually help us achieve our dietary goals. But how can we match up the goals and still satisfy our sweet tooth? We first have to know what those goals are. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans help us pinpoint specific goals for all of the foods we eat by offering the following recommendations:
- Choose a variety of vegetables
- Eat whole fruits
- Make at least half your grain choices whole
- Use fat-free or low-fat dairy foods
- Choose both lean animal-based and plant-based protein foods
- Stick with plant-based oils
Two other points to consider when selecting sweet treats especially, are to limit added sugar and saturated fats to no more than 10 percent of your total calories. For someone consuming 2,000 calories each day, that is 200 calories from each of these items.
So whether we are selecting foods to eat at meals or snacks, we should keep this list in mind and choose foods that fulfill our nutrition requirements. You may be surprised at how satisfying and indulgent some of the things you come up with might be. Here is a list of some of my tops picks.
Yogurt parfait
Start with a fat-free or low-fat yogurt with no or little added sugar. Add your favorite fruit-fresh, frozen or canned – without added sugar. This can be topped off with some toasted nuts or whole grain oats. The natural sweetness of the fruit adds the flavor you are looking for without added sugar and the nuts or oats add crunch to the creamy texture of the yogurt.
Smoothie
Fill your blender with a variety of frozen fruits – this way you don’t need to add ice. Be creative with your combinations to benefit from all the nutrients that are hiding in different colors of fruit. Add fat-free milk or yogurt for the moisture you need and you have created a creamy, frozen treat to rival higher fat frozen treats like shakes and malts. Try adding some spinach for an extra boost of nutrition!
Chocolate-dipped fruit
A little saturated fat and added sugar are not completely off limits, so put them into something high quality and in a place you can really enjoy them. Melt dark or milk chocolate chips and dip strawberries, pineapple or banana slices. The sweetness of the fruit combines nicely with the stronger taste of the chocolate and satisfies the sweet tooth.
Granola bars
These can be a quick, ready-made treat if you follow the guidelines listed above. Look for whole grain versions, ones that have the word “whole” listed before the first ingredient. Also make sure they are low in fat, less than 3 grams and contain a limited amount of added sugars, less than 10 grams.
Cereal
Many cereals meet the same nutrition standards as granola bars – whole grain, low fat, low added sugar. Add a little milk and it is almost like milk and cookies in a bowl!
Lightened-up desserts
The traditional desserts we know and love can be elevated nutritionally by cutting back on added sugar and fat. When making them, you can cut the sugar by half in most recipes. You can also use applesauce or yogurt in place of half the oil in a recipe. And, a little portion control goes a long way toward limiting the not so nutritious aspects. Try making a mug cake for that fresh, hot, just-baked treat you are looking for.
Chocolate mug cake
- 3 Tbsp flour (use ½ all-purpose and ½ whole wheat)
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp coco powder
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 3 Tbsp fat-free milk
- Splash of vanilla
Add the first five ingredients to a 12 ounce coffee mug. Stir until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until smooth. Cook on high in the microwave for a minute to 1 ½ minutes depending upon the power of your microwave. Let set for 1 minute and turn out onto a plate. Garnish with fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar. Makes one cake.
Nutrition Information per cake:
- Calories 188
- Fat 1 gram
- Carbohydrate 34 grams
- Protein 2 grams
