Most of you reading this probably have a sweet tooth. One of the ways to get rid of that craving is to eat something delicious. The good news is that if you eat in moderation, a quick treat like dark chocolate caramel pretzel chew can end up helping you continue your health journey. See, when you eat something you are craving in moderation, the craving will go away and you can continue on with your day. The small amount of added calories can even give you a burst of energy you need. Not to mention that dark chocolate is actually very healthy.

Keep reading while we talk about combining a sweet tooth with health. Make sure you don’t stop reading until the very end so you learn all our tricks.

The natural reaction when you have a sweet tooth is to grab the first thing that will help. Some of these can cause you to be very unhealthy. This is especially unfortunate when you are trying to stay healthy. The good news is that all items to help your sweet tooth are not unhealthy. You are able to substitute some of those unhealthy snacks for healthy snacks. We don’t meet eating a head of broccoli instead of a chocolate bar, we mean substituting healthy ingredients to make that chocolate bar have health benefits too.

Almost all snacks and desserts can be made in the comfort of your own home now. That means that anything you crave on a regular basis you can substitute ingredients and put a healthy twist on it. If you Google a few recipes or go on Pinterest, you will find so many options. The first try may not quite go as planned, but if you keep trying, you will find so many yummy options out there.

If you use a search engine site like Google, many different DIY recipes will come up. You may be cruising Facebook and a few of your friends might post some DIY recipes with a healthy twist if they have made them before you can always ask them how they liked them. Recommendations on sweets is always a great idea.

There are different substitutes you can use. For example, sugar does not need to be the main ingredient. If you can cook with stevia, coconut sugar, you will end up saving yourself a lot of calories. These are all alternatives to sugar. Make sure that you don’t just assume they will be the exact taste though. Look up the exact difference in taste for each so you can make your decision based on that.

There are a lot of healthy substitutes out there when you are trying to stay healthy, sugar is not the only one! The next recommendation we will make it using whole wheat flour instead of regular flour. This one is great because it has very little difference in taste but can make a difference! Not only will this increase the amount of fiber you consume in a day, but it is also great if you are trying to cut gluten out of your meals.

If there is a recipe you are looking to add chocolate too, opt for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has so many more health benefits. It’s rich in antioxidants. If you are going to switch to dark chocolate, make sure that it is at least 70% cocoa. This will help to get all of the antioxidants and more from the delicious dessert.

The next substitute you can use is coconut oil. You can utilize this ingredient instead of butter. Most people know that butter is not the best food to be consuming on a regular basis. Coconut oil will, of course, taste different, but it still works great. Although coconut oil has a lot of calories, these calories are a lot healthier than butter. It is also a saturated fat that can help to lower your cholesterol.

The final substitute you can use will replace the oil you are putting in your sweet goods. We recommend using applesauce. Like coconut oil, this will give the food a different taste, but it will add the perfect amount of moisture if you are cooking things like muffins. You can also use unsweetened applesauce to be more healthy.

Here are a couple options of great foods that will help to curb your appetite:
• Popcorn
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries
• Yogurt with fruit and dark chocolate
• Baked apple
• Peanut butter pretzels

Depending on what types of foods your taste buds are drawn to will depend on what kind of healthier snacks are best for you. For example, if you absolutely love chocolate, steer towards dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate for the added benefits. If you like sugary treats, a snack with fruit (or just fruit in general) will help to leave you satisfied.

Here you have a few ideas to curb your sweet tooth if you are trying to stay healthy. Remember to eat everything in moderation, however, with these desserts, you won’t skip a beat and stay on track. Although the desserts you are now eating are not quite as sweet, you can still curb your sweet tooth with them and have a delicious treat. The best part is, all of these can be made right at home. That way whenever you want a little sweet snack, you can grab one of these yummy treats instead of having a dessert that may not be as good for your health. For more information or for tips on cooking healthy treats, contact us today!

Author's Bio: 

Author, Freelance writer