How to replace sweets and how not to turn your child into a sweet tooth

Ice cream cup

Creamy ice cream contains protein, which makes it considered a healthy food. Replace confectionery or sweets with 70 grams of this product, just choose a sweet that does not contain dyes - it will bring pleasure and help reduce glucose consumption. The best option is homemade ice cream. You can make it anything, even berry.

Fruit and veggie chips

Fruit and veggie chips are thinly sliced ​​before baking, giving them their distinctive crunchy texture.

These chips increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, which may help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer (,).

Instead of opting for store-bought varieties that may contain added sugars and preservatives, make your own fruit and vegetable chips.

Fruits

They contain natural fructose - an incredibly healthy substance. In addition, the fiber contained in the structure of the fruit inhibits the absorption of sugar. However, this is not a reason to abuse them by eating kilograms. Everything should be in moderation: a few fruits are a great substitute for a piece of cake for dessert. Keep in mind that grapes are considered the most high-calorie, and pears or apples are the most dietary. You can make your own nutritious sweet salads, yogurts, smoothies, add pieces of fruit to cottage cheese or porridge.

Muesli

Muesli contains nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruits and chocolate, as well as fiber, protein and many beneficial plant compounds.

However, store-bought versions may contain added sugar, so it's best to make your own.

For a healthy homemade version, combine cashews, cranberries, pretzels, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate chips.

Dried fruits

Dried fruit slices are usually included in the diet menu because they contain 200...300 calories per 100 g. They also contain the necessary sugar and vitamins, which makes this product indispensable for those with a sweet tooth. Some dried fruits should be consumed during snacks or added to cottage cheese, sweet salads, kefir, healthy cereals and natural yogurt.

At the same time, dates, raisins, prunes and dried apricots are considered the most suitable for weight loss. They are a real treasure for those who want something tasty, but do not want to harm the body. On the contrary, such a dessert will only provide benefits: saturation with minerals, improvement in the condition of the skin, and a beneficial effect on digestion.

Pros and cons of sweets

The child absorbs the love for sweets with mother's milk - it has a sweetish taste due to the content of milk sugar - lactose. Often loving parents, focusing on their own taste sensations, sweeten cereals, kefir and even drinking water for the baby. Gradually, children develop an addiction to sweets; they refuse to eat food without sugar.

Adults give various treats to their already grown-up child as a reward for good behavior, excellent studies, or simply because they want to please him. But such gifts do not bring any good - excessive consumption of sweets and flour products leads to health problems:

• to the appearance of excess weight and obesity;
• development of diabetes mellitus;
• caries;
• the occurrence of allergic reactions.

Sugar cannot be completely excluded from the diet, because glucose is the main source of energy for humans. When entering the body with sweet food, it ensures the proper functioning of all organs, nourishes the brain, and supports the emotional state. Many children use sweets to compensate for the lack of love and attention from loved ones and relieve accumulated nervous tension. In these cases, the child resorts to sweets as a consolation, symbolic protection from worries and problems.

When consuming large amounts of sugar in food, there is often a deficiency of B vitamins (necessary for the breakdown of glucose in the digestive tract). Since these vitamins regulate the activity of the nervous system, their lack provokes aggressiveness, insomnia, and tearfulness in children.

Modern store-bought sweets, which the younger generation gobble up with such delight, are dangerous to the body not only because of their high sugar content. Many of them contain hydrogenated fats, preservatives, and dyes. They are added to increase shelf life, give the product an attractive appearance and reduce its cost, as well as to stimulate taste buds.

The consumption of transgenic fats and various food additives causes enormous harm to the body:

• contribute to the development of cancer;
• lead to allergies;
• cause digestive system disorders;
• are the cause of atherosclerosis;
• negatively affect the functioning of the nervous system.

Such products have no place in a healthy diet, and even more so, their consumption is unacceptable for children. To raise a healthy child, you need to replace harmful store-bought sweets with healthy ones. They will not only satisfy the body’s physiological need for glucose, but will also enrich it with vitamins, minerals and other substances beneficial to health.

Pastille, marmalade, marshmallow

100 grams of marshmallows is only about 300 kilocalories. At the same time, marshmallows and marshmallows are incredibly sweet products, so even the most ardent fans of sugar treats will find it difficult to eat as much as 100 grams of such products at once. Here lies a huge plus, because in this situation it will be very easy to satisfy your craving for desserts. The only caveat: it is not recommended to choose products with a chocolate shell.

Interestingly, dietary marmalade, marshmallows and marshmallows should be low-fat. For example, real classic marshmallows are actually made from only 4 natural ingredients. And its “chewable” analogue contains completely different components. But in any case, the product contains pectin, which has a positive effect on the condition of the nail plates and hair.

Who shouldn't eat chocolate and why?

Natural chocolate is made from processed ripened chocolate tree fruits, cocoa butter and sugar. The higher the percentage of the main ingredient, the healthier the product. If you eat it in moderation, your overall well-being will only improve: your mood will improve, your blood pressure will normalize, your heart function will normalize, and your immune system will be strengthened.

However, there are situations when the question of what can replace chocolate becomes more relevant than ever. This primarily applies to those who are allergic to cocoa powder. In this case, the sweetness should be replaced with products that do not contain an aggressive allergen.

Due to trans fats and sugar, chocolate turns into a real calorie bomb, since the energy value of this confectionery product on average exceeds 500 kcal. Not everyone can limit themselves to the required 30 grams, so excess weight becomes a global problem for all sweet tooths.

Since the treat contains caffeine, cocoa product is not recommended for consumption in large quantities by people suffering from high blood pressure or who have had a heart attack. Chocolate addiction leads to tachycardia, since 125 grams of chocolate contains many times more caffeine than a cup of coffee.

Jams and preserves

Naturally, not all jam is suitable here, but only with a minimum percentage of sugar and always homemade. Store-bought canned food is categorically not welcome: they have unclear labels, many extraneous additives and impurities that pose a health hazard.

Homemade jams are a great alternative to scones and chocolate bars. Using them, you can season natural yoghurts and cottage cheese. And just tea with jam is incredibly tasty and healthy, and it also sets you up for a relaxing holiday.

How to replace baked goods with proper nutrition

White wheat flour and products made from it are prohibited if you want to keep your figure slim and fit. It contains a lot of starch - a “fast” carbohydrate that helps you gain weight. At the same time, all the vitamins and nutrients remained in the bran, which was removed to make the flour so white.

The main danger of flour products is a maximum of carbohydrates with a minimum of nutrients. How can you replace white bread and buns:

• It is recommended to eat bran bread made from wholemeal oat, rye, buckwheat flour;
• Diet bread made from grains of puffed rice, buckwheat, and corn are also suitable;
• Whole grain flour is suitable for home baking - it contains a lot of fiber, which is necessary for proper intestinal function.

The basic principle in this case is that the carbohydrates consumed should be complex. In the intestines, they are broken down into glucose gradually, which helps maintain a stable level in the blood. This means that the body receives energy little by little and immediately consumes it, rather than storing it in the form of fatty tissue.

Honey

Perhaps it is rightfully considered the main sugar substitute, because sweet dishes prepared with it do not lose their pleasant taste. Moreover, this product is not only tasty, but also healing: it brings cheerfulness, promotes digestion, and preserves youth. Just one teaspoon of the product can briefly save you from cravings for desserts, if you do not have a pronounced allergy. You can also drink tea with honey: it must be warm, not hot, since in boiling water, unfortunately, it loses its beneficial characteristics.

Analogues of flour desserts and sweets

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body; you cannot refuse them. To avoid harm to health, you need to consume slow carbohydrates (polysaccharides or complex), which take a long time to break down and give a boost of energy for a long time. At the same time, they do not turn into fats, strengthen muscles and even help reduce weight.

Let's look at how you can replace unhealthy cakes, dubious desserts, sweets and sweet soda.

Jams and preserves

Jams, confitures and preserves made with homemade fruits and berries are an excellent alternative to store-bought sweet desserts. When cooking, sugar is used, but when preparing it yourself, you can choose a recipe with a minimum amount of product.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

Jam improves the taste of dietary cottage cheese, yogurt, and sweet preparations are used for tea drinking. Canning helps preserve berries and fruits for a long time with minimal heat treatment and a small amount of sugar.

Jelly

By squeezing juice from fresh berries or fruits, you can make jelly. For thickening, natural ingredients are used - agar-agar, gelatin. These desserts retain the benefits of natural ingredients and are low in calories.

Store-bought jellies often contain an impressive array of thickeners and preservatives of unknown origin. With a minimum of culinary talent, it is easy to prepare a homemade product from milk, fruit and gelatin that is tastier than any store-bought sweet dessert.

Honey

If your craving for sweets becomes unbearable, you can hold a spoon of honey in your mouth. The bee product contains natural sugars and is used to sweeten tea and coffee. Honey is well absorbed by the body, stimulates metabolic processes, and energizes. The product increases immune defense and is a natural antioxidant.

The calorie content of honey is high - 300 kilocalories; you should not abuse the sweet product. You should not dissolve honey in hot drinks, since when heated, many of the beneficial properties of the product are lost.

Dairy desserts

Desserts based on low-fat dairy products will help out those with a sweet tooth when they want something tasty. The leaders in popularity are yoghurts with fruit additives and low-fat cottage cheese.

To get the real benefits of dairy products, it's best to make your own desserts using skim milk and starter cultures. Berries and fruits will add a sweet taste to desserts. If you alternate additives, the taste of the product will always be different. Milk contains animal protein, which provides energy and calcium needed by the body. Cravings for sweets will not appear after eating dairy desserts.

Dairy snacks satisfy hunger during the day, a glass of sweetened kefir will calm and satiate you before bed.

Ice cream

Nutritionists do not prohibit eating ice cream during diets. The sweet product saturates the body with calcium, which stimulates metabolism. Ice cream contains a whole range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

The cold product is a real delicacy, which is perceived as a full-fledged dessert and delights with its exquisite taste. In order not to overdo it with calories, choose dairy varieties, popsicles or yogurt ice cream, which contain live bacteria.

Advice: it is better to eat sweet foods in the first half of the day, when there is a lot to do ahead and you will be able to burn off calories.

When choosing ready-made ice cream, pay attention to calorie content, natural composition, and the absence of flavor enhancers. Note that the number of calories in different types of sweet dessert differs significantly (ice cream - 232 kilocalories, yoghurt - 107).

Muesli and diet bars

Muesli is chosen by those who love a healthy diet; those who struggle with a sweet tooth should pay attention to this healthy product. The calorie content of a product does not prevent it from being useful. Contains cereal flakes and crushed dried fruits.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

Muesli and bars contain coarse fibers that take a long time to digest and give you a feeling of fullness. Fiber, like a sponge, absorbs water and removes excess moisture from the body. Store-bought products often contain sugar, preservatives, and icing. Those with a sweet tooth can make their own muesli, including only cereal, fruits and dried fruits, using honey instead of sugar. This is an option for a sweet snack; the bar can replace cookies when drinking tea.

Nuts

Nut lovers should choose a product with lower calorie content and a low glycemic index. The calorie content of different varieties differs slightly - peanuts 640 kilocalories, cashews 770 per 100 grams. Note that when frying, some of the beneficial properties of the product are lost and the calorie content increases. Store-bought packages of nuts often contain glazing (salt or sugar) and flavoring additives.

The recommended norm is 20-30 grams per day, 4-6 pieces. Sweet lovers know that nuts have an insidious property - once you start eating, it’s difficult to stop.

Pastille, marmalade, marshmallow

Sweet products prepared according to the classic recipe contain only fruit and berry purees, pectin, and proteins. The thickener is gelatin or agar-agar. In reality, manufacturers often save on expensive natural raw materials and use sugar and synthetic components.

In this case, the sweet product loses its benefits and turns into ordinary candy. Pastila and marmalade can be prepared at home. In this case, sweet tooth lovers will receive a healthy product that improves digestion and normalizes cholesterol levels.

Sweet drinks

The first tip when craving sweets is to drink a glass of plain water. Sweet drinks delight with a pleasant taste, but they bring average. Nutritionists advise adding pieces of fruit (fresh or dried), seasonings (ginger, cinnamon) to water or herbal tea and eliminating sugar. For tea or coffee lovers, it is better to replace sugar with honey.

Mint water mixed with lemon or orange juice helps get rid of cravings for dessert and baked goods.

Store-bought sweet drinks, which are called diet drinks due to the lack of sugar, cause uncontrollable appetite, disrupt metabolic processes, and negatively affect the nervous system.

Smoothie

When drinking a smoothie, you can satisfy your sweet cravings, get a boost of energy and good mood. The ingredients are chosen according to taste and desire; all you need is a blender, and a healthy dessert will be ready in 5 minutes.

In order not to harm the waist, the composition includes fruits and berries with low sugar content, low-calorie milk, yogurt, and kefir. All ingredients are ground in a blender, sprinkled with a small amount of nuts, coconut flakes and spices, and decorated with berries and mint.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

The calorie content of a smoothie depends on the ingredients; a light dessert (spinach, apple, cabbage, lemon juice) contains 100-120 kilocalories per 200 milliliters. Higher calorie sweet cocktails are used as a snack.

Sorbet

A tasty, healthy product was invented in China, when ice cream was not yet known. It is prepared from fruit juice and pureed berries and fruits. What to choose as ingredients will be dictated by individual taste and imagination.

Those who want to lose weight should prepare sorbet without sugar, alcohol and overly sweet fruits. Blend the fruits with a blender until smooth, freeze for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally to break up the ice pieces. This is a delicious, healthy dessert that can successfully replace any cake or candy.

Stevia

Proponents of a healthy lifestyle use substitutes made from natural products instead of harmful sugar. The most popular is stevioside, obtained from stevia (Stevia rebaudiana).

The sweet concentrate is extracted from the plant (the leader in production is Japan) and is used as a sugar substitute. Advantages: zero calories, relative harmlessness.

You can buy a sweet product from the leaves or make it yourself at home. They are used to sweeten compotes, ready meals, tea or coffee. The product is approved for use in diabetes mellitus, but nutrition experts still argue about its properties and doubt its merits.

Dried fruits

Dried fruits retain many of the benefits of fresh fruits. When dried properly, only vitamin C is lost, other ingredients remain. When consuming dried fruits, you need to observe moderation - the calorie content of the sweet product is high and there is a lot of sugar.

Raisins, prunes, figs, dried apricots are included in many unhealthy sweets and improve their taste. For those with a sweet tooth, you can skip the raisin bun and just eat a handful of dried grapes.

Do not forget that when drying, special compounds are used to extend the shelf life; sugar is added to candied fruits. You should eat no more than 30-50 grams of dried fruits per day, that is, a small handful.

Even a small portion of dried sweet fruits will help improve metabolism, intestinal motility, lower blood pressure, and improve the functioning of the heart muscle. It is important to monitor the terms and conditions of storage of the product, as they often contain mold, which is dangerous to the body.

Fruits

Fruit snacks are a great way to satisfy your hunger and feel the joy of a bright, sweet, rich taste. The sugar in them is in the most beneficial form of fructose. In addition, the fruits contain fiber, which stimulates the digestive tract, dietary fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Those who want to lose weight should choose fruits with a low sugar content - kiwi, pineapples, citrus fruits. Apples and pears satisfy hunger well and are available to everyone.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

Help: Fruits are recommended in most diets, but they should be consumed in moderation. Unsweetened fruits contain a lot of acid, which is dangerous for pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and can cause hunger.

A fruit salad will delight you with its freshness, aroma and juiciness; alternating a set of fruits, you can prepare a variety of delicious sweet desserts. You can season this dish with light yogurt.

Sweet and sour fruits (peach, apricot, apple, orange) are better than others for those who dream of something sweet. They contain a little sugar, they do not inflame, but satisfy hunger.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains up to 70% cocoa. This delicacy, unlike a dairy product, does not contain cream or sugar, so consuming small portions is recommended even during diets.

The chocolate taste appeals to most people with a sweet tooth; you can hold the sweet treat in your mouth longer to enjoy the tart aroma. Chocolate relieves fatigue and irritation, restores performance, and has a positive effect on the nervous system, which is useful for those who want to get rid of their sweet tooth.

Halva

The oriental delicacy is a high-calorie sweet product - 500-550 kilocalories per 100 grams. It is absolutely not worth abusing it. The permissible consumption rate for those who cannot deny themselves pleasure is 30-50 grams no more than once a week. You should choose low-calorie types of products with natural composition.

Kefir with sugar

Dairy products are often used in mono-diets, as a snack or at night. By adding a small spoon of sugar, you can easily turn sour kefir into a dessert and dull your cravings for sweets.

Those who want to lose weight use a low-fat product, and a sweetener will give the drink the necessary sweetness. Kefir contains lactic acid bacteria, which help digest other foods and improve metabolism. The drink helps you relax, which is useful for those who are stressed by cravings for sweets.

Nuts

The most ordinary nuts can sometimes replace a full-fledged dessert. Although they do not have a sugary taste, they still satisfy hunger perfectly. This delicacy is famous for its composition, so it is both satisfying and healthy.

And a few more tips

1. Don't eat foods with artificial sweeteners - they are designed to create a huge appetite for sweets.
2. Drink green tea with mint and honey in the afternoon between meals.
3. Take a multivitamin course to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
4. Don't neglect desserts first thing in the morning, because a sweet breakfast will help curb your daytime cravings for candy and baked goods. For example, even banal oatmeal with honey and dried fruits will do.
5. Maintain proper glucose levels at all times: eat small, frequent snacks.
6. Consume protein foods - they create a pleasant feeling of fullness.

Non-standard ways to replace sweets and starchy foods when losing weight

From the huge variety of sweet foods, you should choose those that can benefit you. You shouldn’t completely deny yourself a pleasant dessert; you just need to control your sugar intake.

Some tips to avoid excessive sweet cravings:

1. You should not eat sweets when you are hungry. If it's time for lunch or breakfast, you need to eat. Soup and main course will fill you up and your craving for sweets will decrease.
2. If you want to please yourself, choose not a sweet dessert, but an interesting activity. Distract yourself by walking, talking with loved ones, reading or watching a movie.
3. If you want to enjoy yourself, eat a handful of dried fruits, a spoonful of honey, and not a piece of cake or candy.
4. Keep your favorite fruits at home. If you want something sweet, eat an apple, apricot or peach.

You cannot eat on the go, while working or in front of the TV. You won't be able to control the amount of sweets. It’s better to take a beautiful plate, knife, and fork. Cut the sweet dessert into small pieces, eat slowly, with pleasure.

Advice: you should not keep sweet treats in vases or in the refrigerator at home or at work. This makes it easier to avoid temptation.

Which food analogues are less harmful?

How to replace sweets when losing weight
Ready-made breakfasts will not provide the body with all the necessary elements, so it is more effective to resort to oatmeal. The least harmful dish is an omelette with vegetables. Yogurt, especially natural yogurt, although it has a fairly high calorie content, can be included in dessert or second breakfast. It is recommended to replace fried meat with steaks cooked on the grill. You can add vegetable chips, mashed cabbage, nuts, feta cheese instead of low-calorie store-bought cheese, and bananas to the list.

Vegetable chips