Healthy ways to satisfy a sweet tooth? (Read 769 times)

Someone help me out here please. About a year ago, right after Halloween, someone brought their leftover candy in to work and the damned bowl has rarely been empty since. When it comes to chocolate, I've got 0 willpower. I try to make sure that I'm putting healthy stuff in my lunch in hopes of keeping myself full so I don't eat it, but I'll go over and grab some even if I'm not hungry. If it's not the candy, it's the cookies that people occasionally bring in as well. It's frustrating because I should be losing weight but instead, I'm maintaining my current weight. Help me come up with some alternatives that will ease the craving, but won't come with all the extra calories. I don't get it; I was able to quit smoking (cold turkey even!) almost 10 years ago, I was able to bring my drinking under control, but the sweets seem to be my biggest weakness.

try the low fat/low sugar/whatever hot cocoa. 25 calories per serving. you might just wanna make a big mug with two servings. and add cinnimon if your daring. itts damn good

My worst vice? Donuts.... Holy crap, all that trans fat... All those empty calories... All that icing and jelly filling... Oh sweet donuts, you'll be the death of me!

I can completely relate. Chocolate Devil's food donuts are a weakness, along with Boston Cream/Creme. Although I am down to once a week now. I'm not sure of the actual benefit of this, but sometimes I munch on graham crackers instead of cookies. Grapes are excellent for a sweet distraction. Also, maybe try feeding that hunger for choc. by getting a small bag of M&M's and making that bag last all day long, just eating one here or there, AND not eating any other forms of junk along the way.

My worst vice? Donuts.... Holy crap, all that trans fat... All those empty calories... All that icing and jelly filling... Oh sweet donuts, you'll be the death of me!

David, you're in law enforcement, this is SUPPOSED to be your worst vice dude.

i'm a sucker for chocolate, too. and cookies. oh man, cookies. we never had these things around when i was growing up (or did, but only on special occasions), so when they're just OUT and AVAILABLE, they're very hard for me to ignore. anyway, i am in the same position re: workplace junkfood as you. i work in a school where families take turns bringing in snack for the kids in the various classrooms. we want to teach healthy eating habits and basic nutrition, so anytime a family brings in junkier stuff, the teachers don't actually put it out for the kids-- it gets put in the staff room instead, along with the treats the families lavish on their kids' teachers. so guess whose healthy, low-junk lifestyle has shifted somewhat since joining this school? i like snacking on the stuff in the staff room (i just typed "snack room"!), but i've had to curb things. i have a "craving emergency kit" in my classroom closet with a little cold-foods auxiliary in the fridge (one or two items at a time to meet each sort of craving i'm likely to feel). i put them together based on the kinds of cravings i might feel come up on a given day: Sweet: - tea, bagged or loose (can be sweetened w/ honey & enjoyed hot-- surprisingly satisfying, every time. and i believe in the health benefits of red, green, white & black teas!) - fruit (sometimes it's clementines, sometimes bananas, sometimes little tins of pineapple and what is better than cold plums?) - sweeter vegetables, like baby carrots can work for me on some days, esp if i eat them w/ hummus or something that contains a little bit of healthy fat - emergen-c packets (lightly sweet, fizzy, replaces soda, especially when i'm feeling like i'm picking up a cold from a kid or teacher) - prunes/dried fruit. they have a bad rap. they're not low-calorie. but they've got a great fiber profile, many retain their iron & calcium pretty well, they're very filling and satisfy a craving for chewy sweets. i haven't had a starburst since i rediscovered prunes, dates & organic dried mango. Chocolate: - chocolate-dipped graham crackers (a little less fat/saturated fat than solid chocolate, the graham cracker is satisfyingly crunchy and offers a little fiber, too) - chocolate-covered pretzels (" ") - chocolate-covered raisins (again, less saturated fat than solid chocolate, no sugar added, raisins are plenty sweet, decent fiber) - chocolate-covered nuts (better for me than solid chocolate. still a high-fat food, but the nuts = good fats, and just a couple of these tend to be very satisfying) - coffee - i drink it black, no sugar, and strong. it's not chocolate, but it has the rich flavor experience that i'm usually looking for when i have a chocolate craving. if i need a creamy element, i'll add milk or half-and-half, but just a little bit or it begins to feel oily. Creaminess/Comfort/Chewiness - yogurt. i make my own. it's probably low-fat, b/c i use a nonfat yogurt starter and 2% milk to make it. i add a bit of jam or honey or maple syrup on days when i want it sweeter. - oatmeal. i have worked out a blend of stuff at a level of sweetness that is just enough to feel just right-- 1 packet of regular oatmeal, 1 T flax seed meal, 1 T wheat germ, 1 packet sugar in the raw. i make these mixes ahead of time in ziplock baggies and keep a few in the craving kit-- with soymilk, they're perfect for taking the hunger edge off in the afternoon, esp. with a little mashed banana or cut pear. - clif bars. most varieties are about 270 calories, not really "diet granola bars" or anything, and some varieties can have 25% of the USDA RA for saturated fat or more-- but most also have a good balance of fiber, protein and vitamins/minerals so the calories aren't empty ones and the fat... well, it's part of what makes the bar feel so satisfying i suppose. half a bar is a good snack alongside an apple or whatever. - hummus. creamy and can be as comforty or as kicky as you like. a million & one varieties out there and not hard to make on your own. when folks are chowing on nachos at lunch time, i break out my crackers & hummus, slice some tomatoes & cheddar on top and i'm just as happy. Salt/Crunch - nuts! we have a nut-free school, so i actually keep these in my car and eat them on my lunch break or right after school. - sunchips. in no way a health food, these are just slightly less bad for you than regular chips. they are just less-cheaty cheat foods. about the same fat as reduced fat potato chips, more fiber, heartier texture-- feel more "filling" so i'm satisfied eating less. - wasa crackers. i switch up the variety-- multigrain, sesame, high protein, high fiber, etc. always low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber, sometimes w/ a good mineral profile. great w/ hummus or slices of cheese. - cheese. not for crunch, obviously, but for salt. low-fat feta, reduced fat cheddar (cabot's is surprisingly decent!), and occasionally a full-fat aged gruyere sliced thinly. perfect w/ the crackers, perfect to balance out the sweetness of fruit, etc. Misc. - tabasco. it's weird, this one is... a flavor security blanket or something. it's not really a salty thing, a creamy thing or anything else-- it's just a flavor thing that can make a given soup, salad or sandwich an added boost of flavor that makes me appreciate the base ingredients all that much more which makes me feel more satisfied or something? and therefore less likely to reach for the side of chips or whatever. i don't know how it works or why it works for me, but adding a little tabasco to my lunch makes my lunch feel like enough. um, i spend a lot of time thinking, talking and enjoying FOOD. sorry if that was long.