Almost all of us get cravings for savory and sweet flavors, especially foods that are high in sugar. This is totally normal; don’t feel bad when you do! Our bodies need natural sugars to live on and random cravings should be expected. However, most of us don’t realize how much and what kinds of sugar we’re actually putting into our bodies.
Highly processed granulated sugar and high-fructose corn syrup pop up in everyday items we eat. Foods that may appear to be healthy like breakfast cereals, nut-butter spreads, and salad dressings are typically high in sugar and have extremely low amounts of nutrients.
Luckily, there’s a wide variety of foods that can be great alternatives to sugar and will still satisfy the cravings of your sweet tooth!
3 Alternatives to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
There are many different alternatives to sugar on the market today, which makes it’s hard to know which ones to choose, let alone how to incorporate them into your diet. Understanding more about some of the main alternatives can help you decide which one is best for your health.
- Raw Honey – Most honey you find at grocery stores or coffee shops is pasteurized, which destroys its beneficial nutrients in the process. However, raw honey has less fructose and is the only natural sweetener that includes anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also rich with antioxidants and bifidobacteria, which is an effective probiotic that aids in digestive health.
- Coconut Sugar – This is made from harvesting the sap of a coconut plant, and after the sap dries it evaporates into a liquid, leaving behind natural crystals of sugar. It’s generally used in baking, replacing the need for granulated sugar. The biggest benefit is how low it is on the glycemic index (GI). Table sugar has a GI of around 60, whereas coconut sugar has a measure of 54.
- Dark Chocolate – Chocolates that are darker in color tend to have higher percentages of cacao, which contains less milk and sugar than white chocolate and milk chocolate. The nibs found in cacao beans contain high amounts of antioxidants and healthy fats, and even trace minerals such as zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium. Chocolate bars that contain at least 75% cacao will only contain 25% of milk and sugar. For those of you who don’t like the bitterness of dark chocolate, we recommend looking for bars with at least 60% cacao for the highest nutritional value. Drizzling on a little honey can help with the taste too!
Call (504) 475-9817 to speak with a staff member and schedule an appointment today!