Curbing your sweet tooth

Many of us crave sweets, particularly after a nice meal. However, filling up on sweets adds calories to your diet without adding much in the way of nutrients.

To help satisfy that sweet tooth, try these helpful suggestions:

• serve fresh fruit for dessert
• mix fresh fruit with yogurt and freeze into Popsicles
• eat a small piece of hard candy after meals
• make a fruit freeze by adding fresh fruit to low-fat frozen yogurt in a blender
• snack on a slice of whole-grain toast or an English muffin with jelly or jam
• eat caramel or cocoa-flavored mini rice cakes
• make caramel apples or broiled oranges with brown sugar or
• drink chocolate skim milk

When tempted to have a dessert, pick lighter alternatives, such as angel food cake, "light" cakes and muffins, or low-fat cookies.

When preparing baked goods, reduce the calories and increase the nutrients by:

replacing fat in the recipe with applesauce or pureed prunes

adding fruit, fresh or dried, to provide fiber and vitamins

cutting fresh baked treats into small portions

using whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour and

using egg whites or egg substitute instead of whole eggs

When craving sweets, try to distract yourself by calling a friend, going for a walk, surfing the Internet, or listening to your favorite music. Eating high sugar foods promotes tooth decay. To decrease the risk of tooth decay, eat sugary foods in moderation, avoid excessive snacking, and brush and floss your teeth regularly.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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