Easy Low Sugar Treats
A little sugar makes you sweeter. Too much sugar makes you fatter and sicker. On average, each American consumes 66 pounds of added sugar every year, reports the University of California-San Francisco – that’s as much as 22 teaspoons per day!
Added sugar is in everything, especially snack foods. Added sugar isn’t the natural sugar that you find in fruits and dairy – this is corn syrup, dextrose, cane sugar, honey, molasses…the list of names goes on and on. Even if you avoid soda, candy and cookies, seemingly healthy treats, including fruit-flavored yogurt and breakfast cereal, can be sugar bombs.
You don’t have to deprive your family all treats to keep their sugar intake in check. Instead, choose low sugar treats that are easy to prepare and so delicious that you won’t miss the extra added sweeteners.
Candy-Flavored Smoothies
Whip up a smoothie that brings the flavors from the candy aisle to your blender. Aimee Monck, Group Fitness Manager at Life Time in Colorado Springs offers up these options that also help you keep up with your health and fitness goals.
Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
Blend together a scoop of chocolate protein powder, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 cup of milk and a handful of ice.
Almond Joy
Blend together 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 cup of almond milk and a handful of ice.
Skittles Smoothie
Blend together 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, ¼ cup raspberries, ¼ cup of strawberries, 8 ounces of milk and a handful of ice.
Frozen Fruit Ice Cream
Yes, fruit has sugar – but it’s naturally occurring and mixed with lots of good stuff, including fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Use it, with no added sweeteners, to create a creamy, unctuous ice cream that even your kids will scream for. It’s super easy to whip up, too. Chop up a banana or two into chunks and freeze in a zip-top bag for 12 hours or longer. Place the frozen chunks into a food processor with flavoring of choice: a handful of frozen strawberries or raspberries; a scoop of peanut or almond butter; or a smattering of mini chocolate chips. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy – basically the texture of ice cream – and serve.
For an even quicker, easier to make bite-sized treat, freeze washed grapes right on the vine. When your sweet tooth strikes, grab a few to satiate it.
Crunchy Treats
Low-sugar treats can also come in forms to munch. Make a batch of air-popped popcorn and top with a tablespoon of melted peanut butter and dust with a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Use hazelnut-chocolate butter or almond butter as other alternatives.
A dark-chocolate infused homemade trail mix also satisfies a sweet tooth. Avoid adding dried fruit, as it contains concentrated sugars and often added sugars. Instead, make a nut-based mix with roasted peanuts, cashews and almonds. Toss in a few tablespoons of dark chocolate chips to give it that sweet, and salty, punch. One tablespoon of dark chocolate chips contains about 8 grams of sugar; the nuts contain next to no sugar.
Baked Goodies
An apple makes for a warm, satisfying dessert when baked with a few select toppings. Slice it in half and remove the core. Stuff the halves with chopped nuts, raisins, oats and a drizzle of honey, then bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until soft. If an apple isn’t your thing, try it with a pear.
If you’re craving the flavors of pumpkin spice, but want to avoid the lattes which contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar in one medium drink, whip up a batch of low-sugar pumpkin cookies. It takes just three ingredients: 1 cup of canned pumpkin (unsweetened), 2 cups of oats and ¼ cup of brown or white sugar.
Mix these ingredients together, form into balls, place them on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. They’re soft, warm and just slightly sweet – enough to cure a sugar craving. Press three or four dark chocolate chips into each cookie before baking for an extra indulgence, without a lot more sugar.
Andrea Cespedes is a professionally trained chef and a Certified Nutrition Therapist. With more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, she coaches cycling and running and teaches Pilates and yoga. She is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, RYT-200 and has degrees from Princeton and Columbia University. She’s the proud mom of two kids, who love dance, rock climbing and animals.
