Tips to satisfy an evening sweet tooth in a healthy way

Help!  Every evening I have a sweet tooth that leads me into temptation and many times ruins a whole day of healthy eating (by going over my calories).  I simply do not have the self-control to ignore it. 

What I would like are some suggestions of sweet things that are somewhat healthy for me.  The only idea I have is fat free sugar free jello which has basically no calories, but it's not a super healthy choice.  But I'm not interested in any recommendation to crunch on some carrots - not sweet enough!

No sugar-added fudgsicles!!! Mmmmmmm. I buy small ones that have 40 calories each. Not exactly healthy, but they won't ruin your whole day, either.

I usually have a chocolate vitatop every evening. They are 100 cals. and have a lot of vitamins and minerals. ( about the size of a big cookie) However they are quite expensive.

I know this might sound wierd but sugar snap peas are also pretty sweet. just something to try.

When I get the sweet tooth, I take a small fat-free yogurt and add some honey or molasses and some cinnamon or some coconut powder and...voila! Low cal healthy dessert.

Also, if you like fruit....a fruit salad is almost a dessert.

I hope I'll hear more suggestions. Good luck!

I've got sugar free dark chocolate puddings that I combine with a some frozen raspberries and fat free cool whip.  It totals only a little over a hundred calories but tastes like your eating luxurious dark chocolate and raspberry mousse.

don't ignore it! there's nothing wrong with having dessert! i recommend making sure you have enough calories left in the day to have a nice little dessert, every night if it is important to you!

i'm a big fan of the double churned ice cream. runs from 100-140 calories per 1/2 cup depending on the flavor. i have a little bowl that only holds 1/2 a cup, and that's what i have after dinner. i eat it slowly and savor it. the portion starts seeming just right once you get used to it.

i also love mini bags of kettle corn, seems like a ton for only 100 calories.

i also just picked up awesome frozen chocolate covered bananas at trader joes, i think they are 160 calories each, so good, and portion controlled! and i think it was only $1.99 for the box of 4!

puddings are also good, i don't like the sugar free, but even the fat free with sugar are only about 120 cals.  

Great question. I hope to see others answer here as well to get some more ideas.

These aren't necessarily low sugar, but they generally have more nutrition than other options. I find that if I eat enough protein and enough small meals thru the day, the cravings aren't as bad.

I have eaten bananas, partially frozen, with chocolate syrup on top for those really tough days.

Freeze chopped peeled bananas. Add to blender with milk, peanut butter, and chocolate.

A yogurt/fruit parfait kind of what you get at McDonald's.

Banana orange juice smoothie.

Banana grape juice smoothie (purple cow).

Banana frozen fruit smoothie.

Note: you can add protein powder to any of the smoothies to stay full longer.

Strawberries with stevia(Stevia is a natural sugar substitute that's better than NutraSweet and the other artificial options)

Frozen grapes. Sounds weird, but they're good.

Hot chocolate.

Glass of chocolate milk.

Bowl of cereal.

Jicama - cut up like french fries, and raw... it's sweet. Another name is Mexican Potato. Allows me to munch on something crunchy that's sweet.

Sugar snap peas - sometimes they're sweet enough for me.

Peanut butter on carrots. I think it makes them taste sweeter, and sometimes it's enough to take the edge off.

Peanut butter and jelly wrap or on saltines.

Eat an orange.

Glass (or 3) of lemonade - homemade with stevia.

Homemade lemonade Popsicles.

Homemade orange, grape or apple juice Popsicles.

I am right along with you, down to needing something sweet and crunchy. I have one serving (3/4 of a cup) of dry cereal. My favorite is Quaker Oats Crunchy Corn Bran, only 90 calories and its low in sugar and high in fiber. If you are going to buy cereal just make sure that you really pay attention to the nutrition facts, some cereals are loaded with sugar. It takes a bit to eat and I find it really fulfills my nightly cravings. Good luck!

I'm love the toffee-crunch bars by Weight Watchers.   It's like 110 for 2 of them.  I usually eat one an hour or so after dinner, and then a second one about an hour before bed.  I love them. 

I'm a pretty big fan of meringue cookies.  Not the super crunchy hard and dusty ones from the store, but homemade ones that are crisp on the outside with a chewy sweet center.  They have no fat (unless you add it in the form of chopped nuts, chocolate, or coconut) and they are so full of air that you can eat a bunch without really having that much sugar.  It satisfies the sweet, crispy, and chewy cravings.

Hot chocolate -- the heat makes you drink it slower, plus the warmth makes me feel full. If you make it with milk or soymilk instead of water you're getting protein and calcium too.

Fruit smoothie / sorbet -- frozen fruit and silken tofu or milk or juice or yogurt or some combination.

• Strawberries with fat free cool whip
• Yogurt with fruit and 1/2 cup of fiber one
• Sugar free pudding topped with fat free cool whip
  
• Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bars
• Edy's Double-Churned ice cream (so yummy and lots of flavors!)
• Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter
• Cookie Freeze ( http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.p hp?isid=781)

There are really so many options!

Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate sugar-free pudding (35 calories for the pudding and about 4 calories per strawberry)

You can eat over half a pound of these dipped strawberries and you'll still be under 75 calories. You'd be hard-pressed to find a lower calorie sweet snack for the same weight.

And the act of dipping and chewing and re-dipping (I triple dip) takes up time. So those 10 strawberries will last you a half hour while you watch your favorite tv show.  :D

sugar free jello, apples, gum, and coffee satisfy my after dinner sweet tooth.

Original Post by msmeg1984:

 

• Edy's Double-Churned ice cream (so yummy and lots of flavors!)

 

 What's the difference between Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream? Same flavors, same calorie content, even the websites are identical:

http://dreyers.slowchurned.com/flavor.aspx?b= 112&f=2311

http://www.edys.com/brand/grandlight/flavor.a sp?b=117&f=2312

Is Edy's another name for Dreyers in other countries or something?

i totally agree with msmeg1984 on the Edy's icecream!!

almost every night i have a full cup of Edy's either chocolate or mint chocolate chip and its so goodd. only around 220-260 cal for a whole cup! soo worth it

Is Edy's another name for Dreyers in other countries or something?

Edy's and Dreyers are the same company, and the name they use depends on what part of the country you're in.  I grew up in Maryland, where we had Edy's, then moved to the Northwest, where it's all Dreyers.  Go figure.  (There's a similar thing with Hellman's and Best Foods mayo.)

My favorite sweet snack is dark chocolate chips mixed in with almonds.

Ahhh, thanks medveditsa! I had no idea.

Do you have a small hand held blender? you could easily make 'ice cream' with frozen mangoes (unsweetened) and low fat plain yogurt or frozen bananas and low fat plain yogurt. Delicious! I mostly use bananas or mangoes as the base of the ice-cream given their creaminess but you can do this with any other fruit of your choosing. I sometimes add a bit of honey (1/2 teaspoon) because I like the flavor but it's not necessary to add extra sugar.

Fresh strawberries with a balsamic reduction - pour a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a small, shallow pan and reduce until it thickens (think honey). Pour this onto the fresh strawberries and eat.. yummy!! low cal, fat free, high sugar (but it's only 2 tablespoons!!).

I LOVE seasonal fruit with fat free cool whip...or in the colder weather try some tea with a tbls of honey for 63 calories!

I save one of my fruits for an evening snack.  Right now it's some amazing sweet black seedless grapes.  Better than candy!