An Unforgiving Sweet Tooth
I can’t help it – I crave sweets. Mostly cookies, cupcakes and similar baked goods with ooey-gooey, warm, delicious centers. But, as part of my renewed sense of health and fitness, I’m trying to cut back on the urge to snack on crappy goodies – especially when I’m struck with the munchies at work. On Monday, around 3:00pm in the afternoon, a maniacal craving for something sweet overcame me. Since I had eaten all the foods and snacks I brought for the day, I gave in and bought a Crunch candy bar only to feel dissatisfied by the taste. It wasn’t what I wanted, I lamented, I wanted a white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookie!
Since I believe moderation and balance is key in any healthy routine, I decided I needed to find a healthier way to satisfy my craving – and there are plenty of easy ways to do so. Yesterday, I made myself a strawberry yogurt parfait and ate it for breakfast this morning. I used fat free plain yogurt (with a dash of sugar mixed in), fresh sliced strawberries, Kellog’s Vanilla Almond Cornflakes and honey. Honey is such a great substitute as a sweetener with fantastic medicinal benefits. I never feel guilty drizzling it on my fruit, in my tea or in baking batter.
Akirah (January 6, 2009, 12:12 pm).
I was eating an Oreo when I clicked on this link.
Kim, Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet (January 6, 2009, 1:57 pm).
I always have a sweet tooth! It’s a shame huh??? LOL!
irenie (January 6, 2009, 2:31 pm).
you know what else is good as a sweetener in yogurt? maple syrup! mmmm! cos i dunno, sometimes i just don’t like the taste of honey.
Tiffany (January 6, 2009, 4:37 pm).
I should give this a try instead of eating the hundreds of cookies and chocolates in our house. I don’t even like chocolate that much but when I’m craving sugar, they’re right there to tempt me lol.
MC (January 6, 2009, 5:38 pm).
@Kim, Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet, it’s just too good to pass up sometimes!
MC (January 6, 2009, 5:45 pm).
@irenie, Good alternative. I actually bought an expensive (well expensive for me) bottle of organic maple syrup because I didn’t want the high fructose corn syrup. Blegh. But I like the idea of using it as a sweetner too. Cinnamon too!
MC (January 6, 2009, 5:46 pm).
@Tiffany,
Tiffany, I think most things are ok in moderation – even cookies and other sweets. It’s just when I’m stuck at work and I resort to junking on snack food, then I bake at home – it’s too much! So yeah, the environment we’re in has a lot to do with it. Surround yourself with healthy sweets! Besides, a parfait just sounds sinful, no guilt!
alisa (January 6, 2009, 9:04 pm).
I am a big fan of honey. You could also try rice syrup. I am experimenting with it to make power bars.
MC (January 6, 2009, 9:59 pm).
@alisa, rice syrup in power bars? Interesting! I did a quick search for it and discovered that “the complex carbohydrates take from two to three hours to absorb, providing a steady supply of energy”. Makes sense then! I’d be interested in seeing your result, let me know if you make it!
alisa (January 6, 2009, 10:01 pm).
@MC, I met an organic farmer on a plane in Sept and she gave me a homemade power bar made from rice syrup. I saved some of it to analyze but haven’t tried making my own yet.
Allison (January 7, 2009, 8:28 am).
those darn sweet teeth!
this is a nice blog! i’ll be back for sure!
Allison’s last blog post..Dinner with Grandma-Sensei
MC (January 7, 2009, 9:52 am).
@alisa, That’s awesome! It seems like it might be a laborious process but, from what I understand, it’s not easy to find at just any grocery store either.
MC (January 7, 2009, 9:52 am).
@Akirah, and now I’m judging you.
alisa (January 7, 2009, 9:56 am).
@MC, I bought the rice syrup from our co-op food market now I have to figure out what I want to put in them. She used organic puffed cereal with other goodies.
MC (January 7, 2009, 10:58 am).
@alisa, ooooh, sounds delish! Keep my posted!
gastroanthropologist (January 8, 2009, 6:32 pm).
Oh the sweet tooth. You know I think the more you eat the more you want. I never craved sweets until I became a pastry chef! It’s like a meal or snack is not finished until I have something sweet to end with. I also hate taking a little bite and savoring it – I like a big hunk of chocolate, cake or cookie in my mouth so every little taste bud gets a sugar rush! Have you tried agave nectar?
gastroanthropologist’s last blog post..Bienvenido a Andalucia
MC (January 8, 2009, 7:40 pm).
@gastroanthropologist, I’ve never tried agave nectar or even heard of it! But a quick search on google, I’d love to try it – sounds right up my alley. I’d probably have to head over to the Whole Foods to pick some up though. I doubt just any grocery store has it.
Do you use it?
gastroanthropologist (January 9, 2009, 5:46 am).
@MC, Whole Foods should definitely have it. I prefer honey to agave nectar (tastes more like sugar water than anything more complex that honey might provide) – but true vegans like it as it is plant derived. It’s a bit watery so good to use to sweeten cold drinks or when mixing into things like yogurt. I used it once in a peach crisp instead of sugar and it worked great ( I don’t know the sugar to agave ratio – just did it by taste). I think it is often used by diabetics who can’t bare to give up sugar as it has low glucose compared to some other sweetners.
gastroanthropologist’s last blog post..Bienvenido a Andalucia