Everyone has a sweet tooth at some point. However, the downside is that most candies that we love to grab and snack on aren’t the healthiest things for us to eat. Let’s face it, us sugar-holics can have a pretty hard struggle between seeing results from eating healthy and wanting to eat all of our favorite candies. Luckily there are many healthier (and just as sweet) options out there that are low in calories and artificial sugars but will satisfy your sugar cravings just the same.
1. Granola
As underrated as it is, granola is actually a really great snack for when you need something sweet and something filling. Granola comes in many different flavors, my personal favorites being dark chocolate and coconut from Simply Balanced and oats and dark chocolate protein blend from Nature Valley. It comes in decently sized bags that you can just grab handfuls of while studying without feeling guilty about it. On top of that, most types of granola can aid in weight loss and increase energy, making it a perfect stress eating snack. You can eat this in handfuls or in the very popular form of granola bars, most versions of which add on to the sweetness cravings with dark chocolate and nuts added in.
2. Berries and grapes
This is the time of year where you start finding the sweetest of berries in stores. Things like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all starting to be in season. And they’re pretty cheap too! Berries, like granola, aid in weight loss and help fight of many diseases. They are also packed with vitamins and antioxidents that most of us just don’t get enough of in our daily lives. Berries satisfy both sweet and sour with their flavors, making them a perfect replacement for candies such as sour gummies and other artificially flavored fruit snacks.
3. Dark chocolate
For all those chocolate lovers out there, dark chocolate is the best thing to satisfy any candy bar cravings. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and lower in sugar than most other chocolates. However, this does not mean that candy bars using dark chocolate are healthier, especially if they have other things added in such as marshmallow or cookie pieces. Most health benefits of dark chocolate are found in concentrations of 70% or more cocoa. Things like dark chocolate covered fruits and nuts are also pretty healthy to snack on too since you get the benefits of both the dark chocolate and the fruit or nuts contained in it.
4. Nuts and dried fruits
Nuts by themselves are not the sweetest things to snack on. They do, however, come in very sweet and delicious varieties. Dark chocolate covered nuts, as mentioned above, are sweet, salty, and crunchy. Brands such as Blue Diamond have many healthy options (like salted caramel and cocoa roasted almonds) that are sure to get you through your sugar cravings. Nuts are good sources of healthy oils, omega-3s, and proteins. Most dried fruits contain many of the health benefits of the actual fruit but are a little sweeter and more convenient for those who snack on the go. These also come in chocolate covered varieties that are usually very addicting and very satisfying.