The average American consumes 150 lbs of sugar annually. To put that in perspective, the average man in the U.S. weighs 195 lbs, the average woman about 165 lbs. In other words, we’re eating or drinking nearly our entire weight in sugar each year.
Compare that to 100 years ago when we only consumed about 4 lbs of sugar. Which explains why 29.1 million Americans now have diabetes and another 86 million have pre-diabetes.
While you’re likely to find sugar in most foods, this month we wanted to focus on candy, or more specifically substituting sweets that aren’t loaded with sugar. The occasional and we do mean occasional candy treat isn’t terrible and won’t affect your health or weight loss goals, but there are healthier alternatives that can still satisfy your sweet tooth:
- Fruit: You’ve heard it before but it’s true fruit is nature’s candy. Oranges, strawberries and peaches are three deliciously sweet fruits and, while they are still high in sugar, they’re still better for you than candy. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are packed with antioxidants and fiber and are even better. And dried fruit are another healthier option. Remember that eating fruit is always better than drinking fruit juice, which can spike your blood sugar levels.
- Applesauce: Okay, it’s sort of a fruit, kind of like how ketchup is a vegetable. Try a no-sugar-added variety. One cup only has about 50 calories.
- Nuts: While they can be high in fat, unsalted cashews or almonds may satisfy your craving for sweets. But remember, don’t eat from the jar grab a handful and move away from the pantry!
- Popcorn: Yes, popcorn. Look for a sweet and salty variety that satisfies your sweet and savory tooth. Flavored popcorn does have sugar but it will help you feel full on fewer calories. Sweet rice cakes hit the spot too.
- Gum: Go for sugar-free, non-aspartame chewing gum, which has very few calories and may be enough to satisfy your craving at least till lunch or dinner.
- All right, candy: If you insist on eating actual candy, these options are healthier anything with dark chocolate, chocolate-covered almonds, Twizzlers or Red Vines and Hershey Kisses (but only a few!)
What are your favorite non-candy candies? Tell us about them in the Shop Talk Blog community forum!
Did you know: Instead of ice cream…
Try frozen grapes! Simply rinse, dry and de-stem them, place them on a backing sheet lined with wax paper, wait four hours then eat a handful right from the freezer. Heaven!(Source)
I have starting eating no sugar candy or peppermint no sugar cough drops. To still be able to pop something in my mouth without all the extra sugar and calories
I avoid having too much sugar by only occasionally eating desserts and drinking diet coke.
I make my own candy which consist of dark coco, coconut oil, and spenda. I like to add nuts..either pecan or walnut
Add coco & oil … And spenda until sweet to taste (I also use a hazelnut liquid spenda for flavor & keep tasting until I have the right mixture). Add nuts & stir and pour into container. I use an old ice tray with the squares. Put into frig and in an hour dump the squares out and put into a covered container. Keep in frig and have a piece when you get the craving. I actually lost weight and controlled cravings with this one.
Dark coco about 1/2 of container
Coco oil until coco becomes pourable
Spenda (20 / 30 packets or about 1/2 cup).
Taste for sweetness & add where needed
I only use enough liquid spenda until I can taste the favor. Not too much
Add about 1/2 a cup of nuts or a little more
Texture should be to your liking
Mango is my favorite chocolate substitute. Grapes and tangerines/clementines are good. Thin rice cakes with a tiny bit of peanut butter and natural low sugar fruit jam- my favs are the Peanut Butter Company and Hero black cherry.
Looking forward hearing from you
I prefer nut as in pistachios, cashews and peanuts. I also can eat almost any fruits, preferrably strawberries and melons. I also like kettle flavored popcorn.
I occasionally eat ice cream as a dessert. I work out 2 hours 3 days a week to take care of my diabetes. I do not use any medication.
I am diabetic whose sugar count is not well controlled, this article has helped me greatly. I will be using your suggestions to satisfy my sweet tooth, especially the freozen grapes.
I like dark chocolate, the higher percentage of dark chocolate the better. Like plain popcorn, lightly salted, although I still like it with butter sometimes. Like the hand full of nuts. But dried fruit has an intense sweetness I do not care for. Any fresh fruit that is frozen is great. Especially bananas and fresh berries.
I keep all candy out of sight. I keep a plate of fresh fruit, grapes, bananas and apples on the kitchen counter at all times. When the young children come to visit they always eat the fresh fruit because visually its all that I offer. The adults know where the candies, cookies and pastry is at. If they want their children to have candy it will have to come from their hands to their children. That way I stay out of trouble with my adult children and they can deal with the sweet tooth of their children. I know that is the cowards way out but it works well here. For myself I prefer the fruit and eat lots of it.
This is a TOTALLY INACCURATE article! Were you to specify that eating sugar can cause Type 2 Diabetes, it would be closer to accurate. TYPE 1 Diabetes, with which the skinny little girl in the photo might be diagnosed, is NOT caused by diet! It is an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE! You should be ashamed for publishing such a medically inaccurate article! If you need more information, visit JDRF.org. Eating too many carbs affects one’s blood glucose levels, so telling people to eat lots of fruit is counter-intuitive!
Get back girl. You a doctor?
You have to be careful of fruits. What pesticides are used. If the pesticides are used with irrigation water its all thru the fruit. Dark chocolate is a good food. When corporations use high fructose corn syrup we are being given unhealthy Products. Use natural honey, pure sugar etc. Sweets do not give you diabetes if they are natural and you don’t pig out. .
I eat candy once a week ,derided fruit when I find it. I have alway weated 225 now 200, so I must be doing something right.
bake apple chips for a crunchy snack instead of loading up on unnecessary carbs!
I do enjoy dried fruit, apricots, and fresh fruit when I can afford it.
you mean put them on a baking rack not backing rack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Aunt died of diabetes thankful I don’t have it Is it possible to slip generations
I use to eat frozen grapes… WOW how silly of me to forget how GREAT they are..try em if u don’t like them I’ll eat them for u
Diets are very hard to stay on .talk with your doctor first before you start one .a lot of the time it is a health issue which is causing you the weight problems .
Thank you for this offer.
Love frozen fruit!! Dark chocolate frozen.!! Last longer