Early preparation and regular nutritional routine
Maintaining an orderly nutritional routine that includes regular and balanced meals throughout the day and avoiding “large intervals” will prevent “moments of weakness” and reduce the chance of choosing sweet snacks in an unplanned manner. Organized meals maintain stable energy levels and allow you to better control your nutritional decisions.
Reduce access to sweets at home
Out of sight, out of sight: try to keep as few sweets as possible at home, and save them for special occasions such as when entertaining. If you have large quantities left, offer them to friends or bring them to the office the next day. That way, in moments of hunger or cravings, it will be easier for you to choose healthy alternatives that are close at hand (skip a section to understand what we’re talking about).
Choose sweeter and healthier alternatives
Who said that sweet has to be unhealthy? Instead of cookies or chocolate, try making date snacks with nuts at home, enjoy a natural fruit smoothie, or choose healthy breakfast cereal or granola with a side of yogurt. These alternatives will satisfy the need for sweets without harming your menu and will give you important nutritional values. One of the important rules is to examine the list of ingredients indicated on the product. If the list is long and the first ingredient is sugar or oil – you should give up in advance. The network is full of easy recipes for healthy snacks that can be easily prepared at home and enjoyed without guilt. To an extent of course.
Don’t let yourself get extremely hungry
When hunger increases, the ability to make correct decisions decreases, and the brain looks for something that will provide it with a sense of satisfaction and pleasure – and sweet is the easiest answer. To prevent this, be sure to eat frequently throughout the day and avoid extreme hunger. Even a small snack, such as fruit or yogurt, will help you maintain balance and prevent the urge for sweets.
Liquids instead of sweet
The next time you are attacked by the desire for sweets, stop for a moment and first try to drink a glass of water or a sugar-free drink. Often, the body signals to us a feeling of thirst, but in practice we interpret this as hunger or as an urge for sweets. Not only will drinking enough water reduce your cravings for sweets, it will also help you maintain stable energy throughout the day. Another option is to drink green tea or water with a cinnamon stick – both help maintain a balance in sugar levels and reduce the urge for sweet snacks over time.
The writer is Ziv ZafarNi Clinical and sports dietitian