I have a sweet tooth. And a chocolate addiction. And I find it hard to pass up bakery treats – especially cake. In fact, I think I’m programmed to need something sweet after dinner.
Gee, I wonder where my kids get it from?
Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I usually feel like crap after I indulge in too many sweets. My stomach gets upset and I get that nasty feeling on my teeth, like they’ve been dipped and coated in some sort of sugary film. Anyone else get that or is it just me?
But over the years I’ve managed to find several treats that satisfy my sweet tooth, don’t make me feel gross afterwards and feel like a treat but aren’t super terrible for you (relatively speaking), with none of that sugar-free, fat-free nonsense.
So here are my favorite tasty and somewhat healthy treats:
Baked apples with cinnamon. Love this in the fall. And it’s so easy: I dice an apple, throw it in a baking pan with a little melted butter (really, just a little – maybe 1 tablespoon), a little bit of brown sugar (1-2 tbsp – I usually eyeball it) and some cinnamon, mix it all together, then throw it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Not only does this taste delicious (like the inside of an apple pie), but it also makes your house smell FANTASTIC (no candles necessary!) and any leftovers can be used in the morning. Sometimes I’ll mix some in with plain Greek yogurt or add it to cooked barley or oatmeal for a yummy and filling breakfast.
Chocolate rice cakes with chocolate peanut butter. I can say with absolute certainty that chocolate and peanut butter is my favorite food combination (followed closely by chocolate and banana, and chocolate and coconut …. sense a theme??). I know you’re probably rolling your eyes …. rice cakes, really? But my entire family (well, really Buddy and I) love the Quaker Oats chocolate crunch rice cakes. However, as tasty as they are, I have a hard time gnawing on a rice cake and thinking of it as a treat. So I’ll break out my treasured Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and smear a tablespoon on a rice cake and voila! Instant heaven. The peanut butter adds a richness and flavor depth that makes this a surprisingly satisfying treat.
Ice cream sandwiches. The old school, full fat kind. Have you ever looked at the nutrition label? One ice cream sandwich is only about 170 calories. Plus I find it tons more enjoyable than the low-fat ice cream treats because of the richness of the regular old ice cream. Another plus? They’re individually wrapped, so it’s instant portion control.
Plain M&Ms. C’mon, everyone has to have their go-to candy, right? Especially with Halloween around the corner? It must be genetic, because Buddy and I are obsessed with M&Ms. And much like the ice cream sandwiches, they’re not as bad for you as you might think – as long as you don’t inhale the king-sized bag. A regular size of M&Ms is 240 calories. And a small “fun size” bag one is 108 calories. Check out this nutrition label comparison:
Standard size bag M&Ms
INGREDIENTS:
Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, milkfat, lactose, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavors), sugar, cornstarch, less than 1%: corn syrup, dextrin, coloring (includes blue 1 lake, red 40 lake, yellow 6, yellow 5, red 40, blue 1, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, blue 2), gum acacia.
Fat-free Snackwells Devil’s Food Cookies (keep in mind that 1 serving = 1 cookie)
Ingredients: SUGAR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, COCOA* (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), SKIM MILK, GELATIN, GLYCERIN, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), EMULSIFIERS* (MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN), CORNSTARCH, CHOCOLATE*, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, SOY. *ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF FAT.
Did you notice the first ingredient here (sugar) followed later by high fructose corn syrup (another type of sugar)? Gotta get some flavor somehow!
So basically, four, fat-free, light-as-air cookies (that taste terrible, in my opinion – trust me, I’ve had them before) have roughly the same amount as calories (200 vs 240) and sugar grams (28 vs 31) as an entire bag of M&Ms. Yes, M&Ms are not fat-free but (and this is my own personal opinion) I’ve finally come around to the idea that fat is not the enemy; instead, as Bob Harper would say, it’s about calories in and calories out. No knock against Snackwells (I admit, I like their granola bars), but if you’re trying to choose between the two, is there much of a choice?
Trader Joe’s 100 calorie Belgian chocolate bars (the 70% dark chocolate variety). Okay, call me a hypocrite, but these bars are REALLY good and they’re not loaded with chemicals and all sorts of nasties like most 100 calories treats. Ingredients include beet sugar and natural vanilla, so they’re even vegan-friendly. And they’re not fat-free; they have a decent amount of fat for a chocolate bar this size (8g). For me, at least, they’re the perfect size when you need a chocolate fix, and because the dark chocolate flavor is pretty intense, one is usually enough. I know some people suggest buying a whole bag of Hershey’s Kisses and then rationing them out a few at a time when you need that fix. Except that doesn’t work for me. Sure, I’ll have my few kisses, then 10 minutes later I’ll come back for a few more and …. you know how it goes. These bars are big enough (although they are on the thin side) that I’ve had second thoughts the few times I thought about making having a second serving. By the way, you get five individually wrapped bars in a box for $1.99.
So there you have it! In fact, I’m looking forward to several of these treats this weekend! What is your favorite “healthy” treat?
OK, here’s my typical disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for my reviews of these products; these opinions are strictly my own. Also, I am not a professional dietitian or nutritionist; these are merely my opinions as a consumer.
Jess S. says
Jess it’s funny you said that about the apples. The other day I did that in the frying pan. I cut up the apples and put them in a bag with cinnamon and sugar and shook them up. Then put a pat of butter in the pan. It was delightful. It was the first time I did that and I’m sure to do it again!
Also, have you ever seen the mini ice cream sandwiches? I think they are great…just the right size if you only want a little treat. I’m waiting for them to invent mini Klondike bars!!! That would be AWESOME!
Jessica says
Mini Klondike bars would be brilliant – especially the ones with the crunchy shell. Yum!! And I’m definitely going to try apples in the pan – so much faster than dealing with preheating the oven and baking time. Awesome tip 🙂
Jen says
I even had baked apples in my plain yogurt this am…who knew ? So good!