How Can I Satisfy My Diabetic Sweet Tooth?

4 Healthy Tips for Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth with Diabetes 1 Eat a Small Serving. Desserts pack more carbohydrates in each bite than most other foods. 2 Substitute Naturally Sweet Foods. Next time you have a hankering for sugar, reach into the fruit basket instead of the cookie jar. 3 Go Sugar-Free. 4 Stop Emotional Eating.

Many sweets, including cakes, cookies, and candy, tend to be highly processed and chock-full of added sugar, refined flour, and saturated fats, which is why they should be enjoyed in reduced portion sizes as an occasional treat. Try these tips from diabetes nutrition experts to include sweet treats in your healthy eating plan.

Bake them at 400°F (204°C) for 15–20 minutes. There are many healthy and nutritious sweet treats and snacks that you can enjoy as part of a balanced diet if you have diabetes. Ideally, look for foods that are low in sugar and high in protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats.

Try slicing apples and adding a bit of cinnamon for an easy snack on the go, or pair with some peanut butter to boost your intake of protein and healthy fats. 4. Grapes Like other types of fruit, grapes can be a healthy, high fiber treat for people with diabetes.

What is the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth?

7. Focus on fruit. Not only is fruit delicious enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, but it has the added bonus of being healthier, because it has fewer carbs and no added sugar, compared with processed sweets, explains Smith.

Why You Need to Watch Your Sweets Intake if You Have Type 2 Diabetes. When you eat or drink carbohydrates, such as sugar, starch, and fiber, your body breaks them down into glucose, raising levels in your blood, according to the ADA. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body isn’t able to use insulin efficiently to move this glucose …

1. Allow yourself the occasional treat. Deprivation isn’t likely to work, says Karen Lau, a registered dietitian and CDCES at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. “Completely eliminating treats from your diet may backfire, and you may end up craving those foods more,” notes Lau.

And if you’re snacking on dried fruit or using it in a recipe, make sure you take into account how much sugar it contains: Just 2 tablespoons of raisins or dried cherries can contain as many as 15 grams of carbohydrates. Freeze grapes, dark sweet cherries, or berries to snack on for a refreshing and tasty treat.

Swap out ingredients. In the kitchen, use whole-grain flours, such as wheat or oat, or versions made from nuts, such as almond flour, to help with blood sugar control, advises Smith. You can also look for recipes that use fruit or fruit puree to reduce or eliminate sugar, says Smith. 6. Designate a sweet treat day.

Kristen Smith, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests choosing foods that don’t list sugar in the ingredients and have sugar substitutes instead. “But keep in mind that these foods are often still made with flour and other carbohydrate -containing ingredients,” says Smith. 4.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), if you have diabetes, you can absolutely include sweets and desserts in your diet, as long as they’re part of a healthy eating plan and you don’t overindulge.