How sweet life would be if Reese’s peanut butter cups offered nutritional value.
Currently staring me down is a half-full bag of Reese’s “Thins,” a delightful but deceptive treat that makes you subconsciously think they’re good for you.
They’re not.
Clearly, I’m no health expert, nutritionist, or disciplined foodie. Rather, I’m the girl next door who, like you, wants to eat a healthier diet but still enjoy dessert.
I wish these six tips were a one-and-done deal, but we must keep applying them to build healthier habits. Like any muscle we exercise, discipline only gets stronger when we practice it.
Non-Expert Tip #1: Don’t buy sweets.
The end.
Just kidding. But not really.
In our house, I do most of the grocery shopping, and the one way I can prevent unhealthy sweets or snacks from finding their way into my cart is by mapping out a plan.
The grocery list is not dead, my friends. In fact, it can be your armor against impulse buying. Also, did you know that if you tell the cashier upfront that you decided against buying something, he won’t hate you? Just don’t leave will-power-rejected sweets on random aisles because that’s creating extra work for employees.
Non-Expert Tip #2: If you break tip #1, hide sweets out of sight.
Remember my Reese’s craving? I recently hosted a bonfire party, and if you have never substituted regular chocolate with Reese’s in your s’more, you are missing out. However, after the party, this innocent little bag of Reese’s Thins remained open on the counter.
And every time I walked past it, one little Reese’s jumped out of the bag and into my mouth.
Because I hate waste (and will probably host future s’mores bonfire parties), I couldn’t bring myself to throw the bag away. But clearly, I needed to get it out of sight.
Guess what? After burying the treats in a cabinet, I no longer see them, so I no longer crave them. “Out of sight, out of mind” really can help with sweets.
Non-Expert Tip #3: Share the goodies.
After that same bonfire party, I realized people “left behind” a whole plate of chocolate cupcakes, two almost untouched containers of store-bought cookies, a leftover plate of homemade cookies, and a half-eaten cheesecake.
I see what you did there, friends. You didn’t want to take the temptations home, so you put them on me.
Two can play this game.
The next morning was Sunday, so my husband James and I packed up the goodies and took them to our Sunday school class. It was even someone’s birthday, so score for unplanned celebrations.
In short, one of the best ways to get rid of desserts is to give them away. Don’t leave them idling on your counter because you will eat them. And don’t hide cupcakes or cheesecake in cabinets because that’s just gross.
Non-Expert Tip #4: Rebrand what constitutes dessert.
Now it’s time to get serious. Our minds are powerful, and no matter how old we get, we can keep learning. We can retrain our mindset about what makes up dessert.
Instead of grabbing your favorite brand of chocolate at the grocery store, pick up your favorite fruit and call it “dessert.” Susan Neal has explained before that fruit is nature’s dessert, so find something you love and enjoy loving it.
Some of my favorite healthy foods to eat that I call “treats” are blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. These feel like dessert to me because they’re not the “apple a day” the doctor ordered. But you do you. Find something you love and celebrate it.
“Treats” don’t have to be sweet either. James and I also enjoy pretzel snacks, almonds, or even celery with peanut butter. (I’m not going to lie. It doesn’t taste like Reese’s, but the celery’s complex carbs make us feel full and help prevent cravings.) Now that is a healthy snack.
The key is that once you’ve followed tips #1 and #2, tip #4 comes much easier. When you don’t have unhealthy sweets lying around the house, you turn to the healthy snack options and find yourself satisfied with them.
Non-Expert Tip #5: Try fasting sweets.
In January, our church often encourages us to give up or “fast” something we enjoy for the month. The purpose is to reorient our thinking, and in a sense, to tell God that we want Him more than we want something else we usually enjoy.
Due to health reasons, I know some people can’t give up all food for a period of time. I get dizzy and headaches if I don’t eat regularly, so for me, I choose to give up one thing. This year, I picked sweets.
Now just be ready, because the minute you decide to “fast” something, you are going to have that item stare you so hard in the face you want to cry.
For me, that experience came the weekend of my friend’s bachelorette party at Epcot. No biggie. It’s only the theme park world-renown for its delicious foods and desserts.
We had lunch in “Paris,” and the desserts there are decadent, beautiful works of art. But I said no and bit a little harder into my ham and cheese croissant sandwich.
Giving up sweets is easy, said no one ever. But it is possible, and after a few weeks, your cravings do subside.
Non-Expert Tip #6: Give yourself a break.
After the month of no sweets, the first thing we did was eat pizza and enjoy my dad’s famous homemade milkshake with no shame.
In all honesty, I don’t think I will ever entirely give up sweets, but I send kudos to those who do. However, I am attempting to reduce treats and replace them with healthier alternatives. For delicious, healthy desserts check out the ideas in the article Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipes.
James and I just hid the Reese’s in the button cabinet till the next bonfire, and I’m cutting up strawberries for dessert tonight instead. I have friends who give themselves one “cheat” day a week where they can enjoy what otherwise doesn’t fit the diet, and still others save sweets for special occasions like birthdays and weddings.
For this non-expert, the key is moderation—and to put on my jogging shoes several times a week. But that’s another post for another day.
Stay sweet, friends, even without those sweets in your daily life.
Bio
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell is a life-long learner and award-winning author. She teaches English online and is an inspirational speaker for schools, churches, and podcasts. Her young adult dystopian novels, The Revisionary and The Reactionary, both won the Selah for speculative fiction, and she has several new projects in the works. Kristen and her husband live in Florida and enjoy sharing their lake home with friends and family. Check out her blog at KristenHogrefeParnell.com, where she challenges readers to find faith in life’s adventures.
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I like the idea of rebranding what a dessert could be, too. Not everything under this umbrella has to be ice cream, cakes, pastries, etc. Being creative with this will help reduce one’s sugar intake while still giving them delicious treats.
So true. I enjoy a bowl of non-dairy plain yogurt with fresh raspberries and blueberries topped with sliced almonds. Yum, that is my dessert!