The holiday season is synonymous with indulging in delightful treats and festive delicacies. From decadent cakes to freshly baked cookies, the allure of sweet treats is often irresistible.
However, for many, the thought of savoring these sugar cravings comes with a shadow of concern.
The fear of blood sugar spikes and potential health complications looms large, dampening the spirits of those looking forward to sweet food cravings.
Enjoy the Flavors of the Season without the Scare
But fear not, as there are numerous ways to savor the season’s sweetness without compromising your well-being.
With mindful choices and a few smart adjustments, it’s possible to enjoy the flavors of the holidays while keeping your blood sugar in check.
Below, we uncover some insightful tips that will allow you to revel in the joy of seasonal delicacies without worry or guilt.
How to satisfy a sweet tooth without sugar spike scares
The traditional Filipino holiday table is often sweet and sugar-filled. Instead of avoiding festivities to fight sugar cravings, there are many ways to satisfy your taste buds without added sugar.
But is it possible to enjoy a sweet treat and make it a healthy snack at the same time? The short answer is yes. You do not need to stop when you crave sweets altogether.
Here are some ways to enjoy food and prevent blood sugar spikes this holiday season.
Skip the traditional Filipino pasta.
The traditional Filipino pasta often tastes sweet, may it be spaghetti or carbonara. However, these foods contain too much carbohydrates and added sugar.
Go for Pasta Recipes that use Natural Ingredients
For this holiday season, you can try authentic Italian recipes that use less processed ingredients. This means skipping the usual sweet sauce and certainly no added sugars.
Use olive oil instead and use vegetables like bell peppers and other whole grains ingredients. It is not just a delicious way to prevent cravings, but also good for weight loss.
To make sure you are not consuming something you should not be eating, make your sauces from scratch so you know what goes in them. However, it is not all in the sauce.
Since the common pasta is high in carbohydrates, you may opt for whole wheat, fortified, and other gluten-free ones for your dishes.
Reinvent your dessert salad recipes.
Filipinos are fond of sugary foods for dessert, especially during the holiday season. Our variations of dessert salads are a testament to that.
For people who need to watch their sugar intake, the staple buko pandan, fruit salad, and sweet macaroni salad are out of the question.
Instead of these sweet and creamy treats, try a more basic salad with fresh fruit slices or a variety of your favorite dried fruit. You can go for a mix of strawberries, grapes, kiwis, and other tropical fruits.
There are a lot of greens that you can use for your salad and mixing them will provide added nutrients. There is the classic Romain lettuce, the Butterhead, and Bok choy (which literally means white vegetables in Chinese).
One of the primary reasons what salad is great for your health is that it’s usually built on a nutritious base of leafy greens which belong to the top tier source of dietary nitrates and compounds that takes care of your heart health.
Let’s take a look at the top 6 Leafy Greens that must be part of your daily diet and easily accessed in groceries and supermarkets:
Kale
Contains Vitamins, Phytonutrients, and Calcium and excellent for the heart, lungs, and kidneys. It is delicious whether raw or cooked and can even be baked into “chips”.
Spinach
Has Vitamins, Iron, and Folate. It is not just a great salad base but can easily be incorporated into so many dishes without its taste taking over, flavor wise. It can be used as a sandwich garnishing, stirred into an omelet for a healthy breakfast, or simply sautéed in olive oil.
Beet Greens
This humble leafy green can actually be the main source for all your daily Vitamin K need.
Watercress
Contains Vitamin C and Vitamin. Watercress can be added into your salad mix and if you like its peppery flavor, you can enjoy it as a stand alone with just a hint of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Romaine
Rich in Folate, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K, Romain’s dark green color, long leaves, and crunchy texture make it a very popular salad base. You actually only need about two cups of romaine fulfill 30 percent of your daily vitamin A, and nearly three-quarters of your vitamin K.
Lettuce
Gives you almost all your daily Vitamin A need. Whether Red or Green, leaf lettuce has a mild taste so it works well with kids and picky eaters. More than its nutritional value, its colors gives your salad bowl and plate that cheerful color which makes it enticing and friendlier to eat.
Choose Citric Salad Dressing over Creamy Dressing
For the dressing, go for lime or orange juices. You may also add honey, but only in moderation. The most important thing is to skip the sweet cream and other sugary additions.
If you are not a fan of lukewarm salads, you may also put them in the freezer and enjoy a healthy, frozen fruit salad to add to the holiday table.
Stop sugar cravings with healthier cakes.
Craving chocolate? Nut butter, perhaps? Whether it is to celebrate a birthday, a promotion, or the holidays, anything that taste sweet like cakes are almost always present at the Filipino dining table.
While a blueberry cheesecake or your regular chocolate cake sounds like a delicious treat for your sweet craving, it simply has too much sugar to risk indulging in.
However, there is no need to completely let go of the joy of relishing a moist, flavorful cake altogether.
Creativity will go a long way
With a bit of creativity and the use of smarter ingredients, you can whip up cakes that not only satisfy your taste buds but also keep your blood sugar levels in check.
Simply switching to low-sugar or sugar-free recipes and incorporating wholesome, nutrient-rich substitutes can make all the difference. Do less sugar and opt for simple sugars.
Incorporate whole foods, other fruit and ingredients like chia seeds. Keep in mind that to stay healthy, you need to eat healthy. Foods that lower blood sugar include leafy greens, berries, nuts, whole grains, beans, and fatty fish like salmon.
Consider exploring the world of diabetic-friendly cake options, such as incorporating natural sweeteners like stevia or using whole-grain flour for added fiber and improved glycemic control.
Switch your regular chocolate with dark chocolate.
Since the holidays are a time to relax and unwind, it is often precisely during these moments that the temptation to give in to your sugar craving hits the strongest.
There’s something irreplaceably comforting about wrapping your hands around a warm cup of chocolate brimming with marshmallows and nuts on a chilly winter evening, especially during festive celebrations.
When making your favorite holiday desserts or seeking a cozy drink to accompany your seasonal gatherings, the urge to satisfy that innate craving for sweetness might feel overwhelming.
Instead of succumbing to artificial sweeteners or overly sugary options, consider a simple yet effective swap that doesn’t compromise on taste: opt for dark chocolate.
Benefits of dark chocolate
Dark chocolate not only offers a rich, decadent flavor but is also a healthier alternative compared to traditional hot cocoa mixes or sugary concoctions.
With its lower sugar content and potential health benefits, dark chocolate can satiate your desire for sweetness without causing a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.
Embrace the deep, velvety notes of dark chocolate this holiday season and relish the festive spirit without any unnecessary worries.
Go for more sweet vegetables.
If you find yourself yearning to satisfy your sweet tooth, go for the more sweet vegetables as a delightful alternative.
Potatoes take centerstage
Among the many options available, sweet potatoes take center stage as a versatile and naturally sweet vegetable that can easily be incorporated into various dishes.
Their natural sweetness makes them a perfect candidate for creating guilt-free yet satisfying treats during the holiday season.
Aside from sweet potatoes, there are other sweet vegetables that can satisfy your food craving and that you can turn into delectable health-conscious desserts.
Open yourself to a whole new world of healthy flavors
Experiment with carrots, beets, and squash and discover a whole new world of flavors. This way, you can cater to your sweet cravings without causing a spike in blood sugar levels.
Whether roasted, pureed, or incorporated into baked goods, these sweet vegetables offer a wealth of nutrients.
More importantly, they are natural, comforting sweetness that can make your holiday treats both delightful and nourishing.
Avoid the sugar-laded breakfast
Moreover, give up sugar-laden breakfast items like breakfast cereals, pancakes with syrup and nut butter spread and instead eat or serve a breakfast menu with beneficial bacteria like yoghurt.
You can even spike this with a bit of trail mix to reduce cravings for a sweet breakfast.
Try new sweet snacks.
When you experience sugar cravings, the fastest and easiest way to go is pick on processed foods, eat junk food, and sugary snacks for your quick sweet fix. Sadly, this is also the unhealthiest.
Consider reaching for alternatives that can satisfy your craving for sweets minus the surge in your blood sugar levels.
Dried fruits
Dried fruits, for instance, present a naturally sweet and flavorsome option that can serve as a wholesome substitute for traditional candies.
The concentrated natural sugars in dried fruits provide a satisfyingly sweet flavor that can help curb your craving for sugar while offering essential nutrients and dietary fiber.
Sugar free gum and candies
If chewing is part of your snacking ritual, opting for sugar free chewing gum can be another effective way to combat the desire for sugary treats.
Not only does it provide a taste of sweetness, but sugar free gum can also help distract your mind from craving sugar-packed candies.
Fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks
Additionally, choosing to snack on fresh fruits can provide a similar sweet satisfaction, especially when opting for naturally sweet varieties such as berries or ripe melons.
These alternatives offer a healthier and more nourishing way to fulfill your sweet cravings, allowing you to enjoy the festive season without compromising your health goals.
Find alternatives to sugar.
Cooking is one of the activities many look forward to during the holidays. However, the excitement may be dampened at the prospect of skipping sugar in your recipes.
The good news is that you do not have to forgo cooking altogether. You still have the option of healthier alternatives that are just as tasty.
Refined sugar and healthy sweeteners
For those seeking to infuse their recipes with a sweet taste while minimizing the use of refined sugar, alternative sweeteners are healthier and flavorsome solutions.
Coconut Sugar and Maple Syrup
Consider incorporating natural substitutes such as coconut sugar or maple syrup to lend a delightful sweetness to your culinary creations.
Coconut sugar, derived from the sap of coconut palm trees, boasts a rich, caramel-like flavor profile that can seamlessly replace refined sugar in various recipes.
Similarly, the distinct, robust notes of maple syrup can bring a unique depth of sweetness to your dishes.
This makes it an excellent option for those looking to enhance their recipes without compromising on taste.
Spices are nice
To satiate more sugar cravings with less, experiment with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract. These spices impart a naturally sweet essence to your dishes without relying solely on sugar.
Overall, these flavor enhancers not only add a delightful aroma but also contribute to the overall taste profile. As a result, you also reduce the need for excessive sugar in your cooking and baking endeavors.
Why avoid sugar cravings?
Ultimately, it is always a good thing to be mindful of your sweet cravings and how much sugar goes into your body at every food intake.
This is true, especially when it comes to consuming sugar and sweet foods. There is no such thing as gradual pull back from sweets. Go cold turkey on this one and find ways to completely stop sugar cravings.
Adverse effects on over-all well-being
While indulging in the occasional treat can bring joy and satisfaction, excessive consumption of sugary delights can have adverse effects on your overall well-being.
High sugar intake has been linked to various health concerns.
This includes weight gain, chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and even potential impacts on mental health.
However, food is not your enemy. At their core, they are nutrition that contains the healthy fats, calories, and other components that our bodies need to function properly.
Finding the right balance
The key is finding the right balance so that you can satisfy your cravings while ensuring that your overall dietary habits promote your well-being.
Be mindful when you crave sugar and opt for healthier alternatives that can help you manage your sweet cravings without compromising your health.
Make conscious choices and be aware of the impact of excessive sugar consumption.
This way, you can maintain a harmonious relationship with food and enjoy the holiday season without constantly having to calculate the sugar content of every bite.
Take better care of your health at home.
Be mindful and take care of your heart health on the upcoming holidays and even on regular days. Eat responsibly to stay healthy.
Doing so means you prevent blood sugar spikes and other diseases related to sugar cravings and intake.
Serving the right kind of food, especially during festivities, is about choosing to stay healthy – for you and your loved ones.
Live in a community where you have access to amenities that promote an active lifestyle and put you close to establishments that provide endless healthy alternatives.
See how Camella does this for its residents.
Check out our House and Lot for Sale Properties
Discover our house and lot for sale properties in the Philippines
