Dealing with your sweet-tooth ....

A few weeks back, when we were discussing the importance of drinking lots of water, it was suggested that drinking a large glass of water could help you get past a time when you were tempted to binge on sweets or some other unhealthy snack. Well, sometimes water just doesn't make the cut. This next series is going to discuss some healthy ways that you can satisfy your longing for something sweet.

The World Health Organization put out an obesity alert that suggests that we limit our intake of "added sugar" to 10% of our total calories. Since most of us don't eat granulated sugar by the tablespoonful, we need to be aware of just where we need to watch for sugar to rear its ugly head.

Sugar can be found in many processed foods, sauces, soups, condiments, beverages and just about anything you consume. The problem is that many times the product you purchase doesn't have a flashing neon sign that says "SUGAR IN HERE!" You need to be a bit of a detective and check the ingredients for sugar.

Sugar is stealthy and operates under a number of different aliases. Watch for sugar to appear in the form of:

- raw sugar, cane sugar, white sugar
- corn syrup, high fructose variety or plain
- molasses or honey

To gauge how much of an issue this sugar problem has become, contemplate this... In 1980 the average American consumed approximately 123 pounds of sugar each year. As of 1999, this number increased to 158 pounds per person! That's nearly a 30% increase over a 20 year period.

Here are a couple ways the experts at the American Dietetic Association recommend getting some extra sweetness without picking up a bunch of extra pounds.

This tip is found in the book titled 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association (Wiley 2004), Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS.

"Have a sweet tooth? Nibble a sweet potato!

Think about this. One-half cup of sweet potatoes delivers more beta-carotene (antioxidant) than 12 cups of broccoli. Sweet potatoes also supply vitamin E, another antioxidant, and potassium, too. Raw sweet potatoes make an easy low-calorie, nearly fat-free snack. They deliver fiber, even more than with the peel on. Sweet potatoes give a no-sugar-added sweetness to a meal, and cooking makes them sweeter yet.

Sometime this week, do this with sweet potatoes:

- Blend cooked and chilled sweet potatoes in breakfast smoothies.
(Quick tip: Use canned sweet potato puree.)

- Cut them in strips for oven-baked fries.

- Substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes or apples in recipes."

Another great source of sweetness without guilt can be fruit juice. It comes in dozens of delectable flavors and combinations, but beware... all fruit juice is not created equally! Check the labels and purchase only juice that contains "100% Fruit Juice". Fruit that is used for juice can ripen well beyond the point that it's store-bought whole fruit brothers and sisters can ripen. You can get all of the sweetness you desire, without any added sugar.

Next week we'll continue to discuss some ways that we can add "no added sugar" sweetness to our menus!

References:
http://www.eatright.org American Dietetic Association

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