Benefits to Enjoying Sweets in Moderation

Sweets are high in sugar and have other less-healthy ingredients, but eating sweet foods and treats in moderation can actually be good for you—and needed as an indulgence in part of a wholesome, clean diet. Why? Well, it keeps you sane! And your body craves sweet sensations, so it deserves that satisfaction.

Yet, you can choose your sweets wisely by picking fruit when possible, as fruit contains natural sugar, rather than added or artificial sweeteners for a healthier option that is also packed with fiber to fill you up and improve your gut health.

And if you want something more decadent, like cookies, peanut butter cups, brownies and more, you can also go with ones that use healthier ingredients (think: black beans or beets in brownies or erythritol or stevia as a sweetener in cookies) or even options that are high in nutrients, like protein, to fuel your body while also settling that sweet tooth.

Quest Protein Cookies and Peanut Butter Cups are two excellent picks, as both have few net carbs and sugar but contain protein to benefit muscle growth when working out and also helps keep appetite at bay.

Here are a few benefits to noshing on those sweet snacks and desserts now and again as a way to make them part of your regular diet.

It Prevents The Deprivation and Binge Cycle

If your body feels deprived of sweet foods, you might feel the urge to overeat or binge on sweet foods later on. If you’re craving a cookie, and you keep resisting the temptation to eat it, then you may end up eating the whole box of cookies later on.

Plus, this can make it harder to get back on track with a clean diet, too—hence the cycle. Instead, let yourself have the cookie, but then maybe ditch the glass of wine with dinner. Make compromises to keep things in moderation – keeping a log can help with this if you have trouble remembering what you had earlier in the day.

You Can Make Them Healthy!

Sweets and desserts don’t have to be lacking in nutrition or high in bad fats and sugars and carbs. In fact, you can find protein cookies and PB cups, as well as make your own baked goods at home that use better sweeteners, like stevia and erythritol, which don’t spike blood sugar.

And you can even add veggies—put zucchini in brownies! This way you’re getting your sweet fix and some good nutrition that will better your body and keep hunger away. Or simply make chocolate dipped fruit skewers, using dark chocolate for more heart healthy antioxidants and less sugar than milk chocolate.

It Means No Food is Off Limits

Sweets can signify celebrations and happiness, so eating them can make dining more social and fun, too. Plus, if you let yourself eat sweets it shows that no foods are off limits, and that food is delicious and welcoming, which in turn creates a good, healthy way of viewing food and body image.

This can make eating healthy foods in addition to those treats easy, and you will be able to better monitor portion sizes and keep those baked goods in moderation.