You’ve been training hard, staying on top of your routine, eating healthy, and doing everything you can to make progress towards your goals. Treating yourself to something sweet after you’ve been working hard is a great way to reward yourself and satisfy that sweet tooth. The key to treating ourselves is to do so in moderation and stick to quality over quantity. There are some desserts that are great for satisfying cravings, while there are others that can throw off all the hard work you’ve already put into your training. F45 Sport Nutritionist Kim Bowman has some healthy recipes that will satisfy sugar lovers and cut cravings, all while keeping you on track with your long-term health goals!
Why do we get sugar cravings?
The problem with refined sugar found in many store-bought cookies, cakes, and pastries is that it contains no real nutrition and can instead induce further cravings for sugar or processed foods. This occurs because sugar spikes both our blood sugar for energy and increases the hormone serotonin, which makes us feel happy temporarily. Once blood sugars start to decrease again, we tend to crave these sugary foods and their comforting feeling soon after consuming them.
How can I enjoy desserts and still stay on track with my goals?
The key to enjoying desserts and treats is to aim for those that are low in sugar or that contain only natural forms of sugar. This doesn’t mean artificial sweeteners, but instead unrefined, unprocessed ingredients like fruit, dates, and honey (‘nature’s sugar’). These sweets will not induce the same peak in blood sugar that most store-bought or restaurant treats do, and can be incorporated as part of a healthy eating routine. The best desserts contain fiber, protein, and healthy fats to keep blood sugars stable and avoid the blood sugar hormonal cascade that comes from consuming large amounts of refined sugar at once.
Here’s 3 of our top F45 Challenge desserts to keep you on track:
Choco Berry Yogurt Jar Recipe
Fresh raspberries, plain Greek yogurt, and our favorite F45 Chocolate Fuel make the ultimate dessert that’s rich in both quality protein and fat. Be sure to purchase an unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt to avoid added sugar. If you need a little extra touch of sweetness, you can top it with a small drizzle of honey or organic maple syrup.
Chocolate Banana Cookies Recipe
These homemade, low-sugar chocolate banana cookies can easily be whipped up on the weekend to have throughout the week. The combination of fiber and healthy fats from the rolled oats and natural peanut butter makes them a go-to option for stabilizing blood sugars. Banana is one of the best natural sweeteners to enhance the flavor of a dessert without adding any unnecessary sugar.
Chocolate PB Protein Pudding Recipe
This creamy chocolate pudding has only 2g of sugar, making it the perfect swap for ice cream without the added calories and processing! Coconut yogurt gives this pudding its creamy texture and healthy fats, while chia seeds add a boost of fiber to satisfy cravings while still keeping you on track. Add a scoop of our F45 Vegan Chocolate Fuel for some additional protein, plus a spoonful of unsweetened nut butter (peanut or almond) for a dose of healthy fats.
