In search of Lower carb/sugar sweet suggestions

Clementines are a great sweet. And right now it's cherry season and those are wonderfully sweet. For more of a dairy-type sweet -- a glass of milk with a capful of vanilla extract is good. A couple tablespoons of honey stirred into some plain Greek yogurt.

I found diet drinks with artificial sweeteners drove almost insurmountable sweet cravings. When I quit my Diet Coke addiction and stopped putting Sweet'n'Low in my tea and coffee, those desperate sweet cravings calmed down -- not immediately but within a week. This isn't true for everyone but it is for some of us and there's some research showing it's a true effect of artificial sweeteners for some.

Back to sweet treats: those little single serving cups of pineapple in its own juice, applesauce ...

Need to bake something sweet to serve for dessert? Try a clafouti -- very little flour and relatively little sugar for a tasty, easy dessert. It's basically a very thin batter poured over sweetened fruit and baked. There are lots of recipes online.

Ooh -- a fruit smoothie -- milk + fruit + a little honey in the blender. Freeze a banana or some blueberries and whir those with milk or milk and yogurt to get something really wonderful.

I'm sure others have lots of good ideas. No chocolate on my list because it gives me a headache. Sigh. I miss chocolate.

I agree with the artificial sweetener advice. While I still have diet soda at night I have decreased my usage a good deal. If I want iced tea I get ~80% unsweet and ~20% sweet - it gives it just enough to make it sweet but not as much as normal. I also use real sugar instead of Splenda in my coffee now. I don't feel like I am constantly wanting something sweet! I understand the "moderation" comments!

I figure I am better off with a few extra calories from real sugar and not having the cravings than eating a lot of artificially sweetened items that make me overeat even more.

I actually swear by artificially sweetened everything. Splenda is actually made from sugar, out of which the makers took everything bad. Therefore, it might not offer so many adverse effects.

Sugar-free candy is my vice!

If you really need to add a bit of sugar to your day, adjust the rest of your day so you can "afford" it.

Haha I always seem to get the impression that those "moderation" comments are just thrown in at the end of a response telling you to cut loose. The responders never know how often you've "allowed yourself a treat" so its not too useful to hear.

I usually opt for an herbal tea (peach or raspberry flavour) when I'm truly not hungry or for Mio in water.

Maybe you could consider buying those little halloween sized Smartie (M&M) packs and eat that... or buy some bulk chocolate and separate it into little packets before eating it. And then have only one with you at a time.

Fruit is always a good option And if you have to prep it, maybe dip just the tips into some melted dark chocolate it would feel like a real treat when you go to eat them later.

MMM or dip the fruit in yogurt and FREEZE them! AH that would be yummy.

I like my diet snapple. and sugar free jello and whipped cream for the ultra low carb treat.

Protein shakes made with unsweetened almond milk work well for me! or a very small package of the darkest chocolate you can find (the darker the chocolate the less sugar is in it...typically)

I really enjoy the Dole chocolate covered banana slices - 4 chunks for 100 calories. I hear they also have strawberries. It is not low carb per se (bananas with dark chocolate) but it is portion controlled and low calories and very satisfying.

My weakness is Peanut Butter, so when I found this I was in heaven: Core an apple slice into rings, spread lightly with low fat peanut butter. Sprinkle lightly with coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. You don't need a lot of any of the toppings. It is very filling. My daughter loves it too, so it's a great treat to share.

I do NOT have a sweet tooth, but there's still once in awhile where I do need something a little bit sweet that's not fruit. (For example, I'd MUCH MUCH rather have a blueberry muffin or scone than a cupcake, you know?) One of my recent faves - toast with peanut butter and honey. I do a slice of whatever sort of toast fits my day (I vary between that 35 calorie/slice bread (that's mostly air, lol) when I'm short on calories and/or need some fiber, and Trader Joe's sprouted wheat bread when I have a few more calories and/or want a bit more protein), with a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter (I like the Trader Joe's stuff because it's a little thinner, so it's easier to spread around and feel like you're getting more bang for your buck, so to speak) and tiny bit of honey (I put my toast on the food scale and weigh out 4 grams....it doesn't seem like a lot, but it's JUST enough sweetness).