I typically crave a sweet after dinner. Brushing my teeth and having a cup of tea seem to help. And if I still crave a sweet, I have a piece of fruit. I also try not to keep any desserts in the house to tempt me.

I'm not sure how this falls into clean eating, but I'm all for a piece of dark chocolate. The darker the better. For me, since the chocolate flavor is so strong, it takes less to be satisfied with it. So one or two pieces is all I need. Also, really dark chocolate like 75-85% is going to be lower in sugar.
If you can't fit the calories or sugars in for a small piece of chocolate, then herbal tea is another of my go to's if I'm having the "something sweet" craving. They even make a chocolate flavored tea for the chocolate lovers out there!
And of all things, sugar-free gum. It gives my mouth something sweet to chew on, but isn't enough calories to be reportable.

I joined 6 days ago and I'm in the process of reducing my sugars. I'm not really big into sweets, or so I thought until I started tracking them! Every time I want a sweet, I drink a huge glass of water. If I still want it, I check my food diary. It's usually enough to knock the idea out of my head. I go for a handful of cashews & unsweetened dried cranberries. I know if I can get through 10 days then the cravings will drop! Good luck!

I am a Type II diabetic but still craved (and ate) sugar. It seemed hopeless, but after 2 weeks of not eating anything with added (white/refined) sugar, I also lost the insatiable cravings for it. I don't eat anything now with added sugar. When I do get an occasional itch for sweets, I'll eat fruit as well and the natural sugar does the trick for me. Those first 2 weeks were hard. I had severe withdrawal headaches, but push through it. It does go away as well as the cravings. Hope this helps.

I am a lover of sweets as well, I started the 1st of this month clean eating and it's been a journey. When I get cravings for sweets, I eat apples with almond butter no extra sugar or salt added. This holds me over. Or I munch on sunflower seeds. Even though that's not sweet it keeps me chewing something. For me it's all about tricking your mind because cravings is a mind thing.

Hi, Im new to the group...Wow some of you guys stories are insightful, I hope too to kick this sugar crave myself and beat all the odds of going over board. Its definitely a challenge, pray for me lol, thanks so much guys

I am pre-diabetic with elevated triglycerides from too many carbs, sugar, and possibly artificial sweeteners, I am finding out. 2 wks ago, I stopped using sugar, sweeteners, and specific foods that trigger compulsive overeating. I actually had no ill effects, and the awful craving for empty calories has taken a hike somewhere. Its too early to celebrate, but logging in my food, water, and exercise helps me stay undeceived by foods that harm my body, and I like the diary components, too. Recently, I found a person who listens to me without judgement (how rare is that?), and our talking together is making me strong enough to choose foods that help heal, rather than hurt me.

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I always crave sweets after dinner and in the afternoon. The thing that works for me is, as suggested above, to have a piece of fruit. But many times this doesn't satisfy me so I often pair it with either cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, or nut butter. At night I will make a protein smoothie with fruit and a scoop of protein powder. It's a nice listtle treat that stays with you and feels good.

I love sweets. I'm always on the chocolate crave, and it's hard when the front desk always brings baked goods right at my prime craving time! I've made some really yummy date-based treats that are delicious and fulfill my need for something indulgent. They're still a dessert but I've cut the portion I make them to 1/3 of the actual serving size so I feel like I'm getting more (I like snacking). Here's the recipe I've modified from the existing one:
Ingredients
· 1 cup pitted medjool datesabout 10

· 1/2 cup raw almonds (can do up to 1 cup)

· 2 tablespoons nut butter (I used unsalted Almond Butter)

· 1 tablespoons maple syrup (can do up to 2 tbsps)

· 1 tablespoon coconut oil

· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)

· 1 cup quinoa crisps (I just did ½ cup. You can crisp your own or try to find puffed & crisped quinoa)

· 1/2 cup cacao chips

Instructions
1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the dates and nutss. Process until they resemble a coarse sand.
2. Add nut butter, syrup, oil and cocoa powder and process until a dough forms. If the dough does not come together, add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
3. Pulse in the quinoa crisps and chocolate chips.
4. Scoop the “dough” up with a tablespoon and placae on some parchment paper (I put mine in a Tupperware and used the parchment between layers). Freeze for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy.
5. Keep in a covered container in the freezer for best results, but they will also keep in the fridge.

Crispy quinoa:
Cook quinoa normally, maybe with a bit less water. Once cooked, turn on your oven’s broiler, spread quinoa on a sheet pan and toast for 4 minutes. Take the quinoa out and stir it before putting back in to toast for another 3. Quinoa should be toasty brown and not burnt.

My solution have been to start eating sweet fruits/berries, and as my palate have adjusted I've gone less and less sweet.

Right now I'm working on getting my protein intake up, so I have a bowl of cottage cheese with a bit of preserve for desert. Sweet, but not candy sweet.