how many times should I eat sweets each week on a balanced healthy diet?

For me, 100 calories a day of anything I want, no matter how healthy or unhealthy.
For me, not a sweet freak, it’s usually nuts or an extra slice of bacon, something fatty.

paperpudding wrote: »

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

Oh! When you’re having a sweet or fatty treat? Don’t do the cheap stuff. Get the highest quality chocolate you can find. Or the best, thickest cut bacon with home grown eggs (if you can find a good backyard chicken owner) Waxy chocolate is not worth the bother. But one piece of Bernard Callebaut? Definitely worth it.

I dont think that is going to be a generic thing either.

Some people will find a low calorie version of something is worth it to save calories but still get the treat .

Others will not.

and it will vary on which things for which people.

Agreed.
Tootsie Roll minis are definitely in a different class than high quality Bon Bons.

That said? I’ll have one or two tootsie roll minis most days. They hit the spot and don’t cost me too many calories.

But a Palmer brand candy meant for Easter treats for children? Me personally? Not worth the calories.

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

Oh! When you’re having a sweet or fatty treat? Don’t do the cheap stuff. Get the highest quality chocolate you can find. Or the best, thickest cut bacon with home grown eggs (if you can find a good backyard chicken owner) Waxy chocolate is not worth the bother. But one piece of Bernard Callebaut? Definitely worth it.

That's not universal. I find "Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy" (that's a mouthful) more fun to eat than any high-brow chocolate, so it's totally worth the calories as much, if not more than premium chocolate for the same calorie price. But I get what you're saying, and it's actually how I eat: if something is worth the calories, there is no reason to substitute it with something less mentally satisfying. Sometimes doing a lower calorie version of something to fit in something else is worth it, too (I would rather have mid-range ice cream + a small packet of chips than premium ice cream most of the time)

OP, you have received good answers. Yes, how much and how often depends on the types of sweets, their calorie price, and your calorie allowance. Personally, and as mentioned above, I ask myself, "would I rather have this or a larger meal/higher calorie meal/another type of snack"? That usually helps me decide if I should eat something or not that day. If you prefer a fixed structure, you could allocate a certain amount of calories a day for sweet snacks (which you can bank over a few days, if you want, for a higher calorie snack)

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

@amusedmonkey I’ll keep an eye out for those. I’m always down to try a new candy.
😉

They're truly marvelous. A bit on the sweeter side as you would expect from a commercial candy bar, but the chocolate itself is smooth and has all kinds of fun textures inside (tiny bits of M&M's-like candy shells, fruit-flavored jellies, and pop rocks). I savor it letting it melt in my mouth to get to the full experience of all the textures: melty chocolate, crunchy candy shells, chewy jellies, and tingly pop rocks. It might not be the absolute best chocolate I've ever tasted, but it's definitely the best chocolate-eating experience, at least for me.

I have eaten a candy bar, pastry, or ice cream EVERY SINGLE DAY that I've logged.

Today, I ate ice cream AND candy.

...I had more calories than usual today due to more activity than usual. I took advantage of it.

For me really the key is single serving things. I used to do like halo top or whatever low calorie sub, but at this stage of the game I've gotten portion control and myself under some kind of control so I am no longer running super low on calories so it's just... the regular thing.

Think the only low calorie subs still in my diet are sugar free maple syrup and unsweetened almond milk.

I've lost over 50kg and I doubt there's been a single day I've not eaten cake, chocolate, biscuits or some other sort of sweet treat.