Tips for Busy Women: How to Satisfy Sugar Cravings #SweetnessToGo

Have you ever been so busy, yet all you can think of is eating something sweet? This could apply to any woman with a sugar craving, but for those that work full-time or are always on the go you have to do some extra planning to manage these cravings. It isn’t enough to just pack a lunch these days. Breakfast and snacks often need to be considered too. 

Food cravings usually arrive to satisfy some emotional needs such as reducing anxiety, stress or depression. What is one of the most common things we crave when stress hits? Sugar!

Chocolate, ice cream, donuts, cookies, candy…ever crave any of those during busy, stressful times? It’s hard to resist those instant feel-good foods, but long term they aren’t what our body needs. When we crave those types of foods we are typically craving not only sugar, but fat too.

When you are at work or in a hurry, the easiest and most accessible sweets come from the vending machine or office candy jar. Planning is key to avoid these pit-falls.

7 tips for food cravings:

1. Have some lower-calorie snack alternatives. It might be more fun to eat a donut at the workplace for instant satisfaction, but it will likely cause a afternoon sugar crash and possibly weight gain. Here are better options:

• A handful of chocolate almonds: Not only are nuts good for you, they will also satisfy the need for fat, by providing heart-healthy unsaturated fats. The cocoa powder which gives them their chocolatey flavor doesn’t offer any additional sugar or fat itself.
• Fruit, Nut and/or Cereal Bars such as Luna, Kind or Lara Bars: some do have a little more sugar than others so check the labels but they definitely satisfy a sweet craving. Flavors often sound like a fresh baked pie or cookie.
• Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls: an easy make-ahead treat the whole family will love.
• Homemade Coconut Granola Bars: make and freeze in individual portions and you will always have a sweet treat ready to go.
• Apples dipped in vanilla yogurt- easy and portable.
• Dried fruit is sweet and offers some vitamins and fiber.
• Make “to-go” trail mix baggies of cereal, dried fruit and nuts.

2. Out of sight out of mind. If you know the break room is where all the junk food is, make sure to avoid it. Instead during your break, go outside for some fresh air, climb the stairs in the building or talk to a friend.

3. Eat a well-balanced breakfast. You might not be hungry when it’s time to eat breakfast at home, but be sure to pack something for the commute or to eat in the office. Some healthy but hearty breakfast options (all can be made ahead and packed to be eaten later):

• Breakfast burrito with whole wheat tortilla, eggs, beans and salsa: these are filling and delicious and can also be made in advance.
• Oatmeal with berries and a little brown sugar or honey: you can use a flavored almond, coconut or soy milk for added sweetness.
• English muffin with flavored nut butter: the marketplace has a variety of sweet flavors of nut butters: maple almond butter, chocolate peanut butter, cinnamon peanut butter to name a few- just check the peanut butter isle of your local store.
• Frozen berries with yogurt. Pack them in a tupperware and eat them just as they are almost defrosted. Instant sweetness at very little calories.
• Banana with nut butter of choice. Just pack your nut butter (almond, peanut or sunflower) in a little tupperware container. They even sell individual packs of certain flavors! 

4. Stay well-hydrated. We often mistake hunger for thirst. Chug that water and when you are still craving something sweet try the portable Nevella To Go sweeteners to avoid adding sugar to your beverages.

5. Eat foods with a natural sweetness to them. Examples are sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bananas and watermelon.

6. Pack your lunch and snacks. We often have sugarings when we are just hungry. If we have healthy food with us we can avoid making poor decisions. This takes planning ahead and a little effort but it is so worth it for your health, weight and well-being.

7. If you give into your cravings don’t let your diet fall by the wayside. You can pick back up with your healthy eatings at the very next meal.

First image courtesy of Grant Cochrane @ http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

This post is sponsored by Nevella To Go. A sweetener that fit perfectly in your purse or pocket, comes in stevia, monk fruit, and sucralose varieties, and best of all, they’re calorie, carbohydrate, and guilt free! Click here to get your $1 off coupon! How do you grab your sweetness on the go?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nevella. The opinions and text are all mine.