If whole fruits, grains, legumes, potatoes, etc., in addition to calories, carry a lot of substances useful for the body, such as an abundance of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, then in processed, crushed and purified form they lose all their benefits and turn into empty calories. , which are also almost perfectly absorbed.
Refined carbohydrates are very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing dangerous jumps in sugar and insulin levels in it, leading to the accumulation of fat. The most common chronic metabolic diseases of Western civilization are literally “attached” to these types of carbohydrates, so it makes sense to keep their consumption to a minimum.
What can replace store-bought ice cream, cakes, fruit juices, sweets, sweet yogurts and soda without harm to health, if you still want something sweet?
We have already told you how to prepare light desserts without sugar at home on your own, today we will talk about those sweets that can even be called “healthy” – they are tasty and will cause minimal harm to the figure even if consumed daily – naturally, in moderation!
Fruits and berries
Berries, fruits and sweet vegetables can be called sweet but healthy food. Yes, it also contains sugars, but in addition to them – an abundance of fiber (coarse fibers), valuable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. Naturally, we are talking about fresh or frozen without sugar, and not processed in any form.
Studies show that people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
In addition, it is difficult to “overdo it” with them, while with sweets it is easier than ever. Relatively speaking, one piece of cheesecake is comparable in calories to a kilogram of raspberries or plums – you must admit, few people are able to eat 1 kg of berries in one sitting, while a piece of cake with tea “leaves” completely unnoticed, or even more than once a day.
As for the amount of fresh fruits and berries (depending on their sweetness), which can be consumed without harm and even with health benefits per day, this is about 200-300 g.
The most high-calorie fruits are bananas, grapes and mangoes – for those who are, for example, on the way to losing weight, it is advisable to limit their use, or even temporarily eliminate them altogether.
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Honey – flower nectar processed by bees – is another useful natural sweet. In addition to carbohydrates (glucose + fructose) and water, honey contains vitamins: B2, B6, PP, C, H, E, K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, important macro- and microelements: calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, sulfur, iodine, chlorine, phosphorus, manganese, copper, zinc and others.
In addition to its nutritional and taste benefits, honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties – it contains substances that prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria. It is often used in the treatment of wounds and burns, and is also a natural sleeping pill, which has a calming effect on the body, and is able to speed up metabolism.
The calorie content of honey is about 300 kcal per 100 g. It is recommended to eat no more than 2 tbsp per day. this delicacy – as a sugar substitute or as a separate dessert. It is important to remember that you should not use honey with hot tea or milk – at such a high temperature, it loses all its beneficial properties.
Black (bitter) chocolate
Black chocolate, unlike its “brothers” dark, milk and white, has a bitter spicy taste and aroma, because. contains a minimum of sugar and a maximum of cocoa.
Why is it useful? Chocolate, and more specifically, cocoa beans, are high in anti-aging antioxidant flavonoids, which fight free radicals and prevent the appearance of age and expression lines, as well as prevent skin discoloration. In addition to flavonoids, it contains healthy microelements (for example, magnesium and fluorine), organic acids, and valuable fats. In addition, chocolate is a well-known antidepressant and even helps boost immunity.
Of course, chocolate should be natural and of high quality, without substitutes for cocoa butter and sugar in the composition and without sweet filling.
The calorie content of dark chocolate is about 400-500 kcal per 100 g. The optimal amount of chocolate is 20-30 g per day. most chocolate bars have a known weight and a standard rectangular shape divided into small squares.
Marshmallow
All these sweets are made on the basis of fruit and berry purees, sugar and a thickener/stabilizer (pectin, agar-agar, gelatin). The recipe for marshmallows and some types of marshmallow also contains egg whites, and sometimes sugar can be replaced with honey.
All these delicacies, in the absence of additional artificial sweeteners, colors, emulsifiers, flavors and sugar sprinkles, are also quite suitable for the category of rather healthy sweets.
You already imagine the benefits of fruit and berry purees, and as a thickener it is better to choose sweets on pectin, which is very useful – it optimizes metabolism, normalizes the digestive tract, removes salts of heavy metals and even reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol.
The calorie content of such products averages about 220-320 kcal per 100 g, it is recommended to eat them no more than 30-50 g per day. This, for example, is one marshmallow.
In addition, you can cook variations of marshmallows, marshmallows and marmalade at home by choosing your favorite fruits and berries and adjusting the sugar content to your liking (sometimes you can do without it at all!).
