The Top 5 Healthy Plant Based Snacks to Satiate Your Sweet Tooth

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ugar is sugar - but why not have the healthiest sugar possible from whole food sources and not the over processed empty calorie white stuff? Whole foods will give your body energy - and that's better than eating foods that steal your energy and result in a sugar crash. Get out your pen and paper, and take note of these 5 foods to curtail those sweet cravings.

The 5 best foods you can eat to curb your sweet tooth (and why)!

1. Celery with almond butter

Nut allergy alternative: Replace the almond butter with seed (hemp, pumpkin, sunflower) butter.

Celery is an excellent source of Vitamin C and fiber and a good source of sodium - but don’t worry about getting too much sodium from celery, the sodium is off set by the high amounts of potassium in it. Celery has the phytochemical compound coumarin, which is responsible for toning the vascular system, lowering blood pressure, cancer prevention and is useful for treating migraines. You can also juice celery to relieve headaches.

Almonds are high in monounsaturated fat this lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol. They are also high in the minerals Magnesium and Potassium and are high in Vitamin E, which lowers the risk of heart disease. When the skin is eaten with the meat of the nut, this more than doubles the antioxidant power of the food.  You can also add almonds to a high glycemic index (GI) meal and it will lower the overall GI. Make sure you eat them raw and unheated; as commercially roasted nuts are a form of deep-frying and compromise the amount of nutrition you get from the food.

2. Dates

These are a great grab and go snack! Dates are really high in both soluble and insoluble fibre and are an excellent source of potassium. The beta D glucan fibre slows the release of sugar & cholesterol into the bloodstream. As dates are heavily sprayed, make sure you eat these organic. You can also use dates as a sweetener by soaking in water and adding to your smoothies or dessert.

3. Apples dusted with cinnamon

This was my go to snack when I was getting started and trying to get off of sugar. Of all varieties of apples, green apples have the lowest sugar content.  The skin of the apple has the most important nutrients - Vitamin C, potassium and fiber. When compared to other fruits and vegetables apples are connected to cut risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma and type 2 diabetes. There is truth in the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”!

Cinnamon keeps you fuller for longer by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties. It is anti-microbial and aids in stopping the growth of bacteria including Candida. Cinnamon is an excellent source of fiber, manganese and is a very good source of calcium.  Less than half a teaspoon will normalize the blood sugar level in those with type 2 Diabetes by stimulating insulin receptors & inhibiting the enzyme that deactivates them.

4. Pineapple

Pineapple is great for immune system support. You can get 131% of the daily value of Vitamin C in only one cup. It is also a good source of thiamin (Vitamin B1), which is essential for energy production. It is the only food that has bromelain, an enzyme that helps with digestion, excessive inflammation, coagulation of the blood & certain types of cancer growth. (Breast and ovarian). By juicing the core, you will get the highest concentration of bromelain into your system.

5. Young Thai coconut

Coconut helps with glaucoma & high cholesterol by raising your HDL (good) cholesterol. 50% of the fatty acid content is lauric acid, which is only found in human breast milk. This converts into monolaurin, which is antibacterial, anti fungal, anti-viral. The fat in the coconut is a medium chain fat it gets used right away and is not stored in the body. This also helps speed metabolism. Coconuts are an excellent source of manganese, molybdenum, copper and electrolytes. The water is more balanced in sodium than Gatorade. By balancing the salt content in your body this makes it the ideal post workout drink.

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Author bio:

Audrey is the founder of Living Lotus Food & Nutrition Inc. a plant-based dessert and food education company in Vancouver, BC. Trained as a certified Whole Food Educator and raw food chef, she is passionate about Make Health Sweet and empowering people to make better food choices. She enjoys playing in the kitchen, yoga, sewing & riding her bike in the sun. Follow her on her blog at livinglotus.net/blog or Twitter @1Living_Lotus