Human brains are wired to crave sweet foods. Unfortunately, foods high in sugar don’t tend to be nutritious or beneficial for our health. This doesn’t mean you need to suppress your urges. In fact, doing so can actually make your cravings even stronger. There are so many healthy dessert products on the market these days, you just need to know where to look. Read below to find out why humans love sweet treats and how to honour your cravings the healthy way.
Why We Like Sweet Foods
Sugar cravings are very normal. Approximately 97% of women and 68% of men experience them regularly. The reason for this is partly because we live in a society where tempting food is everywhere and also because of how our brains are wired. When we eat sweet things, our bodies produce chemicals that make us feel good. We have a biological preference for high calorie, sugary foods because back in the day, human survival relied on our ability to find energy. If we didn’t experience a positive response after eating, we wouldn’t feel motivated to keep finding food. Foods that taste sweet also tend to be good sources of energy. This is why we evolved to specifically seek them out. This biological preference for sugar used to be an evolutionary advantage but in today’s society where food is plentiful, this adaptation no longer serves us.
Don’t Suppress Your Cravings
Sweet cravings are perfectly natural so there is no need to feel guilty for having them. Suppressing those sweet urges might seem like a good idea but doing so could actually make the situation worse. Studies show that depriving yourself of the foods you want can increase the intensity of the craving. However this doesn’t mean you should give yourself full permission to demolish all the chocolate bars you can find. Instead, find a snack that tastes good but also provides you with sustenance. The issue with most sweet treats is that they provide a lot of empty calories and have no nutritional benefits. Food should nourish us rather than spike our blood sugar to ridiculously high levels. Luckily food science has come a long way in recent years. There are now plenty of high protein, low sugar desserts that are just as tasty and cheap as the calorie dense alternative.
Mug Cakes
NZProtein mug cakes are one of our most popular products. Each sachet contains a whopping 30g of protein for only 232 calories. This matters because protein helps you feel full and is essential for fat loss and muscle growth. NZProtein mug cakes also contain collagen which will help improve the health of your hair, skin and joints. Most importantly, it tastes like a decadent chocolate cake. All you need to do is empty the sachet contents into a mug, add water and microwave for 60 seconds. You can enjoy it by itself or with a squirt of whipped cream on top for extra decadence. These are especially tasty on a cold winter’s night and can easily satisfy even the strongest of chocolate cravings.
Ice Cream
Ice cream is the ultimate summer treat. Unfortunately most standard ice cream products give you a postprandial bellyache. NZProtein’s version tastes just like the real thing but without the negative side effects. Ours come in four different flavours and we even have a vegan option for those who follow a plant-based diet. NZProtein ice cream mixes are super easy to prepare. Just add a ¼ cup of water, blend and freeze. In a couple of hours you’ll have a smooth ice cream that contains over 20g of protein. The sachets are both sugar free and cheap so they won’t harm your belly or your bank account. They already come with tasty mixins but you are more than welcome to add extra toppings like fruit or sugar free sauce. Make sure to prepare a few and keep in the freezer for those days when your ice cream cravings are too strong to resist.
Pancakes
So many companies offer a protein pancake product these days. We might be biassed but we think NZProtein’s is the best because it’s economical, macro friendly, delicious, has minimal ingredients and bakes perfectly every time. Ours is made from oats, casein, coconut flour, egg white protein powder and very little else. One decent sized pancake contains a mere 90 calories but packs in a whopping 10g of protein. The casein protein in the mix gets released throughout your body slowly so you will feel full for hours after eating. The pancakes can be chilled, frozen or even baked into different treats like muffins. Unlike other mixes which require you to provide your own eggs and other ingredients, NZProtein pancakes only require you to add water. It couldn’t be any simpler. The hardest part is deciding what you’re going to put on top.
Jelly
These days you can enjoy jiggly desserts without being a jiggly person. NZProtein jelly is one of our more recent inventions. It’s a great source of collagen and each packet will only set you back a mere 93 calories. With 21.7g of protein per serve, it’s the perfect dessert for those who want something both filling and sweet. Although there are some sugar free jelly products available at the supermarket, they are nowhere near as high in protein or as delicious as ours. NZProtein convenient jelly sachets are economical and come in four mouth watering flavours. You can demolish the entire dessert guilt free and actually feel satisfied after eating. The only thing you will regret is not buying more.
Chocolate Mousse
It doesn’t matter if you’re plant based or omnivorous, anyone can enjoy NZProtein chocolate mousse. All you need to do is beat it up with water or milk, then let it sit in the fridge. Voila. One of the easiest protein desserts you’ll ever make. Both the regular and plant-based versions are around 200 calories each and contain over 20g of protein. What makes them even better is the very low sugar content. Regardless of which version you get, both contain less than 3g of sugar per serve. If you blind tasted this product, you’d never know it wasn’t the standard chocolate mousse from a dessert shop. The biggest difference is that NZProtein’s one doesn’t come with all of those empty calories. Switch your regular mousse for NZProtein mousse and those clothes will be starting to feel loose.
Our Famous Protein Mallows
NZProtein marshmallows are one of our most popular products. They taste and look just like any other marshmallow but come with actual health benefits. Per serving they are 115 calories and have over 11g of protein. No one else makes marshmallows as macro friendly as these. The only downside is that it is almost impossible to not eat the whole bag in one go. They are dangerously addictive. We spent countless hours reworking the formula to ensure they are as soft and sweet as possible. These little protein pillows are so tasty, it almost seems too good to be true. If you feel like getting creative in the kitchen, try out some of our baking recipes or even add them to your hot beverages. Once you try a protein mallow, you’ll never touch a regular one ever again.
Conclusion
Life is too short to not have dessert. Lucky for you, we live in an age where there are a plethora of healthy alternatives to your favourite sugar laden treats. Why bother eating junk that makes you feel ill when there are more nutritious options that are equally as yum? The treats referred to above taste just like the real thing so you won’t feel restricted or deprived. Try some of these products and let us know what you think! We at NZProtein love your feedback and are always looking to introduce more delicious protein treats.
Written by Lauren Carruthers