Hey all you cool cats and kittens.
Most people who know me know that I have a HUGE sweet tooth. Sophomore year of college, my roommate Elaine’s friend came to visit and she so kindly pointed out, “Mackenzie is literally always eating candy” … and she’s absolutely correct. So props to Caitlin for being observant back when she barely knew me.
However, as I’ve grown and ~matured~ I have found ways to indulge my sweet tooth without finding myself knees deep in candy bars. The future dietitian in me has even found a way to make these indulgences moderately healthy. *Gasp* I want to share a few of these with you all, since I know a lot of us might find ourselves lying in bed all day surrounded by snacks during a Netflix marathon. (Yes, I am still watching, and it’s pretty rude that you ask).
I’m not going to lie, I get sick of hearing “if you’re craving something sweet, just eat a piece of fruit!”. While this is lovely in theory, it just doesn’t work that way for some of us. I did take a cue from this classic piece of advice and added a small twist by sprinkling sweetened coconut flakes on chopped up strawberries and blueberries and ate it with a spoon. Major patriotic vibes, and major satisfaction.
Today I really wanted dessert after my egg sandwich brunch with spinach, but I knew that I hadn’t eaten much today so I needed something more substantial before I began to indulge my cravings full force. So I chose to honor my sweetness craving by sprinkling some slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips onto a bowl of corn flakes with milk! It was a “dessert” full of fiber, iron, protein, and lots of B vitamins. Most importantly, it left my sweet tooth satisfied.
Why re-invent the wheel? There’s nothing like a little twist on the classic apple and peanut butter snack. One day when I felt like channeling ~fall vibes~ I diced up an apple (honeycrisp, obvi) and melted 1.5 tbsp of peanut butter in the microwave until it was runny. I then drizzled it over the apples and sprinkled in a tablespoon of sweetened coconut flakes. After tossing it together, I was ready to eat! (Note, if you’re not a coconut person, a sprinkle of brown sugar cinnamon or chocolate chips would be great too).
If I could give 19-year old Mackenzie a piece of advice, it would be “get over yourself and eat the freakin’ cookie”; so that’s what I did last night. Something I’ve learned is to pair a dessert like a cookie or brownie with a side of fiber and protein to increase my satisfaction and avoid eating the contents of the whole cookie jar. I decided to cut up and apple with 2 tbsp of peanut butter to join my cookie, and I felt perfectly satisfied after!
While I did devour a Hershey’s almond candy bar in bed the other night, it’s a much rarer occurrence now that I’ve gotten more creative. If you need me, I’ll be eating these snacks while watching the final episodes of Tiger King.
aspiring-rd 