5 Sugar Free Snacks To Help You Abstain From Sugar

Today begins the first day of Lent that many of my Christian friends use as a catalyst to get off sugar. At least for the short them. This helps motivate them to get off the sugar and give their bodies a break from having to deal with it all the time.

My cousin Diane that does this every year. Without a doubt, she is a sugar addict, whether she admits it or not. Frequently she eats chocolate or other sugar laden desserts for lunch. She did this for years while teaching elementary school. She felt it gave her the extra boost to get through the afternoon with the little ones. Plus, she just plain liked it.

If you want to break the sugar habit, you too can use Lent as an inspiration. Or at least as a timeline or as a challenge. But since deprivation is the most fattening food you can have (in my opinion), finding sugar free snacks that will satisfy you instead is a better solution.

Here are some that have worked for me:

1. 20 almonds ( some will tell you the palm of your hand, I like to measure them out)

2. Low fat cream cheese stuffed in celery. ( Satisfies the need for crunch and chewing, plus you get fiber)

3. Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks with small 4 oz. apple, sliced. ( I one had a client who lost 100 pounds in 6 months by using this as her main snack. Many times she would not even use the cheese. She liked to slice the apple into 16 slices. Why 16 slices? No particular reason, that is just how she did it and it became a good habit for her).

4. Low sugar yogurt with 1/4 cup of Shredded Wheat cereal, crumbled up, used as a topping, with 1/4 cup fresh blueberries.

5. Heat 1/2 cup blueberries on top of stove, mash them up, and then mix with 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt. Pour over 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal. Very delicious and VERY filling.

You can use these ideas as a starting point to get off sugar during the next 6 weeks. The first 3 days are the hardest, so know that if you get beyond that point, it will become much easier to do. You will be shocked at how good you start to feel and how much more energy you will have. It's one thing to talk about it, it is totally different when you actually experience it.