I’m going to confuse you. First, I’ll tell you to watch out for sugar in your diet THEN I’m going to give you an awesome recipe that has sugar in it. Point being: Be aware of sugar and what harm it can do to your healthy aspirations but don’t forget to give yourself a little slack now and then.
A common question: Will I get fat if I eat sugar? An easy answer: No, not unless you eat it in excess but then again, if you eat ANYTHING in excess it’s not healthy.
Healthy diet planning should focus on fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. If you eat enough of the healthy foods, you won’t want the empty calorie items such as sugary, salty snacks.
What is it about sugar? Processed sugar causes energy swings and can lead to weight problems. Sugar is not just found in candy bars and sugary drinks, it’s hidden so you have to be on the look out. It can be found in bread, soups, sauces, frozen dinners, fast foods, and many more common items. Eating sugary snacks won’t satisfy your hunger for long. In fact, you’ll be ready to eat again, soon after ingesting those sweet snacks. THAT’S what can make you fat. You need snacks that satisfy cravings as well as holding you over comfortably until meal time.
Instead of sugary drinks (even juices you thought were healthy-check the label) try sparkling water with a slice of citrus.
Have a sugar craving? Grab fruit, e.g. an apple or a sweet vegetable you can eat raw, e.g. sweet red bell pepper slices. Maybe even natural peanut butter for a sweet-salty satisfying treat.
Remember, the following is STILL sugar: maple syrup, corn syrup, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice , fruit juice concentrates(apple and the like), maltodextrin , Dextrose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, or Sucrose
Moderation is key not deprivation. All that being said, PLEASE don’t fear the following recipe. It’s a good one for a “cheat day” and we all know that “cheat day” keeps us honest the rest of the week.
Apple Fruit Chewies
Based on a recipe from Just a Pinch Recipes and posted by Jessica Harrington, this is a super easy recipe, ready within an hour. Sweet and chewy they’ll hit the spot every time.
Makes 1 9 x 13 pan
- 3 cups flour
- 3 cups sweet apples, peel, core and chopped small
- 1 3/4 cups sugar *TIP – Use sweet apples and reduce the sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup strawberry kiwi juice (or orange juice or your choice)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup canola oil
- pinch salt
Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick. Peel and core apples and chop small. In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 min. to 1 hour.
Crispy on top and chewy inside. A crowd pleasing dessert.
How do you cut sugar from your diet?
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Oh these look SO good. I’ll have to bookmark this so I can try next fall when we get some decent apples. The crispy/chewy combo looks to DIE for!
I can do OK with sugar in very limited moderation but nothing causes me to gain weight quicker than carbs. So I stick to stevia when I need to make something sweet.
This is a great Stevia based sugar substitute for baking. I make pumpkin pie with this instead of sugar and no one can tell.
http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-stevia-plus-with-frutafit-inulin-fiber
I tried it in a cranberry sauce recipe and it didn’t work very well, too much after taste, but I think you can use in most baked good recipes.
I use stevia as well although it’s not a good to bake with as splenda unfortunately. But I’ll keep trying to use it in hopes I’ll get a recipe that works well with it.
I love your contradictory post – Great info and the recipe does look decadent 🙂
A little bit of sugar is necessary now and then. These look wonderful. I love the texture and wholesome list of ingredients.
This is just my type of sweet. Paired with a cup of strong tea…mmm….delicious. 😀