Snacks Part II--SWEETS, My Sweet

Hi, my name is Hall-Crews and I am a sweetaholic.  

Seriously. When I started the J.J. Virgin diet, besides other sweets I regularly devoured, I had a three bag-a-day gummy bear habit (2 oz. bags).  Those little guys absolutely plagued my very existence and became the first thing I ate to start my day and the last thing I nibbled before retiring at night.

So, needless to say, I was more than a little troubled when I saw sugar on J.J. Virgin’s list of 7 foods to avoid. As I read more about it, I found that rather than being a no-sugar regime, J.J. Virgin describes her plan as more of a VERY low-sugar diet.

With that in mind, here are some of the ins and outs of satisfying your sweet tooth:

IN

• Fruits on the lower end of the glycemic index (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and most other berries) Cherries, apples, peaches, pears, and several others in the moderate range and okay, too—all fruits should be eaten in moderation

• Stevia (look for pure stevia with no additives like dextrose)

• Xylitol (from birch trees)

OUT

• Fruits on the higher end of the glycemic index (bananas, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, mango, and grapes)

• Dried fruit and fruit juices (check out the sugar content on the labels—wowzer!)

• Sugars, honey, agave, syrups, glucose

• Artificial sweeteners

Quick Fix Snacks:

 Fruit slices 

Apple slices dipped in unsweetened almond butter

Mashed raspberries or blueberries (sweetened with Stevia and/or cinnamon) on a thin brown rice cracker

Three peach slices, a dash of Xylitol or Stevia, and a thin layer of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Ice Milk on a thin brown rice cake

*  *  *  *  *

Not much to say here--Coconut ice milk and fresh strawberries.  A picture can speak a thousand words or just one:  YUM!

Mini Strawberry Sundae

Ingredients:

Makes 1 serving

3   tablespoons So Delicious Unsweetened Dairy Free Coconut Ice Milk
2   medium strawberries cut into quarters

½ teaspoon strawberry powder

Disperse strawberry powder and strawberries between scoops of ice milk.