Healthy, easy to make/buy sweet snacks?

[vanimal]

I am eating pretty well apart from my crazy need for sweet foods after meals. I have just had 5 choc digestives and some icecream, and have been nibbling on choc in the day too.

I am dreading piling on the pounds and then having to lose them post-baby.

Does anyone have any tips on sweet but healthy snacks I can stock up on?

[FushiasFairy]

I'd suggest fruit, or maybe things like yoghurt covered raisins, cereal bars etc. Go to your nearest health food shop and see what they have, too. :)

[Florin]

I never was that bothered about sweet things but now I am pregnant pudding is a must. I realised I was eating far to much cake so have tried to eat more fruit during the day to keep me going at work and yoghurts instead of pudding after dinner.

[AKMD]

Dried apple. Mmm.

[therumoursaretrue]

Fruit leather, yum and easy to make!

Frozen bananas and frozen grapes. The grapes are like sweets.

Apple slices with crunchy peanut butter (if your eating pb).

Sorbet? No cream so its less fattening than ice-cream. Or frozen yogurt. Natural yogurt with honey and raspberries mixed through.

I'm really craving something sweet now!

[vanimal]

Sorbet or frozen yog sounds like a fab idea, I think part of the craving is for icy cold foods (hence the daily occasional helpings of ice-cream).

What is fruit leather?

[Lilliana]

I wasn't sure either vanimal but reading with interest as find I am needing regular snacks and am piling on the pounds. Good ol' google to the rescue fruit leather

[therumoursaretrue]

Yes seems to be the same for me, I'm averaging about 4 pure orange ice lollies a day atm!

It's like pureed fruit that's dried out. It's kind if chewy so feels like you are eating sweets but without all the added rubbish!

[therumoursaretrue]

Ah lilliana to the rescue with that link I'm on my phone so couldn't link.

[Lilliana]

Like the idea of frozen grapes, sadly all I seem to want is crisps. Going to search out some dried fruit too - remember julian graves or similar made apple rings that I used to love, kind of chewy and sweet.

[bettybat]

I have a recipe for nuts and fruit like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries all mashed up together in a food processor, then rolled into balls in dessicated coconut.

Really, really sweet and they went down a storm with all of DH's thai boxing pals, who are always on super strict diets for making weight

[bettybat]

Sorry meant to say - happy to share! They're dead easy to make, and a bag of nuts and box of berries makes about 20 or so bite sized balls.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Popcorn? You can make a huge pan full with a small amount of oil and a spoonful of sugar.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Popcorn? You can make a huge pan full with a small amount of oil and a spoonful of sugar.

[susiegrapevine]

I am always going for smoothies. Banana and strawberries or raspberries a couple of table spoons of natural yogurt topped and with milk blend yum yum and some of the extra calcuim you need while preggers

[PollyIndia]

Bettybat, those sound great. Do you have the recipe? My chocolate/cake eating is out of control! I am having at least 2 things a day. It can't be good to have that much sugar...

[bettybat]

Yah

Whizz up 4 prunes in a processor - when kind of gluey and mushy, add in a medium bag of mixed nuts. You can use what ever nuts you like but I kind of like mixed. Whizz all that together until the prunes and nuts are all mashed up.

Add in a tablespoon of coconut oil - this is the bomb, the best stuff ever. You could use almond oil but coconut oil compressed should be available in a health food shop, then melt a little bit down to pour in. Add in a few tablespoons of dessicated coconut.

Add in your berries by the handful and it's up to you how much. Sometimes I've done them really fruity and the whole mix turns red or purple, other times I've put less in and left it more nutty. Again, up to you.

When you're happy with your mix, scoop out teaspoon sized lumps, roll into a ball, roll in the dessicated coconut on a plate, and make loads of balls out of your mix. Job done. I usually then leave them in the fridge to harden a little - they might be a little gooey depending on how much fruit you have in.

I've made all sorts - Brazil nuts with cherries, almonds with raspberries, macadamia nut with blackberries, mixed nuts with blueberries - yum!