20 Healthy Foods to Give You Your Sugar Fix Instead of Candy

I don’t know about you, but it seems like every day around 3PM, it hits—that craving for a sugary snack. You know you shouldn’t, especially since you’re just going to want dessert after dinner, too, but you also know there’s a vending machine across the hall in the break room. You tell yourself you’ll only have one candy bar (but of course, you’re fudging that… OMG, why can’t we stop thinking about chocolate?).

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Sugary cravings are super-common—especially because, for women, certain phases of your menstrual cycle can cause hormonal surges that make you want the sweet stuff—hence the chocolate tunnel vision. Regardless of why you’re craving sugar, it’s fine to give your body what it wants—but it’s best to do it the smart way, i.e. by consuming snacks with at least some nutritional value that won’t cause your blood sugar to crash 45 minutes later (and your mood and energy along with it).

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The good news is, there are tons of healthy (and easy-to-reach-for) alternatives to processed, sugar-loaded sweets. And the better news is you don’t have to avoid any sugar (or chocolate) at all. You just have to make a smarter swap that zaps that craving. Next time your sweet tooth has you jonesing for a  treat, skip the vending machine and get your fix with one of the healthier options, ahead.