Nutrition: Sweets and Protein

Sweets: Keep it Simple with the Perfect Pair

By Keven Kailey, MS RD, D1 Billings

If you are anything like me, you enjoy sweets. My kryptonite is anything to do with pumpkin bars. Somehow, I buy them every year, and they are gone before the day is done. At this time of year, sweets are almost always available, whether it be a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Halloween candy, or pies. The tricky part is navigating how you can enjoy these delicious foods without feeling guilty or overdoing it.

With any treat, the nutrition label holds the most important information - added sugars. These can be sneaky and turn a 2-inch chocolate square into hundreds of calories. The serving size is also another important contributor to these snacks. Just because something is in one package, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is one serving size. For example, a cookie might say 250 calories, but upon further investigation the label states that is for ¼ of the cookie. If you were not paying attention, you can easily consume an additional 1,000 calories without even realizing it. Now, if this is one day of your week, then it is no big deal, but if this happens for multiple weeks, you may be hindering your progress towards your goals.

What about these sugar alternatives? The use of artificial sweeteners holds much debate, but for many it can be a great way to enjoy a sweet treat with lower caloric intake. It can be the difference of enjoying the snack without consuming hundreds of calories. Multiple studies have shown that, when used properly, these non-nutrient dense sweeteners can aid in weight loss. When it comes down to calories, these sugar free/sugar substitute alternatives can be a great option. You can decide what aligns best with your goals. Choose your sweet, whether real or fake, calories or not.

Now, if you are like me and want to enjoy regular Oreos, you can combine your treat with one other food to allow you to enjoy your treat and still help your goals. This “magical” food is PROTEIN! Treats around this time of year are often high in carbohydrates and low in protein, which often leaves us unsatisfied and going back for more. However, if we match a protein with the sweet carbohydrate, we put ourselves in a much better spot. The perfect pair. Now, why is this? Protein is digested in your stomach and helps with keeping us satisfied. It can even help to reduce the amount of food that we eat!

Examples of protein sources to pair with a sweet treat could be yogurt, jerky (for the salty and sweet lovers), low fat cottage cheese, or even a protein shake. The combination of a protein source and a carbohydrate allows you to not only enjoy the treat but helps you to not feel guilty about it. Food is all a combination of what we enjoy, what nourishes us, what is available, and what is sustainable. With sweets, I find that elimination is not the answer. Rather enjoy these foods mindfully and make them work for you, not against you.

Photo by Haley Owens on Unsplash