10 Diet-Friendly Ways to Satisfy a Sweet Tooth

When you're trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle, cutting out dessert and sweets can be one of the biggest obstacles to your success. Eating low-sugar or low-fat desserts may not satisfy your fierce sweet tooth, and the result can be some very strong cravings for sugar and fattening desserts. Overindulging in these too often can result in weight gain and will sabotage your diet efforts.

How can you satisfy that sweet tooth without ruining your hard work? Here are just 10 diet-friendly ways to curb those sugar cravings and enjoy dessert without feeling deprived:

1. Eat fruit after dinner. Fruit is a natural and healthy source of sugar that can help cure those after-dinner dessert cravings. Make a habit of eating at least one serving of fresh fruit after dinner so that you're not reaching for rich desserts that can sabotage your healthy diet.

2. Snack on granola bars. Natural granola bars are full of whole grains, dried fruit and natural sugars that can keep your blood sugar levels stable between meals and cure almost any craving for sweets.

3. Enjoy some frozen yogurt. Low-fat frozen yogurt is available in almost every flavor imaginable, and can be a great sweet treat when you want something cold. Enjoy a cup or cone of frozen yogurt when that craving for ice cream hits and enjoy a guilt-free indulgence!

4. Scoop up some sorbet. Another way to cure that craving for ice cream is to enjoy a cup of sorbet. Fruit sorbet is a great alternative to frozen yogurt and ice cream on a hot summer day and is a fat-free, low-calorie treat.

5. Whip up a smoothie. Fruit smoothies made only of fresh fruit, juice and low-fat yogurt are a healthy and nutritious treat that can help conquer that sugar craving. Try a fruit smoothie in the late afternoon or even early in the morning for a natural and healthful sweet treat.

6. Make a mini-version of your favorite dessert. Sometimes you just have to have a piece of chocolate cake, a bite of that brownie or a cookie. Consider making a miniature-sized version of your favorite so you can still enjoy your treat but with a fraction of the calories.

7. Have some frozen grapes. Frozen grapes are a natural, sweet treat that take a few minutes to eat. The combination of ice and fruit make it easy to surpass that sugar craving and still get your "fix" with natural sugars.

8. Make up a yogurt parfait. Mix together some fresh fruit with low-fat vanilla yogurt to make a parfait or yogurt "sundae." This is a great after-dinner dessert that can help you stick with your diet and cure those post-dinner sugar cravings.

9. Eat some dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, and a small piece can satisfy your chocolate craving. Enjoy just a small nugget or piece of dark chocolate and savor it to make the most of it!

10. Drink hot chocolate. Low-fat and fat-free hot chocolate mixes are readily available and can satisfy your craving for chocolate. Make yours with hot water or skim milk for a sweet, guilt-free treat.