Keeping homemade options could help lower diet-related blood sugar issues.

Sugar is a fraught subject. Present in most of what we eat and added to most processed items, sugar is a handy little additive with the ability to sweeten and round out flavors. Unfortunately, a diet high in sugar is unhealthy and is often blamed for the growing rates of diabetes in developed and undeveloped countries alike.

Sugar and Its Role in Your Diet 

While some will argue that you should toss out all semblances of sugar and avoid it like the plague, sugar is a necessary aspect of your diet and should not be neglected; instead, it should be kept in check and used as a tool instead of a crutch. After all, sugar provides fuel and energy to your body and is responsible for much of what your body does to function on a day-to-day basis.

Although sugar is a necessary nutrient, its constant presence in food and drinks has become problematic. What as once considered a treat has become an expectation or a norm, and many people cannot get through a single meal without closing the meal with a sugary drink or scrumptious dessert.

Keeping Your Kitchen Stocked

Rather than eschewing sugar altogether, consume sugar smartly by making treats yourself, limiting your portions, and keeping your ingredients to a minimum. Rather than bombarding your scoop of ice cream with a slew of toppings and syrups, enjoy the simplicity of a single flavor and small snacks designed to give you a burst of sugar without enveloping you in too much.

#1. Homemade Popsicles

Popsicles are a dream to bite into on a hot summer day, or to temper the final warm days of fall. Most store-bought popsicles are pumped full of simple sugars, syrups, and artificial flavorings, none of which are capable of giving your body the nutrients it craves along with sugar. Instead of store-bought, puree fruit and pour into a popsicle molds. It’s a simple and delicious way of getting your daily recommend servings of fruits.

#2. Basic Creamer

Coffee shops sell sugar-laden teas and coffees with calorie counts well into the hundreds. Instead of blasting your body with liquefied sugar, keep your own homemade creamer on hand. Using milk (or milk alternatives), vanilla and maple syrup, you can sweeten your coffee or tea without damaging your blood sugar.

#3. Protein Balls

Protein can be challenging to come by for anyone on a vegan or vegetarian diet, but can be equally difficult for people who simply do not like meat or have difficulty adding high-quality meat into their budgets. Using collagen powder or another protein powder, you can create protein balls that pair nutritious protein with a hint of sugar to satisfy your cravings.

#4. Chocolate

Finally, the “pièce de résistance”: chocolate. Dark chocolate is enormously useful to have on hand, as it gives you a small boost of sweet as well as a healthy amount of antioxidants.