Around 3 p.m., we start fiending for sugar like it’s nobody’s business. Sure, we should be trying all of these healthy tactics for beating the afternoon slump, but sometimes we just want to stuff our faces with sweet things as consolation for the fact that the workday is only 2/3 of the way over. As this overwhelming desire generally leads to some bad choices (cookies, cake, candy, et cetera) and yet we can’t seem to eradicate it from existence altogether, we thought we’d try to trick our sweet teeth instead by feeding them these five deceptively healthy snacks whenever our afternoon cravings strike.
5 Deceptively Healthy Sweets For The Afternoon Sugar Slump
Salted Chocolate Chia Popcorn Balls
Popcorn is fiber-rich—which means it's filling—and full of antioxidants. It's also (newsflash!) delicious. The other ingredients in this decadent-looking dessert include chia seeds, almond meal, raw cacao powder, sunbutter, maple syrup and sea salt. As an added bonus, these take just 15 minutes to make, which means they're perfect for throwing together on a Sunday night.
Beetroot Nut Butter Chocolate Cups
If we kept peanut butter cups stocked at our desks, we'd be dealing with diabetes in no time. These beetroot versions of Reese's are made from all-natural ingredients including cashews, beetroot, coconut oil, coconut and cacao, and while they're not exactly equivalent to a salad, they definitely beat processed, sugar-filled cups any day.
Homemade Kombucha Gummies
The ingredient list for these gummies is pretty incredible in that it includes just strawberries, mango, kombucha and high-quality gelatin. As an added bonus, gelatin is purported to strengthen nails and hair, sooth your tummy and ease arthritic pain so, if you're a Sour Patch Kids addict, we suggest you give these healthy, homemade alternatives a try. If you don't have molds, you can simply use a greased baking sheet and cut the candies into squares when you're ready to serve (yourself).
Sweet Potato Caramels
Sweet potatoes are a superfood, so anything you can do to turn them into a candy seems like a win to us. These are a bit labor intensive, but the end result is well worth the time spent. These treats caramels actually taste a lot like sweet potato, so if you're not a fan of that flavor, we recommend trying Orange Chocolate Tootsie Rolls instead.
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites
If you're the kind of person who tends to snack on store-bought protein bars when you hit a wall, we'd suggest these as an alternative. They're packed with protein, super easy and quick to make, and there aren't any questionable ingredients involved. In fact, you probably already own many of the goodies mixed into these balls of energy, which include honey, oats, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, flax and peanut butter.
