Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Drink Your Dessert

Have you ever noticed how you can eat a big meal, feel very content, but yet still want something sweet at the end?  I have not been able to find a good answer for why this happens, but I am going to keep looking.  Many non-scientific sources will blame it on growing up in a household that always had something sweet after a meal.  Food historians think it originated from ancient medical ideas regarding digestion (which I honestly don't think we should count out). 

Maybe you don't crave something sweet after a meal, but I do.  I don't think it's a habit carried over from childhood either.  For some people, eating fruit after a meal will satisfy that craving.  Sometimes this is true for me, but not always. 

Here's the best tip I have read for taking care of the sweet craving after a meal:  drink something sweet.  I think you'll be surprised at how it can help satisfy that craving.  If you like to drink tea or soda with your meals, I suggest drinking water during the meal and then drink your tea or soda once you're finished eating.  You'll actually get to enjoy the flavor of the drink, too.  Coffee works the same way.  In college, I used to drink a glass of Crystal Light after dinner.  More often than not, I tend to be a chocolate girl, so my favorite "dessert" is a glass of chocolate milk.  This works really well for me plus it helps me up my intake of calcium and other nutrients.

What about you?  Do you give in to the cravings or have you found a healthy alternative?

1 comments:

Annie Brainard said...

I am a huge chocoholic! I need to start doing this or I'll never lose the "innertube" that has accumulated around my midsection!

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