8 Best Supermarket Sweets

www.BeHealthConscious.org

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding 

A recent University of Minnesota study found that women consumed about 13 percent of their daily calories from added sugars, and for men that number was closer to 15 percent—a 38 percent jump since 1982. Not surprisingly, the researchers also found that increased sugar consumption mirrored the rise in the participants’ BMI, an indicator of obesity.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Great, now I have to cut sugar from mydiet.” Not so fast. The American Heart Association says that women can safely consume up to 100 calories (about 25 grams) of sugar per day, and men can consume up to 150 (37.5 grams). The secret is finding sweet foods that quell your sweet tooth without blowing out your sugar quota—and that's exactly what I've done here. Below you’ll find the results of our latest report on eight sinfully delicious treats that silence sugar cravings without adding inches to your waistline. Focus on these, and you’ll look more like Jennifer Lopez—and less like the world’s largest cabbage.

DID YOU KNOW? It's easy to drop 10, 20, or even 30 pounds without being on that dreaded four-letter word known as a 'diet'. Improve how you look and feel—fast and forever—with the Eat this, Not That! bestselling series of books, and with life-changing lists like this one: 25 Best Nutrition and Weightloss Secrets Ever!

1. BEST DONUT
Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut 
190 calories 
11 g fat (5 g saturated) 
10 g sugars

Donuts: Everybody loves them. Unfortunately, there is nothing nutritionally redeeming about these circles of dough. That said, having a good go-to doughnut can be a lifesaver if it prevents you from eating something worse. So, when you need a fix of sweet, fried dough, look no further than the Krispy Kreme's original glazed doughnuts, which are now sold in grocery stores. Pop one in the microwave for a few seconds and you’ll have a melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s as good as swinging by the actual store when the hot sign is on. (Krispy Kreme fanatics know what I’m talking about.)

Not That!
Entenmann’s Frosted Devil’s Food Doughnuts
310 calories 
18 g fat (12 g saturated) 
24 g sugars

DID YOU KNOW? Sleepy women eat an extra 328 calories per day, according a new study from the New York Obesity Research Center. Discover moreshocking health, nutrition, and weight loss secrets like this by following me here on Twitter (where I'll give a FREE iPad2 to a lucky follower) or by signing up for our FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter.

2. BEST COOKIE
Kashi TLC Oatmeal Dark Chocolate (1 cookie) 
130 calories
5 g fat (1.5 g saturated) 
8 g sugars

What I like about these Kashi cookies is that each one starts with whole grains. What I like even better? They still taste like a decadent treat. Plus, thanks to Kashi's reliance on whole grains, each one packs in 4 grams of belly-filling fiber. That's more than an orange, and it makes this dessert safe to eat as a midday snack. Drop one in your lunch before you head off to work.

Not That!
Chips Ahoy! Big & Soft Oatmeal Chunk Cookie (1 cookie) 
180 calories 
8 g fat (3 g saturated) 
13 g sugars

BONUS TIP: The word 'muffin' was invented to try to trick you into eating cake for breakfast. But when you eat sweets for breakfast you tend not to make up for it over the rest of the day, according to studies. So find great breakfasts with a bit more fiber and a bit less sugar. Check out this Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guidereport on The 24 Best and Worst Cereals in America. 

3. BEST CANDY
Werther’s Original (3 pieces) 
70 calories 
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated) 
10 g sugars

Hard candies are preferable to chewy candies because, simply, they last longer. Try eating 30 Werther’s Originals in a minute. Not happening. Thirty Skittles, though? No problem. What’s worse, 75 percent of the calories in a pack of Skittles come from sugar. That’s crazy. Next time you go to the movies, take along three of these rich, delicious caramel candies rather than your standard pack of Skittles for a tasty treat with a fraction of the calories.

Not That!
Skittles Original Fruit (1 pack) 
250 calories 
2.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated) 
47 g sugars 

4. BEST CANDY BAR
Hershey’s Take 5 Bar 
200 calories 
11 g fat (5 g saturated) 
18 g sugars 

Here’s the scenario: You’re in the checkout line, annoyed from a long day of working, and you seek comfort in anything within arm's reach—and 90 percent of the time that ends up being a candy bar. Well, you’ve just played into a food marketer’s hands. They don’t want you to think about what you’re picking up; they just want you to grab one more tempting treat before you hit the register. So if you're going to give in, at least do so in the least damaging way possible. The Take 5 bar is your safest bet because it relies on pretzel instead of nougat, creating a bar with far fewer sugars than some of the other options in the impulse lane.

Not That!
Nestle Butter Finger 
270 calories 
11 g fat (6 g saturated) 
29 g sugars

5. BEST CAKE MIX
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix (30 g mix, prepared) 
170 calories 
0.5 g fat 
12 g sugars

A good cake mix is paramount, since you'll very likely eat more than one slice. Say you eat three slices before it's gone. That makes one good decision in the cake aisle the equivalent of three good decisions elsewhere in the supermarket. So why Bob's Gluten Free? Because it avoids artificial ingredients, and it rings up a couple grams of fiber for each slice by packing this powder with the flours of garbanzo and fava beans, as well as whole grain sorghum. Choose it over Krusteaz and you'll drop 60 calories and 2 grams of trans fat. And because of the fiber, you'll feel fuller longer.

Not That!
Krusteaz Cinnamon Crumb Cake Mix (33 g mix, prepared)
230 calories 
7 g fat (2 g saturated, 2 g trans) 
26 g sugars

BONUS TIP: Some delicious desserts can help fight fat by revving up your metabolism and providing you with nutrients that push the junk out of your diet--and the fat out of your body! Other desserts, however, contain more than an entire day's worth of calories, fat, sugar and salt! Which is why you need this handy (and certainly eye-popping) list of the The 24 Best (and Worst) Desserts in America.

6. BEST PUDDING
Jell-O Sugar Free Double Chocolate (1 container) 
60 calories 
1.5 g fat (1 g saturated) 
0 g sugars

They're modest in size, but pudding cups can easily pack as much sugar as a small candy bar. Thankfully Jell-O makes a sugar free version that cuts the calorie impact in half without sacrificing the rich, chocolate flavor. If your normal nightly dessert is a 200-calorie scoop of ice cream, and you switch to one of these cups, you can expect to lose 12 pounds a year, even if nothing else about your diet changes!

Not That! 
Snack Pack, Chocolate 
130 calories 
3 g fat (1.5 g saturated) 
16 g sugars

7. BEST FROZEN TREAT 
Fudgsicle No Sugar Added Fudge Bar (1 bar, 41 g) 
40 calories
1 g fat (0.5 g saturated) 
2.5 g sugars

Look at this and then look at the bar below. You could eat more than seven Fudgsicles before you hit the calorie load of one Haagen-Dazs bar. Fudgesicle's parent company, Popsicle, produces a wide variety of classic frozen treats that can appease any sweet tooth without packing on the pounds. Another bonus: 35 percent of the calories in each Fudgesicle come from protein and fiber, which together keep you fuller longer.

Not That!
Haagen-Dazs Vanilla & Milk Chocolate (1 bar, 83 g) 
290 calories 
21 g fat (14 g saturated) 
21 g sugars

8. BEST ICE CREAM 
Edy’s Slow Churned Chocolate Fudge Chunk (1/2 cup) 
120 calories 
4.5 g fat (3 g saturated) 
13 g sugars

More so than in any other supermarket aisle, nutritional stats vary widely for products that look and taste nearly identical. Edy's—as well as its sister brand Dreyer's—are among the good guys. (Another favorite of mine: Breyers.) They take a light approach to cream and sugar, so you don't have to hit the treadmill every time you serve yourself a bowl. To get the most flavor in the fewest calories, look no further than Edy's Chocolate Fudge Chunk. It has literally one-third as many calories as Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup.

Not That!
Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup (1/2 cup) 
360 calories 
26 g fat (14 g saturated) 
24 g sugars

DID YOU KNOW? Smart snacking can work wonders on your waistline, whereas ice cream before bed can work blunders on your waistline. Curb your cravings between meals and before bed with any of these great 50 Best Snack Foods in America—they'll help keep you lean and full all day long!