By Elena Voropay

You're health and weight conscious, always and on a diet and on a run! Sometimes you get a craving for something sweet and satisfying, but find that almost everything that comes handy is filled with fat and sugar. Your cravings are killing you, but so do your strict diet and intense workouts. Do you have any options or must you forgo dessert entirely? Don't despair. Yes! Desserts can be a part of a healthy.

When the hunger strikes and you don't have a healthy snack handy, chances are you will grab something, anything to get the blood sugar fix. Most of the snacks easily available are loaded with fat and sugar, regardless of how healthy these look. These will probably do the job straight away and make you feel good for the moment, but not if you consider these facts about the two sinful nutrients.

Even though fats are essential in our diets, these offer the highest concentrated form of energy with twice the amount of calories per gram as compared to carbohydrates, protein or even pure alcohol (9, 4, 4 and 7 respectively).  It may be a smart idea to cut down on fat and select lower-fat alternatives. But don't go to the extreme as fat-free foods may be more dangerous because they are lighter in texture, have higher Glycaemic Index, are digested and absorbed quickly without giving you the satisfaction of the full-fat versions.

Fat in foods slows down the digestion, so you don't feel hunger for hours after a meal which contains some fat. On the other hand, if the snacks and meals are too fatty, they will take too much needed energy for proper metabolism, and you may end up feeling fatigue and sleepiness after a few pleasurable bites. The smartest idea is to choose low-fat treats and snacks and eat these in moderation.

Any food can taste good if it is sweetened with sugar, even savory meats, veggies and fish. But sugars take the shortest time to get to your bloodstream raising your blood glucose in a matter of minutes. This high rise may even give you a sense of euphoria, but what goes up must come down, and when the blood sugar levels fall in a matter of minutes, most people feel even hungrier than before. What's more, if all the calories you downed with sweet treats don't get used in a short time, they get packed on your hanging stomachs and love handles.

If giving your sweet tooth is not an option, the best idea is to eat sweet treats with other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino and fatty acids. This is the best way to give your cravings a break in the most nourishing way. Additionally, you will give great satisfaction to your hungry muscle and brain cells.

Next time you feel like you have to have something sweet, try to break from your patterns and give these quick and healthy dessert ideas a try. You will feel satisfied and proud you didn't blow your healthy eating plan. There is nothing complex about it, it's just a matter of different options.

1.Blueberry, Peach, Banana Cream or Apple Pie may look healthy, but the inside truth is hard to hide and may come out on your scales. Each slice has about 310 calories, 14g fat and 20g sugar. For something fruity sweet, mix a cup of fresh or baked apple and strawberries (50 cal, 0g fat, 10g sugar), mix with 1/2 cup low fat yogurt (70 calories, 2g fat, 7g sugar from lactose, 7g protein), top it with 1/4cup bran cereal (40 calories, 1g fat, 0g sugar, 3g fibre, 3g protein), sprinkle some cinnamon on top and enjoy! The huge serving of this nutritiously balanced, filling, satisfying and absolutely scrumptious dessert is a calorie-fat-sugar bargain with only 160 calories, 3g fat, 17g sugar.

2.Instead of a Vanilla Latte or Mocha which has 240 calories, 11g fat, 28g sugar, have a Cappuccino prepared with skim milk, skip the sugar and have a bit of whipped cream on top for only 75 calories, 0g fat, 9g sugar. For a full 'coffee lift', crunch in a wholemeal toast with peanut butter and honey, and you will still save calories and fat grams the most healthy nutritious way!

3.If you are a doughnut-and-coffee girl, try a fruit-filled cereal bar with a cup of spicy hot chai tea instead. Reason? Just compare the numbers: 170 calories, 8g fat, 14g sugar in a dough nut vs. 100 calories, 2g fat, 8g sugar in cereal bar. Besides the saved calories, you will get nutritious fibre, protein, antioxidants and micro-nutrients from grains and fruit.

4.If you like to cool your body with a cup of ice cream worth about 380cal, 25g fat, 26g sugar, go for a frozen berry low-fat yogurt instead for only 96 calories, 1g fat, 17g sugar. Yogurt will not only save yourself from diet-damage, but also nourish with additional protein and friendly bacteria important for immunity and digestion.

5.Like baking at home? How about tossing your cream and using skimmed milk yogurt in its place for anything, from soups to pie-fillings . Note that with cream you are getting almost nothing but heavy lactose and fat with 414 calories, 44g fat,0g sugar, while yogurt gives you 137 calories, 0g fat, 19g sugar, plus additional 14g protein and even creamier texture.,

Last but not least, use these three diamond keys to any sweet solutions:

• Don't make desserts your 'forbidden' food. Have these regularly, but watch the foods and their portions. Always have healthy treats handy, so when you crave something you know what and where to get the 'right' fix.

• Eat small balanced meals with whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and lean proteins from meats, fish, eggs and dairy. When your body is supplied with these in sufficient amounts, your health and appetite are quenched, and desserts may not even seem very appealing.
• Get sufficient rest – at least 8 hours a day. This will help your entire mind and body relax, recuperate and naturally balance your body and mind. When you are rested, you feel good, and are less likely to crave sweets.