Top Four Improvements on Boringly Healthy Snacks

This may sound terribly cliche, but healthy eating does not have to conjure up images of powdered bark and taste-bud torture. We can savour the sweet things our lives offer (and our stomachs seem to demand) without giving in to the cravings for sweets every five seconds.

Here are the top four healthier substitutes for sweets:

Berries: No, not the Swedish ones. These tiny little orbs of fruity goodness can range from heavenly sweet to spine-tingling tangy. Carry a variety with you anywhere you would take a packet of sweets. Just dump a couple of handfuls into a plastic baggie and you're ready to go. For a crunchy summer treat, try freezing some in the freezer overnight.

Savoury Trail Mix: Buy it in bulk and just fill up little plastic baggies the moment you get home from the store. Keep them visible and accessible, and you're bound to reach for them before the Doritos. Don't go for the sweet varieties which are loaded with bits of candy and crisps, but drop half a handful of raisins in each bag if you feel like it.

Unsalted Nuts: Once again, the trick is to keep the crunchy sugar substitute in view and in mind for it to end in your stomach. Buy a variety to keep your taste-buds guessing; cashews, almonds, peanuts. Just be creative. For an extra special treat, cover your nuts with some paprika, curry powder, or cayenne pepper.

Sliced Apple Wedges: Everyone always says to eat apples in place of sweets, but let's be honest, that's pretty boring. To liven up some ordinary apple slices just fill a mister with some low-fat Italian salad sauce and give one or two squirts. The sweet and sour combination of the apple and the salad sauce will blow your taste buds away. As an added bonus, the acidity of the flavouring stops the apples from turning unappetisingly brown.

These are just some suggestions, but feel free to come up with your own varieties. The point here is to take something ordinary, something predictable, and turn it into a taste sensation. Use a spice rack to add flavour, heat or cool foods to change their textures, or combine foods together for a whole new experience. You can satisfy your taste buds and waistline at the same time, just get creative.