Diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t eat sweets. People with diabetes can oblige their sweet tooth and still keep blood glucose (sugar) levels in their target range. Options available as sweeteners:

• Reduced-calorie sweeteners including erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol.
• Low-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose. Aspartame (200 times sweeter than sugar) and saccharin (300 times sweeter than sugar) are the main artificial sweeteners available in India. Foods with low- or reduced-calorie sweeteners have fewer calories than foods made with sugar and other caloric sweeteners. That can help if you’re trying to lose weight or even prevent weight gain.

In the past, diabetics were warned to avoid sugar but today experts agree you can eat foods with sugar as long as you work them properly into your meal plan. The same guidelines apply to other sweeteners with calories.

But since many sweets, in addition to carbohydrates, are also high in fat and calories, opting for healthier food items is always more advisable.

If you like sweets, but also want to lose weight, you can try these tips:

• Have fresh or dried fruits
• Try new recipes for lower-calorie sweets and lower-fat versions of your favorite dishes
• Choose lower-calorie, lower-fat versions of your favorite desserts
• Use a low-calorie sweetener instead of sugar for your coffee or tea

Serving sizes make a difference. If you include sweets in your meal, you can cut back on the other carb foods in the same meal.