food substitutes

Question
I'm a 37 year old male trying to maintain my weight.  I'm 6'4" tall and weigh about 240.  I'm a pretty healthy guy, walk daily for exercise, and carry my weight pretty well.  I do have a small gut that doesn't seem to want to go away.   Although I'm pretty active, my diet could use some adjustments.  One of my main problems is that I have developed a sweet tooth over the years.  After a meal I have unsatiable cravings for sweets (usually chocolate).  So I usually eat a large candy bar every day.  Also, I drink alot of coffee which I have no interest in giving up.  However, when I drink coffee I tend to consume unhealthy things like cookies, donuts, and pastries.  Do you know of any tasty and healthy alternatives for chocolates and sweets that will satisfy my cravings?  Do you have any tips to specificly address ridding myself of the gut?  Also, can you recommend any books on the subject?
Thanks.

Answer
Ken,
A candy bar a day can definitely add up the calories daily and can definitely add to your "gut".  When you gain weight or lose weight you lose it proportionately from all over your body.  Men tend to gain easily around the stomach or "gut" area.  So to get rid of the "gut" you just need to lose a few more pounds.  
Taming the sweet tooth can definitely help more than you think.  Sometimes just changing one bad habit can make a huge difference.  It takes some time though.  You have got your taste buds use to that sweet flavor so now you have to break the habit!  
Some good substitutions can include fresh fruit, fruited yogurt, fruit smoothies, apple slices with peanut butter, flavored rice cakes, popcorn, pretzels, baked chips and salsa, fresh veggies and low fat dressing, vegetable juice, etc...  Just think healthy and not necessarily sweet!  The goal should really be to tame the sweet tooth by not always eating sweet foods, healthy or not.  Eating something sweet just feeds that habit!  
I can definitely recommend a great book, "The Everything Nutrition Book".  This is acutally MY book and it just came out in 2003.  You can find out more about it or purchase it on www.amazon.com.  You can also find it at your favorite bookstore.  It has just about every nutritional topic including sweets and is fun and easy reading.
Good luck!
Kim Tessmer, RD LD
www.Nutrifocus.net

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