Even Sugar Price Hike Can’t Curb Our Sweet Cravings

Now, sweets are made at home or bought on any day, at any time, irrespective of whether it is a festival or not. Post-Covid, a large number of women have become food entrepreneurs, catering to the sweet tooth of Chennaiites.

Their posters and menus are widely shared and forwarded across various groups of friends, relatives and colleagues. While most of them stick to traditional sweets, others prepare millet-based and sugar-free sweets, catering to health-conscious consumers. At the same time, people have also become increasingly aware of the health problems associated with excessive sugar consumption. While alternatives such as jaggery and brown sugar are preferred by many, the love for sugar remains unabated.

Dry fruits have become a popular alternative to traditional sweet boxes as gifts during Deepavali.

This columnist usually requests her guests not to buy sweets when they come visiting. While most of them heed her request and bring fruits instead, a few still arrive with a box of sweets, tempting her taste buds. Sugar prices apart, knowing that frequent consumption of sweets can increase the risk of diabetes and other related health complications, it is in our hands to control our cravings for sweets and exercise restraint, which, of course, is easier said than done.