Healthier Ways to Eat Dessert

Sticking with a healthy eating plan is hard work. There is no way around that, but for many it means giving up the foods that they love the most. But, you don’t have to do that! If you are limiting yourself so much that healthy eating becomes more of a hindrance than a help, then your good habits won't last long. So what does this mean? You can still eat dessert-- and enjoy it! Learn some smart substitutions to make your dessert a healthy part of your day.

The key to including dessert is to enjoy that sweet treat without overloading on calories, fat, and sugar. Desserts can often make it hard to maintain a healthy weight. But who wants to give up their favorite foods? Willpower is hard to fight against. As with many things in life, moderation is key, so you’ll need to stop yourself before you overindulge. Try sensible portions; you can eat 1 slice of pie and still be in your calorie range for the day.

Not every chocolate cake or banana nut muffin is created equal. Look for things without a lot of butter, nuts, or creamy frosting. Since feeling guilty can ruin a good meal, why not try some of our ideas instead of your “regular” desserts?

Try:
- Low fat cookie
- Frozen 100% juice bar
- Fresh berries with low fat creamer
- A few pieces of chocolate
- Frozen grapes
- Angel food cake
- Pudding made with skim milk
- Non-dairy frozen dessert
- Low fat ice cream or sorbet
- Pieces of fruit
- A fresh fruit smoothie

If you are the one doing the cooking, there are lots of ways to make your favorite recipes healthier.

Use:
- Egg substitutes or egg whites instead of whole eggs.
- Apple sauce or prune puree instead of oil when baking to naturally trap moisture into your cakes and breads.
- Less sugar. A lot of recipes call for much more sugar than is needed. You might even like it better for a little less of the sweet stuff!
- Fruit-based desserts. Although you still have to be careful, these desserts often have less calories and fat than a chocolate or cream based one.