If you’ve started a program of healthy eating in Auburn, WA, you might think that you have to give up dessert. That’s not true. Dessert is okay, but you have to make smarter choices. You can’t eat an entire chocolate cake topped with ice cream and expect pounds to drop. It’s all about moderation and creating habits. If you have a piece of sugary birthday cake or even two, once or twice a year, it might mess up that week’s weight loss, but it isn’t life changing. If you eat that same cake twice a day, that’s quite different. There are desserts you can eat more frequently, even daily. Most are between 100 and 200 calories each.
Find a dessert that fills you up.
One important feature of a good choice for dessert is a high fiber count. Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, so you don’t have that sugar high, which causes a sudden drop and a ravenous response. While desserts shouldn’t contain much, if any, added sugar, some do. Fruit, for instance is a good snack, but also has sugar, but the fiber slows down the absorption. Homemade fruit Italian Ice is one sweet treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you healthy.
Eat a delicious parfait that’s good for you.
This sweet treat will fill you up. It offers protein, fiber and all the sweetness you want. Start by layering the bottom of a half pint Mason jar with a lid with a tablespoon and a half of Greek yogurt. Slice in a handful of frozen black cherries and a half a banana. Top with a tablespoon of crumbled raw walnuts. Put the lid on and refrigerate until it’s ready to serve for a dessert fit for a king that’s under 200 calories and good for you.
What could be better than an angelic finish to a meal.
Angel food cake should be called the dessert of dieters. This fluffy treat just has 72 calories per serving. You can eat it plain or dress it up with fresh fruit and non-dairy whipped topping. Make it fancier by topping with a half cup of blueberries for an additional 41 calories or 8 large strawberries for 66 additional calories. Add a dollop of non-fat topping (two tablespoons) for an additional 25 calories. You can grill angel food cake, top it with pineapple or create a refrigerator cake by frosting with a mixture of lemon yogurt, vanilla instant pudding mix and a container of whipped topping for just barely over 200 calories per serving.
- Create yogurt ice cream by blending plain Greek yogurt with fruit. If you use frozen fruit, you can eat it right away, or put it in the freezer in Popsicle mold as a frozen treat for later.
- Break down those desserts to 100 or 200 calorie portions. If you don’t believe that a thumbnail of dessert is enough to satisfy you, find one that’s lower in calories.
- Frozen bananas dipped in a bit of dark chocolate that’s high in cacao and rolled in nuts is a healthy treat that’s low in calories that will keep you full longer.
- Speaking of chocolate dipped fruit, what about dipping strawberries in delicious dark chocolate. Microwave a dark chocolate square that’s high in cacao and dip the tips for a luxurious treat.
For more information, contact us today at Targeted Nutrition Technologies
