If you chronically crave sweets you may have a hard time following a diet. Sweet dessert foods at restaurants and grocery stores look tempting but are usually packed with saturated and trans fats, simple carbs and of course sugar. However, diet dessert options are available and if you make your desserts at home you can substitute ingredients to make them more diet-friendly, while still satisfying your taste buds. Some desserts can even add nutritional value to your day.
Cheesecake
You can actually indulge in cheesecake even if you are on a diet, but you will probably only get away with it if you make it yourself. Mini cocoa swirl cheesecake is an option that will keep you on track with your diet. This little treat contains reduced-fat cream cheese, part-skim ricotta cheese, granular sugar substitute, an egg, vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa powder. This dessert has only 130 calories, 8 g fat and 7 g of carbohydrates.
Pudding
Pudding isn't usually the first choice for desserts if you have a sweet tooth, but it can be turned to a delectable dessert at home with a little creativity. Opt for sugar-free, fat-free options to keep it diet-friendly. You can make pudding fudge pops just by freezing pudding in small paper cups for an hour and inserting straws or popsicle sticks in the center, then letting them completely freeze. Another pudding dessert that you can make at home is creamy chocolate mousse. Just chill pudding for 1 hour in a sealed bowl. Then add sugar-free whipped topping into the cooled pudding. Let this chill for 2 hours and add berries on top for flavor and nutrients.
Fruity Desserts
Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is naturally sweet. You can make fruit smoothies, dark chocolate-covered bananas or an apple crisp with dried cherries, old-fashioned rolled oats, trans-fat-free margarine, whole-grain pastry flour, granular sugar substitute, granny smith apple slices and fresh lemon juice. This apple treat only 150 calories and 7 g fat, while supplying 5 g of fiber.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a healthy dessert option because it provides your body with antioxidants and is lower in sugar than other chocolates such as milk chocolate and white chocolate. Dark chocolate is slightly bitter tasting, so if you have a sweet tooth melt dark chocolate and add a natural sugar substitute such as stevia or agave. You can turn your melted chocolate into fondue and dip fruit slices like bananas, strawberries and apples or opt for a sweet and salty dessert and dip reduced-fat cheese slices in the chocolate sauce. This is a nutrient-rich fondue that adheres to your diet and satisfies your sweet craving.
References
- MayoClinic: Artificial Sweeteners: Understanding These and Other Sugar Substitutes
- South Beach Diet: Mini Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake
- University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service: Start a Fad: Eat Fruit As Dessert
- Weight Watchers: Elegant Desserts That Start With Pudding
- South Beach Diet: Apple Crisp
- Linus Pauling Institute: Good News About Chocolate
Member Comments