Most desserts -- including cookies, cakes, pastries and pie -- consist of empty calories, meaning they offer little or no nutritional benefit. Eating desserts may negatively impact your health due to their richness in added sugars and solid fats, such as butter, margarine and shortening.
Solid Fats and Added Sugars
The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that you keep your intake of solid fats and added sugars -- otherwise known as SoFAS -- to a minimum. One way to lower your SoFAS intake is to reduce or eliminate your consumption of desserts. In general, women ages 19 to 30 should consume less than 260 calories from SoFAS. Women ages 31 to 50 should consume less than 160 calories from these foods, and women over 50 should consume less than 120 calories from SoFAS. Men ages 19 to 30 should consume less than 330 calories from SoFAS, men ages 31 to 50 should consume less than 265 calories, and men over 50 should consume less than 260 calories from SoFAS.
Calories and Weight
Desserts vary considerably in calorie content. A slice of store-bought chocolate cake may contain 235 calories and a slice of restaurant cheesecake can have more than 1,000. You can't easily substitute dessert for other foods -- it won't satisfy your hunger or meet your nutritional needs -- so dessert usually adds calories to your regular meal plan. If you make a habit of consuming more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. If you ate cheesecake three days in a row, you could gain 1 lb. based on the formula that 3,500 calories equals a plan. Carrying excess weight increases your risk of suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Fat and Cholesterol
Desserts tend to contain high amounts of unhealthy fat and cholesterol. Eating foods that contain saturated fat, trans fat and/or cholesterol may contribute to high blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of developing heart disease. Dessert ingredients high in saturated fat include cream, whole milk, butter and chocolate. Stick margarine, shortening and partially hydrogenated oil are high in trans fat, while egg yolks are high in cholesterol.
Healthier Alternatives
Most people can occasionally include small servings of desserts in their diet without jeopardizing their health. But in general, choose nutrient-dense foods and avoid consuming empty calories. Instead of traditional dessert, try satisfying your sweet tooth by choosing healthier alternatives such as 1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt topped with fresh berries and whole raw oats. You can also try preparing a smoothie with 1 cup of non-fat milk, 1 banana, 1 tbsp. of peanut butter and ice.
References
- United States Department of Agriculture: ChooseMyPlate.gov -- Empty Calories: What are Empty Calories?
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines, Feb. 22, 2011
- United States Department of Agriculture: ChooseMyPlate.gov -- Empty Calories: How Many Empty Calories Can I Have?
- United States Department of Agriculture: ChooseMyPlate.gov -- Steps to a Healthier Weight: Why is it Important to Reach a Healthier Weight?
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Fat and Diabetes
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrition Database
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