Dessert may be your favorite part of the meal, but too many sweet treats can harm your health. If you make dessert part of your everyday diet, you are likely consuming more fat than is healthy. Learning more about the dangers of fat, as well as the best and worst dessert choices, may help you improve your eating habits. Healthy substitutions can make dessert a nutritious part of your day.
Saturated Fat
The Harvard School of Public Health reports that your body can make all of the saturated fat it needs. You do not need to consume any from food. Saturated fat comes mainly from animal sources, such as butter, and certain desserts contain large amounts of it. Regularly eating desserts with high levels of saturated fat may increase your risk of high cholesterol, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Limit dairy-based desserts that contain include large amounts of butter or cream. Coconut or palm kernel oil are also rich in saturated fats, so keep an eye out for desserts that contain these tropical oils.
Trans Fat
Many desserts, particularly prepackaged ones, can be quite high in trans fat. Trans fat is the worst type of fat for your health, because it raises your bad cholesterol level and also lowers your good cholesterol number. If you eat lots of desserts with trans fat, you may increase your risk of inflammation, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends limiting your intake of trans fat to 2 g or less per day.
Fat Content
Pie is one of the worst dessert choices in terms of fat. Many commercially prepared pies are high in trans fat because they use partially hydrogenated oil used to create a flaky crust. Pie are also high in saturated fat. A typical slice of apple pie contains 13.75 g total fat, with 4.74 g saturated fat. One slice of banana cream pie has 19.58 g total fat, and 5.41 g are saturated. Cake is also high in saturated fat, and commercially prepared versions may contain trans fat. One slice of chocolate cake contains 10.5 g fat and 3.05 g saturated fat. Yellow cake has 11.14 g total fat and 2.98 g of saturated fat. Ice cream contains 7.26 g total fat, with 4.48 g saturated fat, in each 1/2 cup serving. Doughnuts contain between 10 and 13 g total fat, as well as up to 6 g saturated fat per doughnut.
Substitutions
Many reduced-fat versions of desserts exist that will help you consume less fat from your treat. Read nutrition labels on premade desserts to find ones that do not contain partially hydrogenated oils, which will help you consume less trans fat. Substitute plain yogurt for ice cream, and add fresh fruit for a hint of natural sweetness, but with far less fat. Angel-food cake is low in fat and can also be topped with your favorite fruits for a nutrient-dense dessert.
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