Grocery shopping is a gauntlet of multiple temptations for health-conscious shoppers with a sweet tooth. The doors to the ice cream freezer are just a few feet from the frozen bags of broccoli, the double-fudge brownie mixes are across from the whole-wheat flour and the bakery's fresh berry pies suddenly become a tantalizing alternative to that Fuji apple. Don't despair --- manufacturers understand savvy shoppers want healthy, low-fat dessert choices, and today's offerings are more diverse than ever.
Low Fat
A manufacturer can't slap a low-fat label on a product without meeting U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements. To qualify as a low-fat food, a product must have 3 or fewer grams of fat per serving. Also keep in mind that "lower fat" on a label does not mean officially low fat; "lower," "fewer" and "less than" are all advertising terms for the federal definition of reduced. Reduced-fat products have 25 percent lower fat than the original product, but they aren't necessarily a healthy, low-fat food.
Frozen Desserts
Low-fat ice cream once meant icy, grainy concoctions that didn't have the shadow of their high-fat predecessors' texture. Recent production methods, however, give low-fat ice cream all the creaminess your taste buds desire. Look for double-churned or slow-churned ice cream for the best texture. Don't discount frozen yogurt, either, which is an alternative to low-fat ice cream. These frozen desserts also give you protein and calcium, so indulge.
Baked Desserts
Low-fat baked goods are a bit trickier to find than ice cream, but they do exist. Baked goods deprived of fat sometimes suffer in taste and quality more than other desserts, and, for this reason, grocery stores offer some cookies or cakes in a reduced-fat variety, not low-fat. Some brand-name cookies have a fat-free alternative, while other desserts bump just over the edge of the low-fat category by a gram or two.
Other Desserts
Hard candies, licorice and other treats were low fat before low fat was a twinkle in an advertiser's eye. Keep in mind that these candies are low fat, but not low calorie. Single-pack low-fat pudding cups are handy to have in your refrigerator for that late-night craving, and frozen fruit bars give you a burst of flavor with little to no fat. Certain popcorn-based treats are low fat, but be wary of pies or any dessert with a crust --- whether frozen or from the bakery, crusts are usually loaded with oil, lard or other fats.
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