Healthy Desserts – They Do Exist!

Do Healthy Desserts exist? It’s the most challenging part of the day – the mid evening when you’re relaxing after a hectic day at the office. Dinner’s done, the TV’s on and the couch awaits. That means only one thing . . .

It’s dessert time.

For many of us that means ice cream, rich puddings and dollopings of whipped cream.

Only problem is that it’s likely to pack in more calories than you’ve just consumed in the whole of your dinner. And what are you going to do with all of those calories? That’s right – absolutely nothing.

That’s why dessert is the most dangerous meal of the day for those who are trying to take control of their waistline. Chowing down on sugar laden dessert sweets before bed will negate all of your exercise and dieting efforts, leaving you frustratingly stuck in a fat rut.

The good news is that there are a whole lot of options out there for those trying to change to a healthy dessert option in the evening. Let’s find a better way.

Why We Crave Sugary Desserts

You’ve just eaten a large meal for dinner. So why, a short time later do you crave more food – and not just any food? Inevitably, the fixation is on sweet, rich dessert treats. Scientists have recently been addressing that very question. While there are no definitive answers, they do have some interesting theories:

Conditioning:When we were kids our parents likely bribed us with an ice-cream to make sure that we ate our greens. For all of our lives, then, we’ve come to expect to have dessert in the evening. It has become habitual.

Brain Chemistry:Tryptophan is an amino acid that is contained in many dinner type foods. Sugar helps the body to absorb tryptophan, which, in turn, aids in the release of serotonin, which induces a feeling of well-being.

Reactive Hypoglycemia:After a large meal, many people experience low blood sugar. This results in weakness, hunger and sleepiness. Sweets foods can help to balance things out.

How to Make Smart Choices

So, now that we know why most of us have a sweet tooth, let’s find out how we can satisfy it without piling on the Kgs. Here are 5 ways to transform even the most indulgent of treats into a healthier dessert:

(1) Fresh Seasonal Fruits: Make this your first option. We are lucky here in Melbourne, Australia. We have access to an amazing and freshly picked assortment of fruits that we can eat. Choose seasonal and Organic. You will taste the difference and will most certainly satisfy your sweet craving.

(2) Home Made Fresh is Best If  You Must Bake: Make the dessert yourself. This will allow you to use the freshest and Organic produce to indulge yourself. You also control exactly what goes into the food you will eat.

(3)  Cut the Sweetener: Simply adjust the recipe sweetener content by one half. You won’t even notice the difference! Once your taste buds have adjusted, take the sweetener content down even further than what the recipe actually calls for.

(4)  Use Whole Grains: Replace the flour in your recipe with Whole Grain Organic flour. Start by replacing one third of the flour content and then move up to total replacement.

(5)  Use Healthy Fats: Replace margarine and processed fats with coconut oil, butter or olive oil.

Replacing unhealthy dessert ingredients with the above recommendations will allow you to enjoy an occasional treat safe in the knowledge that you are putting a healthy dessert into your system. Initially you may notice a difference in texture of your food. The taste, however, will be more natural and filling. You’ll never regret making the effort to change to the healthy dessert habit.

Desserts are meant to be a treat not a daily occurrence, if you are trying to manage your health and are trying to lose fat then eat healthy well balanced meals throughout the day and save the healthy dessert for special occasions. Your body will thank you.