You may think that eating healthily means skipping dessert, but there are plenty of relatively healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth after a meal. Here are a few healthy dessert ideas for you to try.
1) Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate
Having strawberries dipped in chocolate is a great way to get part of your five a day and indulge in just a little chocolate without overdoing it. To make this dessert a little healthier, opt for dark chocolate over more sugar-packed milk chocolate.
2) Fruit Parfait
If you’re not a chocolate person, or want to keep your sugar intake even lower, have your fruit in a refreshing parfait instead. Chop up some of your favourite fruits and toss them in a bowl with layers of low-fat yoghurt and granola.
3) Baked Fruit
Pears and apples make particularly delicious desserts when filled and baked. Simply stuff the fruit with the ingredients of your choice – ricotta, cinnamon and crushed amaretti biscuits are all great options – and bake until they’re cooked through.
4) Oatmeal Cookies
Enjoy cookies the healthy way by picking up nutritious wholegrain varieties or making them yourself! Make your own oatmeal cookies using rolled oats, and rapeseed oil and soy milk as healthier substitutions for butter and full-fat milk. To sweeten them up a little, try adding banana or a small amount of chocolate chips. For an alternative to cookies, homemade granola bars make a wonderfully satisfying dessert or snack. You can control the amount of fibre, sugar, fat, fruit and nuts rather than reading the small print on the label of shop bought bars.
5) Grilled Dark Chocolate Sandwich
Use wholegrain bread and a small amount of dark chocolate to make a grilled chocolate sandwich that will feel a little self-indulgent while still providing you with some essential nutrients. The wholegrain bread will give you a good dose of fibre and various other important nutrients, and the dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, which means it’s a healthy treat when eaten in moderation.
6) Cinnamon Toast
Alternatively, you can make a sweet treat out of wholegrain bread by toasting it and sprinkling cinnamon on top. Just try to avoid spreading regular butter on it – opt for a healthier alternative like almond butter, which is full of protein and doesn’t contain high amounts of salt.
7) Low-Fat Frozen Yoghurt
If ice-cream cravings strike, reach for low or non-fat frozen yoghurt instead. Just keep your portion small, as frozen yogurt still contains plenty of calories. Top it with fruit for an added boost of vitamins and minerals.
The BBC Good Food website is a good source of all kinds of new recipes including ones for those of us wanting to cut back on calories.
These quick and simple healthy dessert ideas are perfect for anyone who likes to indulge in a pudding but would like it to be nutritious as well as sweet. Just keep in mind that even these healthier dessert foods should be eaten in small amounts to prevent your sugar or calorie intake from becoming overly high.
