With the availability of ready-made desserts at most supermarkets, warehouse grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and even more, and with the growing popularity of dessert shows like TLC's Cake Boss, dessert commonly makes an appearance at most family dinners, lunches, and parties. These sweet treats however tend to be loaded in excess calories and high fat. Do you want to still indulge your sweet tooth without packing on the calories? Read below to find out how to tame your sweet tooth while also discovering some healthier alternatives.
Learning to Tame Your Sweet Tooth
In the earlier part of the twentieth century, dessert was more of a special treat than a part of nearly every dinner. Many families had dessert only on Sundays as part of the biggest meal of the week. Why? Sunday was a special day in many families. It was a day to visit and socialize. Back in the day, few people had to work on Sunday as the majority of stores were actually closed in many cities and towns.
While you may not want to go back to one day a week only for the pleasure of enjoying dessert, it is a good idea to limit your sugar intake. Eliminating dessert entirely from your mealtime may not be an appealing idea, despite the fact that you know, in your heart, that you really should cut back on the sugar calories that you ingest each day. You may want to stop eating so much sugar, but you may not know where to begin. However, all it takes is the desire to do so and a willingness to try. If you want to cut back on your sugar intake, you can start by eliminating dessert on certain days of the week, such as Mondays thru Fridays, saving dessert for the weekend!
Negative Consequences of Eating Too Much Sugar
When you eat too much sugar all of the time, you place yourself at risk of developing high blood pressure, obesity, and elevated blood triglycerides. As a result, if you develop any of these symptoms, you place yourself at risk of developing serious illnesses like diabetes or heart disease. Not to mention the fact that you are eating empty calories that may end up “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.” Instead of ingesting nutritious calories, you eat foods that taste good because they are filled with sugar. As a result, you may experience a burst of energy that eventually dissipates, making you tired, irritable, or both.
Options to Sweet, Gooey, Yummy Desserts
- Fruit Salad: Offering a delightful medley of brilliant colors, substitute fruit salad for sugary desserts two or three times a week.
- Iced Lemonade: Drink water with dinner and finish it up with a glass of iced lemonade made from fresh lemons instead of a high calorie dessert.
- Low-Calorie Yogurt: Nutritious and yummy! Low-calorie yogurts are good for you and taste good too.
Low Calorie Strawberry Shortcake Recipe:
- 1 tablespoon calorie-free sweetener
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 pint)
- 6 spongecake dessert shells (5-ounce package)
Preperation
Combine sweetener and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Cool completely.
Combine orange juice mixture and strawberries in a bowl; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
To serve, spoon sauce over dessert shells.
Nutrition: 113 calories .9 grams of fat
Comments (1)
sugar free jello works as well
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