Choosing Healthy Desserts for Dinner
As a general guideline, we all try to avoid sugar, but eating easy desserts in moderation is acceptable for a healthy diet. Let us not forget that a healthy diet is a lifestyle and not a temporary situation, so we should be able to enjoy our food while abiding to some good nutrition rules. So moderation and balanced nutrition are really the key elements for a healthy diet. But when it comes to selecting that special dessert, is sugar the only enemy to avoid? Here are some guidelines that I use to select the ideal dessert for my family dinner.
If you are buying your dessert:
Go for all natural ingredients or even better, if possible, look for organic products just like those added for ice cream recipes. Avoid desserts that have trans fat and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Obviously, no GMO. High fructose corn syrup is bad for you. Recent studies have shown that consumption of high fructose corn syrup leads to excessive accumulation of fat compared to the same consumed amounts of regular sugar. Avoid artificial coloring and all sorts of fancy name preservatives. Read the labels: if you cannot understand what that ingredient is, it is most likely not natural and not good for you. If possible, make the dessert from scratch with all natural ingredients which can be added for making easy dessert recipes.
It will be guaranteed healthier for you and it will taste better too! While selecting the right recipe, go for light desserts, with reduced fat and reduced sugar. Unless advised by a doctor for a specific medical condition, do not substitute butter for the less healthy margarine alternative, or sugar for artificial sweeteners, just try to use a recipe that uses less of these ingredients, and use low fat milk products. Have smaller servings too! Moderation is key! If at all possible, use organic milk, it is healthier, and tastes so much better!
In your quest for that special light and healthy gourmet recipe, keep in mind that calories matter, but they are just part of the story. Healthy, natural ingredients, are good for your body. For example, keep in mind that, although more calorie rich, nuts in general, and especially walnuts, which are mainly used in European recipes, contain very beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that are healthy for your body and brain.
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