How to Make Dessert Recipes Healthier

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We all love dessert, but sometimes we have to make changes in our lives for our own good. Eating healthier is one of those choices. With diabetes, obesity, and heart disease at an all time high, it is time many of us started making better food choices.

This does not mean we have to give up on desserts entirely. Many recipes can easily be adapted or changed to make them lower in fat and calories. This does not always mean you have to sacrifice taste, either. By taking the time to pay attention to what you eat, you can have your cake and eat it, too.
There are many recipes that make it simple to reduce the sugar, fat and sodium content. If you are baking a cake or a sweet bread, try using only half the butter, oil, or shortening they ask for and replace the other half with applesauce or pureed bananas or prunes. Sugar can be cut in half or even reduced to a third of what the recipe wants. Replace the missing sugar with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or cloves. Vanilla or almond extract also work well. Salt can simply be reduced or eliminated in many recipes that do not require yeast. Savory foods can be enhanced by herbs in its place.
You can always change how you cook your dessert. Fried desserts are going to cost you more in health than those that are baked. You can also use smaller portions. This is an excellent way to lower your caloric intake of fat and other unhealthy ingredients.
Just because you want to lose weight does not mean you have to lose flavor. Take a look at your favorite dessert recipes and see what you can alter. Of course, you can always try something new, like the following recipe.
Recipe for Mango Banana Delight
This fresh, tropical dessert feels French, yet it is low in cholesterol, carbs, sugar, and calories! To make this dessert elegant, serve it in wine glasses or crystal bowls. If you like it rustic, use small ramekins.
What You Need
  • 1 ripe mango
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1 teaspoon apricot jelly
How to Make It
Mix lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. This mixture will keep your fruits from browning.
Slice your banana and mango. Place pieces in the bowl with the lemon juice and lightly stir to coat the fruit evenly.
Press raspberries through a fine strainer or sieve, using the back of a spoon. This extracts all the juice and lets you remove the seeds.
Mix your raspberry juice with the apricot jelly over low heat until the jelly is melted. Stir during melting to keep it from burning. Taste the mixture. If it is too tart for you, sprinkle in just a pinch of sugar.
Scoop cottage cheese into individual bowls. Cover the cottage cheese with the banana and mango pieces and then top with the raspberry sauce.



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