MENU
 

Eating Healthy: the Basics

1. What is a healthy breakfast?
2. What is a healthy lunch?
3. What is a healthy dinner?
4. How much should I weigh?
5. How many calories should I be eating?
6. What is the best way to lose weight?
7. How can I keep my weight loss goal in mind and stay motivated?
8. What is a healthy weekly weight loss?
9. How to set weight loss goals and make them happen
10. How to keep a food diary, and why it is essential to successful weight loss
11. Are all fats bad for you?
12. Are saturated fats bad for you?
13. Are unsaturated fats good for you?
14. Are carbohydrates bad for you?
15. Is fiber good for you?
16. How to read nutrition/food labels
17. How to plan your weekly menus
18. Why should I eat less salt?
19. What do the sodium (salt) numbers mean on food labels?
20. What is The Mediterranean Diet?
21. Why eating vegetables is good for you
22. Why eating fruit and nuts is good for you
23. Why are cereals and whole grains good for you?
24. What are legumes, and why are they good for you?
25. Why is eating fish good for you?
26. Which fats and oils are good for you?
27. Are dairy products good for you?
28. Which meats should I not eat?
29. Is drinking alcohol good for you?
30. Is it important to measure your ingredients?
31. Are snacks good for you?
32. How to choose the right portion size
33. Can you lose weight with a smaller plate?
34. Eat healthier by cleaning out your pantry
35. Which oils and fats should I keep in my pantry?
35. Which oils and fats are good for you - and when should I use them?
36. Which carbohydrates are good for you?
37. What is the best chicken or turkey for you?
38. Are dairy products good for you?
39. Which nuts and seeds should I eat?
40. Is red meat like beef or pork bad or good for you?
41. Is eating dessert good or bad for you?
42. Is drinking soda bad for you?
43. Is drinking coffee bad for you?
44. How can healthy food taste good? Part 1
45. How can healthy food taste good? Part 2
46. How to eat healthy while eating out
47. Are vitamins and supplements necessary to eat healthy?
48. How to eat healthy while traveling



 

Eating Healthy: the Basics

Is eating dessert good or bad for you?

Desserts are an important part of eating well and eating healthy. The key to making dessert part of your healthy diet is that you should consider desserts as a special part of your life. Dessert is not something that should be eaten every day.

If you are working on losing weight, then dessert should be considered a serving that you substitute for another portion maybe once a week. When I am working on dessert recipes, my goal is for them to be 200 calories or less per serving. I try to minimize simple sugars wherever possible. Often I use different artificial sweeteners, but just minimizing the amount of sugar in a particular recipe can be very effective.

For instance, one of the simplest and most refreshing desserts is good fresh fruit. Whatever is in season is always going to be the best choice. There's nothing better than fresh sliced strawberries, peaches, raspberries, blackberries or blueberries. Tossing fruit with a little bit of sugar (about a half teaspoon per serving) and letting it chill for at least an hour makes for a great syrup. Use a little spray of canned whipped cream and this a perfect dessert. The fruit will be about 100 calories and 1/4 cup of the whipped cream has only 30 calories (less if you buy the fat free version). 150 calories of fat free goodness.

Row of Strawberries

The same is true for some of your favorites from childhood, including pudding cups and Jello. There are great products on the market with around 100 calories, and with a spritz of whipped cream you are good to go.

It is always best to think of dessert as something healthier like this, because you can cut back on portions at other meals to help balance your calories.

There are a lot of great, ready to eat desserts that you can have that are well under 200 calories and are right off the shelf. Here are some ideas:

Healthy Choice No Sugar Added Ice Cream
Turkey Hill No Sugar Added Ice Cream
Edy's Light No Sugar Added Ice Cream
Breyer's No Sugar Added Ice Cream
Häagen Dazs Fat Free Sorbets
Jello Pudding Cups
Häagen Dazs Chocolate Sorbet Bar
Fudgesicle No Sugar Added Frozen Bar
Häagen-Dazs Raspberry & Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Bars
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Chips Ahoy Thin Crisps
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Planters Peanut Butter Cookie Crisps

For those with less will power, it's also helpful to purchase desserts that come in individual packs or go out for a dessert--to the frozen yogurt store, for instance. Eat your single dessert, make sure it's one that you love and enjoy it!