Healthier Ways to Eat Dessert

I run a child care so sweets are always coming into my house I have learned to make all kinds of cakes with pumpkin and protein powder its low calorie and devils food is my fav. I bake a batch of muffins then freeze the rest. spice cake mix 1 can of pumpkin shredded carrots and raisons is super yummy also plus kids love these in all flavors (without frosting as well) - 4/17/2013 10:16:02 AM

Love fruit bars! Yum, lots of good suggestions! - 1/3/2013 5:15:16 PM

Dessert is not part of a normal meal for me, its a something for a special occasion. I'm lucky that I grew up in a family where sweets weren't emphasized. That doesn't mean that I don't love sweet treats, especially chocolate anything. I've maintained my weight loss by a combination of having low-calorie "indulgences" convenient--fresh berries with yogurt or Skinny Cow bars. They are satisfying enough when I want a bit of a treat.

But when it comes to real dessert--the kind that gets served at a dinner party or a restaurant I use moderation as control. First, its not an everyday part of my eating so I can indulge a little. I take a few bits and I stop (usually). Someone once told me that the second bite tastes just like the first bite so before I begin I decide if I am "tasting" or eating this dessert. I almost always pick the tasting option. Then I decide how many tastes I will enjoy--usually 2 or 3. I taste slowly and then I put down my fork. It almost always works. - 7/5/2012 9:31:12 AM

I LOVE EDY'S FRUIT BARS ( MANGO & STRAWBEERY THE BEST) ONLY 80 CAL. 0 FAT - 6/11/2012 11:54:06 AM

One of my absolute weaknesses is ice cream. I can't bring home a pint without eating all of it. I recently discovered a super healthy alternative, though: freeze a banana for a few hours and then throw it in the blender with a teaspoon or so of cocoa powder. I have chocolate-banana ice cream in a matter of minutes and very few calories [plus a fruit serving]! It's definitely been calming that sweet tooth. - 6/2/2012 9:30:40 AM

Your way of piste on the weight loss run, calories? fat? since when did they have anything to do with weight management? Well as we all know, for quite some time now we have been told this rubbish so I forgive you that. However it is just that and misleading to speak of reducing calories in order to manage or lose weight, you see not all calories are created equal therefore we can not use them as a measure. As for Fat, beautiful delightful saturated and unsaturated dietary fat are absolutely fundamental and should make up the largest portion of your diet. Yes I did say that...though when I speak of fat I don't mean margarines, so called healthy spreads, vegetable and sunflower oils. No that stuff will kill you, steer well clear. No I mean butter, lard, tallow, full fat raw dairy, ghee, lamb fat, duck fat, olive oil, avocado, flaxseed, nut oils.

See hear about cakes and desserts: http://paleoworks
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paleo-cake/

and here for bad fat good fat: http://paleoworks
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bad-fat-good-fat/ - 12/21/2011 4:01:13 AM

I'm in the same boat as NUSMACY - lots of great ideas, thank you, I need them, but if I bring home a 2-serving pkg of Weight Watchers dessert, there's nowhere safe to hide that 2nd serving...my latest 'find' is Sugar-Free Jello powder mixed into lowest-calorie-I-
can-find off-brand Cool Whip - yummy!! Trouble is, I ate the whole bowl of cherry-flavored Cool Whip.... - 11/4/2011 9:39:06 AM

My approach is moderation, and yes, it can be difficult. So over a period of time, I reduce the amount of my favorites. It will take me longer to get to my desired size/weight, but I cannot deal with deprivation. I utilize suggestions I found on SP: using smaller dishes and spoons. There is no way I am going to substitute fruit for chocolate. I like the idea of setting out specific amounts of a treat, instead of eating from the bag or container. This is not a competition for me; I am not going to make myself miserable to drop some weight. I want to be healthier, not a fanatic about food. Thank you, SP members and staff, for ideas to use regarding moderation and a permanent lifestyle change instead of a strict diet. - 6/24/2011 10:53:58 PM

When losing weight, I just have to tell myself that sweets are not allowed and no bread unless it's whole grain. There's no middle ground for me. It's easier to just decide you are not going to eat sweets than to constantly have to make decisions about it.

When just maintaining my weight, I do like the Nature Valley Honey and Oat granola bars. If you dip them in skim milk, they tast like a really yummy oatmeal cookie (which basically is what they are!). The nice thing about those is they are prepackaged into 2 bars for only 190 calories total so if you don't use much milk, you can have a dessert-like snack for around 200 calories! - 6/24/2011 1:25:46 PM

My favorite is Activia yogurt, which comes in 4-oz containers in vanilla and fruit flavors. I get it at Costco for a reasonable price. It has healthy live cultures and enough sweetness to satisfy me.

Also Nature Valley honey 'n' oats granola bars. I eat one after having a large salad with protein, so they are in place of any other carbs in the meal as well as dessert. Eat slowly and enjoy the crunch!

Banana chips - you have to be very careful with these; it's easy to overindulge. A small amount in a tiny bowl works for me. They take a lot of chewing so it's fairly easy to limit quantities and still feel satisfied, if they are eaten mindfully. - 6/24/2011 9:05:34 AM

My sweet tooth is why I'm overweight,I love dessert,but I'm on day 3 of detoxing from sweets,eating jello instead,and I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with hypothyroidism,wh
ich males it harder to lose weight. - 5/16/2011 11:25:46 AM

My favorite "dessert" is Cheerios with skim milk and half a packet of Swiss Miss sugar free hot chocoa mixed into the milk. It's only 30 cals. and half a gram of fat. This helps me with my chocolate cravings especially this time of year when candy,cookies,pie
s and cakes are EVERYWHERE!!!! - 12/21/2010 12:26:17 PM

I have a huge sweet tooth, but I try to find healthy ways to indulge it. For example, I love fresh fruit stirred into yogurt. For a "candy bar" sometimes I'll buy a chocolate protein bar at the gym. Occasionally I'll have Weight Watchers frozen desserts....they are really yummy, but of course the key is to limit yourself to just one which isn't always easy to do. I think human beings are programmed to like things that are sweet. For me if I eat a lot of fruit I don't get too many sweet cravings. Lately grapes have been awesome. Keep cookies and packages sweets out of the house. - 12/21/2010 11:47:51 AM

I'll admit it, I have a sweet tooth. I have found that if I dole out a container into single serving portions when I first buy it (such as the chocolate covered ginger from Trader Joe's), then label with a date, I will limit myself - but I don't have to pay a surcharge for those "100 calorie packs", none of which appeal to me anyway. Plus since I reuse my single serving containers, I don't have all the excess packaging of those others. - 7/5/2010 10:13:04 PM

Hasn't the word gotten around to you yet that low-carb works better than low-fat in the long run? It isn't the butter or nuts that concern me. It's the sugar and the flour. If low-fat worked, America wouldn't be so overweight. The truth is, fat consumption has gone down in America, but the sugar consumption has skyrocketed. Usually, to make something low-fat, they add more sugar. We were thinner as a country when we ate more fat. - 6/24/2010 11:26:05 PM