Dessert - A Healthy End to the Meal
Most people look forward
to dessert - sweet, creamy,
delicious, comforting food.
Most of us do not look forward
to the high calories,
high fat and low nutrient
levels of most desserts. So
how do we enjoy dessert and maintain a
healthy diet? Try saving the rich desserts for
very special occasions and learn to make other
desserts a part of the healthy diet.
Fruit for Dessert
Fruit can be a sweet ending to a meal. This
time of year fresh apples and pears make a
terrific dessert. For a simple tasty dessert peel
and chop apples or pears, sprinkle with about a
teaspoon of sugar per cup of fruit, then microwave
until tender. Stir in a few raisins or
berries if you like, but don’t add water - the
fruit makes its own syrup as it cooks. Enjoy
the fruit warm by itself or sprinkle with a
crunchy low-fat granola cereal to make a fruit
crisp.
Make Dessert Whole Grain
Cakes and cookies are usually made with
white flour, but you can add fiber and nutrients
by substituting whole wheat flour. Try
replacing half the white flour with whole wheat. Whole wheat pastry
flour, if available, works even
better in baked products.
Sweet and Creamy
Most desserts are high in sugar.
You can reduce the sugar by about 25 percent
in most homemade baked goods. You can reduce
the fat by using skim or low-fat dairy
products. Part of the fat, up to one-half can be
replaced by prune puree (use a jar of prune
baby food) or fat free plain yogurt.
Read Carefully
Fat-free desserts are not necessarily healthful
or low in calories. Sometimes the fat is
replaced by extra sugar and may actually have
even more calories and carbohydrates.
Foods like carrot cake and zucchini bread
sound like they should be good for you, but
may be higher in calories and lower in vegetables
than you think. A slice of zucchini bread
has about 230 calories and only 4 teaspoons of
zucchini.
Enjoy your healthy dessert, but remember you
can have too much of a good thing. You still
need to be careful about the portion size and
plan dessert with your total meal in mind.
| Bread Pudding with Apple-Raisin Sauce |
(Serves 8) 10 slices whole wheat bread
1 egg
3 egg whites
1 1/2 c. skim milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each nutmeg and cloves
2 tsp. sugar |
Spray a
9” x 13”x 2” baking
dish with nonstick
cooking spray.
Lay the slices of
bread in the baking dish in two
rows, overlapping. In a medium
mixing bowl, beat together the egg,
egg whites, milk, ¼ cup sugar, the
brown sugar and vanilla. Pour the
egg mixture over the bread.
In a small bowl stir together the
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and 2
teaspoon sugar and sprinkle over the
bread pudding. Bake at 350o F for
30-35 minutes, until it has browned
on top and is firm to the touch.
Serve warm or at room temperature,
with warm apple-raisin sauce.
University of Illinois Extension, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences/State/County/
Local Groups/USDA Cooperating.
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and
employment.
This material was funded by USDA’s Food Stamp Program.
Bread Pudding with Apple-Raisin Sauce
Nutrition information: 233 calories, 3 g fat,
7.7 g protein, 252 mg sodium, 24 mg
cholesterol. |
| Apple-Raisin Sauce |
1 1/4 c. apple juice
1/2 c. apple butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. raisins
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon nutmeg
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional) |
Stir all the ingredients together in a
medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer
over low heat. Let the sauce simmer 5
minutes. Serve warm. Makes 2 cups. |
|
