Sweet Temptations

Healthy living doesn’t mean foregoing your favorite treats forever. Don’t desert dessert; try these ideas for keeping taste and health on the same page.

Minimize: Moderation is critical to eating well. Use small dessert plates or bowls, split portions, and take slow, long bites — which allow you to better savor the experience anyway. Go with homemade over store-bought. Generally, a recipe from scratch will involve fewer artificial ingredients and can be adapted to meet your nutrition concerns.

Modify: Replace high-calorie, low-quality ingredients with ones that are more nutritionally rich. Substitute cups of sugar with tablespoons of honey (molasses is a good stand-in for brown sugar). Try oats instead of flour in cookies… or even throw in some ground golden flaxseed meal. Banana and apple sauce can also serve as partial butter replacements in certain recipes. Try ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream when you desire a cool, creamy texture.

Magnify: Many delectable snacks are inherently healthy. Natural foods such as fruit contain their own sweet mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. When combined with nutrient-rich protein partners like nuts and dairy, they can be a decadent addition to your diet. Try berries in yogurt, sprinkled with crushed almonds, for a burst of flavor and nutrition power.