[NewYorkMom]

I am looking to lose a few pounds, but still want to enjoy desert from time to time, and I am sure my family does too. That means no more cake with cream frosting or donuts for me. Does anyone have any suggestions for some yummy, healthy desserts?

[cocotbo]

Here's a suggestion:
Enjoy the same desserts just bake them with Splenda instead of sugar. It really is difficult to taste the difference between the two, but the difference in the calorie count could really help you out.

[NewYorkMom]

Thanks Cocotbo. Unfortunately, I do not like to use artificial sweeteners. Are there any natural ingredients anyone uses to supplement less healthy ones?

[cocotbo]

Originally Posted by NewYorkMom

Thanks Cocotbo. Unfortunately, I do not like to use artificial sweeteners. Are there any natural ingredients anyone uses to supplement less healthy ones?

Of course that's your call. Splenda is actually made from sugar but I won't bore you with the details. They can be found at: http://www.splenda.com/ if you're interested in the trivia.

Other options to satisfy your cravings for sweets while keeping it natural are to use concentrated fruit juices as sweeteners. (They're still loaded with natural sugars like fructose but you don't need to use much.) Instead of using white flour, you can use a whole grain flour. (They contain more protein and fiber than white flour and we all know that additional protein and fiber are great to help us lose weight.) Another thing you can do is add nuts. (They're loaded with protein and fiber too.)

For a simple dessert you could consider using lowfat/nonfat vanilla yogurt, unsweetened berries and nuts to create an attractive and satisfying parfait.

Just a thought.

[NewYorkMom]

Great ideas! I will definitely give them a try. As for Splenda, thanks for the info too. I'm going to do a little more research into it before I give it a try.

[sfharper]

Angel food cake is pretty low in calories. If you top it with slightly sugared strawberries so the juices get tasty, it's a real hit. Of course, we always added whipping cream, too, which I think is high, high, high in calories. We often use a tiny drizzle of chocolate syrup or alternately a light icing made of powdered sugar and lemon juice to add a bit more calories without being out of line. I think it's actually the fat in desserts that are the worst for the waistline.

[seeemilywrite]

That was going to be my suggestion. One of my favorite desserts is choclate covred strawberries. you can usually find some low fat or fat free chocolate, dip in fresh strawberries...Yum!