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You Don’t Have to Skip Dessert!
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More Healthy Treats For We've published countless dessert recipes over the past nine years. For more sweet treats, click on these links to several past dessert features: Put A
Little Sweetness In
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You can
have your cake and eat it too. All you have to do is follow a few simple guidelines. The American Institute for Cancer Research believes it is not necessary to ignore health and diet concerns in order to enjoy a rich-tasting, soul-satisfying dessert. The desserts it features in its recently-revised New American Plate brochure minimize sugar without sacrificing flavor, as do the dessert recipes in the newly-published The New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life. To maximize a dessert's health benefits, all-purpose or refined flour is often replaced with whole-grain flour without diminishing taste and quality. A pie crust recipe, for example, uses whole-wheat flour and replaces unhealthful hydrogenated fats with canola oil, and uses just enough butter to ensure good flavor and flakiness. Fruit is, of course, the perfect dessert. And it doesn't take much effort, or many calories, to dress it up a little. A drizzle of good balsamic vinegar over ripe strawberries both heightens and contrasts the fruit's sweetness. A dollop of sour cream or yogurt enhances the taste of berries and other sweet fruits. A sprinkling of chopped nuts provides a nice crunch to fruits with soft textures. Dried fruits are rich in substances that are being studied for their anti-cancer properties. Dried apricots are among the sweetest, yet are low in fat and rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant and may enhance immunity, help prevent cataracts, and slow the cancer process. AICR
Canola oil cooking spray Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9- x
9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Per Serving: 162 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (<1 g Sat Fat); 28 g Carb; 63 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Starch (Carb); 1 Fat.
CARAMEL
BROWNIE SUNDAE Cooking spray Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11- x 7-inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir in brownie mix, water, oil, applesauce, egg, and egg whites until well blended. Spread in prepared pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool. Cut brownies into 20 slices. Put 1 brownie slice in each bowl and top with 1/3 cup ice cream and 2 teaspoons caramel sauce. Repeat for remaining servings. Makes 20 Servings. Per Serving: 239 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 46 g Carb; 11 mg Cholesterol; 150 mg Sodium; 4 g Protein; 27 g Sugars. Exchanges: 3 Carb; 1/2 Fat.
BANANA
SPLIT CAKE 6-1/2 graham cracker sheets (two 1-1/2-inch
squares per sheet) Cover the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch pan with graham cracker sheets. In a medium bowl, prepare pudding with 2 cups fat-free milk, according to package directions. Add cream cheese to pudding and whip together. Spread pudding mixture over graham crackers. Spread the crushed pineapple over the pudding layer and top with bananas, then whipped topping. Sprinkle pecans on top. Makes 16 Servings. Per Serving: 156 Cal; 6 g Total Fat (4 g Sat Fat); 21 g Carb; 11 mg Cholesterol; 194 mg Sodium; 3 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber; 11 g Sugars. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Carb; 1 Fat.
PEACHES
& BERRIES CRISP Vegetable oil spray Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place the peaches, raspberries, blueberries, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and nutmeg in the pan, stirring gently 4 or 5 times, being careful not to break up the raspberries. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until the margarine is distributed throughout. Sprinkle over the fruit mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Makes 8 (1/2 Cup) Servings. Per (1/2 Cup) Serving: 158 Cal; 4 g Total Fat (Trace Sat Fat); 29 g Carb; 27 mg Cholesterol; 27 mg Sodium; 3 g Protein; 4 g Dietary Fiber; 16 g Sugars. Exchanges: 2 Carb; 1/2 Fat.
GLAZED
MOCHA BROWNIES 1 Tbsp hot tap water Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar To Make Batter: Place hot water and coffee granules in a small bowl and stir to mix well; set aside. Place the flour, cocoa powder, milk powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl; stir to mix well. Add the brown sugar and stir to mix well. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press out any lumps in the brown sugar. Add the egg substitute, chocolate syrup, vanilla extract and coffee mixture. Stir and mix well. Set the batter aside for 15 minutes. If using, stir the nuts into the batter. Coat the bottom only of an 8- x 8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread mixture in the pan. Bake in 325°F preheated oven for about 22 minutes, or just until the edges are firm and the center is almost set. Be careful NOT to overbake. Cool to room temperature. To Make Glaze: Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Place the vanilla extract in another small bowl. Add the coffee granules and stir to dissolve. Add the vanilla mixture and milk to the sugar, and stir to mix well, adding a little more milk if the glaze seems too thick. Microwave on HIGH power for about 30 seconds, or until hot and runny. Drizzle the hot glaze back and forth over the cooled brownies. Allow the brownies to sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Tip: For easier cutting, rinse the knife off periodically. Makes 12 Brownies. Per Brownie: 115 Cal; <1 g Total Fat; 25 Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 56 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein; 1 g Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Bread/Starch.
CREAMY
FROZEN FRUIT WEDGES 1 pound frozen unsweetened whole
strawberries* *Tip: When you need a really quick dessert, substitute fresh berries for the frozen variety, combine the ingredients without freezing, and serve in chilled wine goblets. In a medium bowl, stir together the strawberries, yogurt, and pineapple. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Spoon the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours, or until firm. Remove the pie from the freezer about 15 minutes before serving to let it thaw slightly. Cut into wedges and serve. Makes 8 Servings. Per Serving: 84 Cal; 00 g Total Fat; 18
g Carb; 1 mg Cholesterol; 38 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber;
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