There is a common misconception that avoiding sweets and desserts is a must if you’re trying to lose or manage your weight. The good news is, we’re here to bust that myth once and for all. Here are our top tips and a few recipes for desserts that won’t make you go up a belt notch….Because you really can have your cake and eat it too.
Having dessert could actually help your weight loss
Reducing the number of high energy foods such as lollies and takeaway foods you consume is definitely a great strategy for weight loss. Unfortunately, people often cut these foods from their diet completely, which only increases the desire for such foods. As a result, when we do finally give in to the cravings for these foods we often end up overindulging in large quantities which offsets any energy deficit we may have been in for the rest of the week. The key is to allow small portions of these foods every so often to help prevent the desire to binge. Aim for a meal out each week or 2-3 sweet snacks of roughly 500-600kj per week.
Ready-made desserts
These can be a great way to help with portion control of your desserts. Try only buying the specified number of desserts you are planning to include in your diet for the week to avoid overindulging. Here are our top 6 picks:
| Dessert (per serve) | Energy | Fat | Sugar |
| Skinny Cow ice cream sundae | 430kj | 2.1g | 7g |
| Paddle pop | 340kj | 1.8g | 10.5g |
| Bulla Frozen Yoghurt sticks | 315kj | 1.8g | 11.4g |
| Pauls low fat choc mousse | 290kj | 1.6g | 9.1g |
| Diet jelly and berries (1cup fruit) | 200kj | 0.01 | 3g |
| Chobani Fit X e.g (Vanilla cookie crush) | 500kj | 2.7g | 4.1g |
Homemade Dessert Recipes
Home-made desserts can allow you greater control over what ingredients your desserts include, for example, you can use wholemeal flour, add in nuts and even include fresh fruit to boost the nutritional content of these foods. We’ve included some recipes for you to try at home as well as our favourite options:
- Mini muffins (add a square of choc to the centre for a gooey taste)
- Homemade frozen yoghurt. Use your favourite yoghurt and add in berries, melon, banana or mango pieces. Also try using diet cordial with strawberries, watermelon and mint leaves for a refreshing water ice-block.
- Microwave mug cakes. Try using oats instead of flour as a base for a dessert that is higher in fibre and nutrients.
Strawberry and banana muffins
Ingredients
1 ½ cups self raising flour
½ cup Splenda sweetener
½ cup strawberries chopped
1 small banana chopped
200g low-fat Greek yoghurt
¼ cup olive oil
1 egg beaten
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees and spray a muffin tray with olive oil spray, or use muffin patty cases
- Sift flour into a bowl and add in the sweetener and fruit, then make a well in the centre of the mixture
- Add yoghurt, egg and oil to the centre and stir until combined. Be careful not to over stir at this step.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin tin and bake for 25minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Frozen yoghurt
Ingredients
– 4 cups of frozen fruit of your choice. We like to use mango or a 4 berry mix.
– ½ cup plain Greek yoghurt
– 2tsp vanilla extract
– 3 Tbsp honey
Method
- Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth (approx. 5minutes).
- Serve immediately or transfer into an airtight container to freeze
Takeaway message
Occasional desserts can form part of a healthy diet and can definitely still be included in your weight-loss strategies. The key is to include these foods in small portions on a more regular basis to prevent binging rather than avoiding them completely.
If you’d like to learn more about how to optimise your physical and mental health with food, explore our latest online nutrition programs. The self-guided courses were developed by Fuel Your Life’s Accredited Practising Dietitians and focus on improving your life, work performance and mental health. For more personalised nutritional advice, chat with one of our experienced dietitians and get started today.
