Healthy Dessert Makeovers
No one said you can’t enjoy dessert when following the South Beach Diet and this holds true during the holidays. The key is to choose healthy ingredients when you are preparing desserts. Also, when you do have a special holiday dessert, try to savor it, taking breaks between small bites and sticking to the "Three-Bite Rule." Take three bites and then put the dessert aside for a few minutes. If you do, most likely you won’t come back to it. Here are some ideas to help make holiday desserts healthier.
Skip the whip. Whipped cream is a common holiday topping. Leaving it off your holiday desserts will significantly cut down on fat and calories. If you do use whipped topping, choose light or fat-free varieties with no sugar added and limit yourself to two tablespoons.
Reduce the sugar. On Phases 1 and 2, replace the sugar you would use in baked goods with an artificial sweetener. On Phase 3 cut back on the sugar. Remember that artificial sweeteners count toward your daily allowance of Sweet Treats. Limit these products to 75-100 calories per day.
Cut the butter. Butter commonly enriches many baked desserts, but it's also high in saturated fat. If a recipe calls for butter, try replacing it with trans-fat-free margarine (vegetable oil spread). You may need to experiment with the recipe to achieve the taste that you like with the substitution.
Avoid "à la mode." We all know the joy of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a frequent temptation over the holidays. You can easily avoid this double whammy by enjoying a few bites of just one or the other.
Downsize your portions. It's easy to overeat a dessert, but chances are, you're probably pretty full by the time it arrives. Try limiting yourself to just three bites of your favorite treats. Drink plenty of water, too, and you'll find yourself satisfied with a smaller amount.
No one said you can’t enjoy dessert when following the South Beach Diet and this holds true during the holidays. The key is to choose healthy ingredients when you are preparing desserts. Also, when you do have a special holiday dessert, try to savor it, taking breaks between small bites and sticking to the "Three-Bite Rule." Take three bites and then put the dessert aside for a few minutes. If you do, most likely you won’t come back to it. Here are some ideas to help make holiday desserts healthier.
Skip the whip. Whipped cream is a common holiday topping. Leaving it off your holiday desserts will significantly cut down on fat and calories. If you do use whipped topping, choose light or fat-free varieties with no sugar added and limit yourself to two tablespoons.
Reduce the sugar. On Phases 1 and 2, replace the sugar you would use in baked goods with an artificial sweetener. On Phase 3 cut back on the sugar. Remember that artificial sweeteners count toward your daily allowance of Sweet Treats. Limit these products to 75-100 calories per day.
Cut the butter. Butter commonly enriches many baked desserts, but it's also high in saturated fat. If a recipe calls for butter, try replacing it with trans-fat-free margarine (vegetable oil spread). You may need to experiment with the recipe to achieve the taste that you like with the substitution.
Avoid "à la mode." We all know the joy of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a frequent temptation over the holidays. You can easily avoid this double whammy by enjoying a few bites of just one or the other.
Downsize your portions. It's easy to overeat a dessert, but chances are, you're probably pretty full by the time it arrives. Try limiting yourself to just three bites of your favorite treats. Drink plenty of water, too, and you'll find yourself satisfied with a smaller amount.
