What dessert to eat when you are on a diet?
The French consume less and less sugar. Between 2014 and 2017, the number of desserts consumed in France fell by more than 8 million per week. However, the French specificity which wants a meal to consist of a starter, a main course, cheese and a dessert remains firmly anchored in habits. Thus 71% of French meals contain a dessert, against, for example, 30% across the Channel (1) . But is the sacrosanct dessert recommended when you are on a diet? And if so, what kind of dessert do you prefer?
Is it possible to include a dessert as part of a diet?
Going without dessert, a frustration
A diet for slimming purposes will cause, like it or not, a certain amount of frustration. Caloric control , prohibited foods and/or deprivations are all factors in a diet that can generate cravings. Gradually, his desires will grow, until they become irrepressible and cause a crack. But cracks are rarely made by half measures: we rarely give in on a square of chocolate , but rather on the bar. And the diet often ends in failure. Also, health professionals are unanimous in saying that dessert, provided it is light, should be included in a diet.
Who says dessert on a diet, says lightness
There is dessert and dessert. For information :
- A piece of chocolate pie represents 470 kcal
- A 100g crème brûlée contains 300 kcal
- Two scoops of sorbet contain 65 kcal
- 100g of fruit compote has 98 kcal
- A pot of plain yogurt weighs 60 kcal
However, being on a diet consists, among other things, of monitoring your daily calorie intake. If the dessert is rich in sugar and fat, and therefore high in calories, it will be a question of compensating for this intake by restricting it. Also, it is better to think about the nature of the dessert you are about to eat, when you are on a diet.
Dessert time, also important
Whether you are on a diet or not, it is advisable to satisfy your sugar cravings at the end of a meal, rather than in the middle of the day. Consumed alone, sugar causes strong insulin spikes. However, this hormone, when produced in mass by the pancreas, is released in the body, it encourages the storage of glucose in adipose reserves . Thus, it is more beneficial to consume sugar as part of a balanced meal – for example in the form of dessert, rather than in the middle of the afternoon, away from lunch .
The non-compulsory character of the dessert
Dessert is not an essential part of the meal. What must above all dictate the rule is appetite. Whether or not you are on a diet, if you have reached the satiety threshold after your meal, do not eat dessert.
Which dessert to favor when you are on a diet?
If you are on a diet, but naturally greedy, and do not plan to exclude desserts from your meals, know that it is possible to find very light recipes. They will not harm your diet (too much) and will allow you to continue to lose weight, without depriving yourself of sweet treats.
Dessert de régime n o 1: Healthy Banana Bread
If your meal is not too high in carbohydrates (which we always prefer to be complex and low GI), you can consider enjoying a slice of homemade banana bread as a dessert. Here is a light recipe, which will be perfect for a person on a diet. You will need:
- 200 g wholemeal flour
- 3 very ripe bananas
- 30ml sunflower oil
- 1 packet of baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 10 cl of milk
- Spices of your choice: cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg …
To prepare the banana bread, you will need:
- Preheat the oven to 180 ° .
- In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, yeast, ground spices.
- In a second bowl, combine the eggs, oil and milk.
- In a bowl, mash the 3 bananas.
- Mix all the elements and whisk until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour into a greased and floured mold.
- Bake for 50 minutes at 180 degrees . Let cool on rack.
Diet Dessert # 2 : Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
Frozen Yogurt is a delicious dessert, ideal when you are on a diet. It is a very good substitute for ice cream, but is much less caloric. To make homemade Frozen Yogurt, you need:
- 4 plain yogurts
- 50 cl of rice milk
- 1 vanilla pod
The recipe couldn’t be simpler:
- Mix 40 cl of rice milk and the yogurts.
- Heat the rest of the vegetable milk with the vanilla pod in a saucepan.
- When the vanilla has infused the milk well, mix the vanilla milk with the milk mixture.
- Whisk by hand or with a mixer, then pour into ramekins.
- Place in the freezer for a few hours.
It is possible to adapt this recipe to other flavors: cinnamon, lemon , orange. Frozen Yogurt is also delicious when garnished with red fruits.
Diet Dessert # 3 : Strawberry Basil Soup
Perfect in spring and early summer, this dessert recipe fits very well as part of a diet. Strawberries, a diabetic friendly fruit, are indeed low in sugar. To make the recipe, you will need:
- 500g strawberries
- The juice of half a lime
- 4 basil leaves
- 30g brown sugar
The preparation is brief:
- Wash the strawberries and cut them in half.
- Reserve a few for decoration and place the rest in a blender, along with the lime juice, basil and brown sugar.
- Mix the whole. Serve in cups and top with a few strawberry halves.
Depending on the season, it is possible to make this same preparation with peaches, melon, watermelon or kiwi . On the other hand, if you don’t like basil, mint will also work.
Diet Dessert # 4 : Raspberry Mousse
If you are looking for a light dessert, which will not weigh anything on the scale, this recipe should suit you. To prepare it, you need:
- 150g raspberries
- 150 g low-fat cottage cheese
- 20g icing sugar
- 2 egg whites
- The juice of half a lemon
- 1 sheet of gelatin
- 1 pinch of salt
To make it:
- Put the gelatin sheet to soften in water.
- Wash the raspberries, sprinkle them with lemon juice, and cook them covered for 3 minutes in the microwave.
- Once cooked, pass them through a sieve to extract the juice.
- Pour the raspberry coulis into a bowl and incorporate the drained gelatin. Add cottage cheese and sugar.
- Whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt, gradually incorporate the icing sugar.
- Once the egg whites are firm, add the raspberry coulis.
- Divide the raspberry mousse into ramekins, refrigerate for 3 hours.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.