Dessert on a Diet

There’s a lot of festive chatter in the diet world about sweet teeth and falling off wagons… Christmas time means peak-indulgence for most of us, but we think there are lessons in the season that’ll last you all-year-round. Even if you don’t go gooey at the thought of chocolate brownies, we all look forward to a little something after dinner. So why is pudding the first thing to face the axe come January’s diet?

Whatever the reason, we don’t think it should! So, before you even think about the new year (let alone the new you) here’s our case for why you shouldn’t go cold turkey on ice cream; our reasons to treat!

It’s the best!

Most of us will fall off the wagon when we’re looking for something sweet. That’s why the biggest job of any diet is to satisfy desire! Forget about your needs, it’s dealing with your wants that lets you lose that weight and keep it off.

So finding treats that won’t tip the scales or offend your sweet tooth can make all the difference if you’re serious about making a lasting change. And once you’ve found your tipple, guess what? You can finally enjoy it, guilt free! Because if there’s something on a balanced diet that makes you feel better… let it! Don’t think of it as a sin – it’s your cake, eat it!

It can be done

Finding yourself a low-calorie option for dessert may sound a challenge but it’s not as tough as you might think. There’s a lot of choice out there but maybe the easiest thing that anyone can change is portion size…

We eat with our eyes, a TV dieter told us last week, and that’s never truer than when eyeing up a treat!

You might be surprised to find out that the sweet spot for desserts is somewhere between 100 and 200 calories. That’s about enough to treat yourself to without suffering on the scales.

It’s all about finding the balance and giving yourself something to look forward to.

Get Fruity

Dessert’s a great opportunity to make a dent in your five-a-day. Most fruit is very low in calories but packed full of natural sugars. So why not top a cake with fruity sauce instead of cream, or change the proportions in your apple crumble?

You can even use dessert to add a bit of balance to your diet. Most of us could do with plenty more calcium, fibre and whole-grains, so why not use a trifle, scoop of ice-cream or a flapjack to give yourself a top-up?

Fruit even lets you push your portion size a little, too. Adding banana to chocolate ice-cream will fill you up and do you good!