“Desserts don’t reach the stomach, they go straight to the heart”. This is something we all say, perhaps because it is true, however we take it. Figuratively speaking, we all enjoy a tasty dessert more with the olfactory senses than in a rational, nutritional way. A sweet snack delights our taste buds, which matters more than the fact that it provides a certain number of calories. That may or may not satisfy our nutritional needs.

Literally, a dessert could get “straight to the heart” through the amount of sugar it contains. It is well-knows that a diet rich in sugar can increase the risk of obesity, of diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, such as arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia etc.

Thus, if we care about our health and we wish to enjoy a healthy, long life, it is ideal to opt for a balanced and healthy diet. Although present in most foods, the human body does not need this white, processed, sugar.

The human body takes its necessary sugars (glucose, fructose) from other types of foods: whole grain cereals (whole grain bread, rice, whole grain pasta, potatoes, oats, barley, rye), vegetables (beans, peas, lentil, pick pea) and fruits.

In fact, it is recommended to limit sugar consumption to 30 g/ day for women and 40 g/ day for men.

However, if we wish to stay clear of sugar, yet continue to indulge in the deliciously sweet treats, we could opt for less processed sweets, with higher satiability and, of course, with higher nutritional value.

Ice cream, waffles, candy, jelly beans, cakes can be replaced with fruits (a perfect idea for a dessert) or with fruit yogurt. No, we are not talking about the readymade ones, which contain a significant amount of sugar, but of those we can make ourselves or that are found as such.

An excellent choice for a healthy dessert is simple: greek yogurt with added fresh fruits or fruit jam.

Which are the advantages?

If we choose greek yogurt, this has a greater amount of proteins and thus provides a prolonged feeling of satiety. In addition, it contains a much smaller amount of sugar, just like naturally present in fresh fruit or fruit jam (since it is season now).

Another choice for a healthy dessert right now is pudding. We don’t need powders to obtain it, we can use a whole range of foods that have liquid absorption properties and that achieve a pudding-like consistency.

Did you know that chia seeds are ideal for this?

Being rich in dietary fibers, chia seeds have the property of absorbing the liquid in which they are placed and to form a gel that gives a prolonged feeling of satiety. Chia pudding is an ideal choice for dessert and it can be prepared both with animal based or plant based milk, in various combinations: with fresh fruit, fruit jam, peanut butter etc.

With so many choices available, it is easy to enjoy a healthy dessert! Don’t forget, we need to nourish our souls as well as our bodies!

Iulia Hadarean

Nutritionist-dietician