On a diet but still finding it difficult to resist a good dessert? There’s no need to worry, we’re here to save the day by giving you some scrummy ways to treat yourself without the guilt of normal puddings. Have a go at swapping some of your guilty pleasures for these healthier alternatives:
1. Fresh fruit
This may sound a bit too simple, but if you have fresh fruit it’s not only beautifully sweet and juicy, but it’s good for you as well. Have you ever been to a fruit farm? Although you might have to wait until the right time of year, picking your own fruit is not only a fun day out, but a dessert as well.
2. Soy whipped cream
Soy whipped cream, although a little more expensive, is a good substitute for normal dairy cream because it contains fewer calories. By choosing the soy option, you can still have a pudding without ruining your diet.
3. Frozen bananas
This is a super easy alternative to ice cream. All you have to do is peel a banana, wrap it in cling film and then put it in your freezer overnight. When you take it out the next day, you can eat it like an ice cream.
4. Smoothies
Here’s a fun way to get your 5-a day! Try using one of your frozen bananas, leave it out for around 20 minutes at room temperature and then add it into the blender. This way you get a colder smoothie. You can also mix up your combinations, by adding a bit of cocoa powder to give yourself that chocolate fix. As long as you use unsweetened cocoa it stays completely diet.
5. Deconstructed crumble
A crumble is a British classic, and even when you’re on a diet, it’s a staple you shouldn’t have to live without. A simple way to make it healthier, is to focus more on the fruit filling rather than the topping. Cook your favourite crumble fruit (apples, rhubarb, blackberries or whatever fruit you might have in the fridge) into a large pan, then add a few teaspoons of brown sugar along with some margarine. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat. All you need for the topping is a piece of shortbread or a similar kind of biscuit. Place your fruit in a bowl and then simply crumble the shortbread with your fingers over the top. It’s a quick and super tasty way to make a pudding.
6. Fruit juice lollies
It may be a childhood classic, but fruity ice lollies are still seriously tasty. All it takes is buying some ice lolly moulds and then picking your favourite juice. This is your chance to get creative by trying many fruit combinations! What about making them with mango, pineapple or papaya juice? Fill the ice lolly moulds up to freeze overnight.
7. Bounty hot chocolate
We all need a bit of chocolate every once in a while, right? So, rather than blowing your whole diet on a big bar of Cadbury’s, why not try a tempting hot chocolate? If you use unsweetened cocoa powder and little sugar it reduces the calorie count. You can put in two teaspoons of sugar, or you could replace it with a bit of honey or sweetener. If you use coconut milk as well, it makes it healthier, because it’s only 40 calories a glass! This way you get a scrumptious coconut hot chocolate (that’s the bounty flavour bit) that’s actually good for you.
8. Sugar-free jelly
You can find sugar-free jelly in most supermarkets. It’s still sweet but without those devilish calories. While being easy to make it’s just another pudding you don’t have to deprive yourself of. Jelly, can also be made more interesting by layering flavours and adding fruit. Your pudding will look awesome as well as taste delicious.
9. Strawberry syrup
Take a handful of strawberries and blend them with half a spoonful of golden syrup. This will give you a lovely fresh strawberry syrup that you can put on any diet pudding to make it that bit tastier. Try it on a fruit salad or on a bowl of sorbet. It’s delicious, but use in moderation because it is quite high in sugar.
10. Diet fruit pie
For this dessert, you need some cooked fruit as the base of the pie. The crucial difference between this and a normal pie is instead of shortcrust or puff pastry encasing the fruit, you just put a layer of filo pastry across the top. That way you can reduce your carb intake by quite a bit. Filo pastry can be bought in rolls from the supermarket, so you don’t even have to make it yourself.