How To Eat Desserts on a Diet

Angel Berry Trifle, a low-fat dessert you can make at home. But what do you do at a restaurant when all the options are high in fat, sugar and calories?
Angel Berry Trifle, a low-fat dessert you can make at home. But what do you do at a restaurant when all the options are high in fat, sugar and calories?

Here are some tips for eating desserts on a diet.

When I did a story about low-calorie desserts for the Standard-Examiner, I asked registered dietitian Julie Hansen how to sooth your sweet tooth without wrecking your waistline. A lot of restaurant desserts are 700-1,000 calories per serving, which can double the calorie count of your total meal.

Here are some strategies for desserts on a diet:

– Budget your calories. If you plan to order dessert, budget for those calories by skipping the appetizer or beverage, and ordering a lighter entree. The problem comes when you eat a big meal, then see the dessert cart and impulsively order that hot fudge cake or pie a la mode.

– Seek desserts with more redeeming nutritional value, such as the fruit in a cobbler or milk in pudding. (My article listed some examples such as fruit & yogurt parfaits, A Good Life Cafe’s Acai Bowls, or Chick-fil-A’s Frosted Lemonade, which has a lot of calcium and vitamin C).

Acai Bowls at A Good Life Cafe in Ogden.
Acai Bowls at A Good Life Cafe in Ogden.

– Even when it’s not listed on the menu, some restaurants might be willing to make up a bowl of fresh fruit upon request.

Craig Saxton of Chick-fil-A with the company's new Frosted Lemonade.
Craig Saxton of Chick-fil-A with the company’s new Frosted Lemonade.

– Split one dessert among two or more people, so you’re just getting a few bites.  “At that point, you’ve already eaten your meal so you’re not really feeling hungry anyway,” said Hansen. “Be mindful and really focus on the taste of those few bites as you eat them.”

If there’s no one to share your dessert, ask the wait staff to box half of it for you to take home to a family member.

Nonfat frozen yogurt topped with fresh blackberries at Chuck-A-Rama.
Nonfat frozen yogurt topped with fresh blackberries at Chuck-A-Rama.

– Ask the waiter to hold the dollop of whipped cream that tops many desserts, or scrape it off. Hansen noted that just two tablespoons is 100 calories, and it’s mainly fat, which the “the most calorically dense nutrient.”

Strawberry Sorbetto at Farmington's Settobello Pizzeria is a low-calorie dessert option.
Strawberry Sorbetto at Farmington’s Settobello Pizzeria is a low-calorie dessert option.

– Exercise it off. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a person weighing 180 pounds, walking at the leisurely pace of 3 miles per hour, would need to walk about 15 minutes to burn off the 60 to 100 calories in a cookie.

 

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