Try These 5 Healthy, Low Calorie Summer Dessert Recipes

Who doesn’t like desserts? Well, most of us do.

But, the fact that ready made stuff can be packed with lots of additives, colourings, preservatives (besides humongous calories) is enough to scare the health conscious us. Or at least make us feel terribly guilty.

So should one stop eating them totally?

No. There is no need to go cold turkey. ‘Coz the fact is that the more you try to run away from meetha, the more you’ll think about and crave for it. Instead what you really need to do is to to begin making healthy and tasty summer dessert recipes at home to get your sweet fix responsibly. This way you can control the calorie creep and also make sure you sneak in some healthy, good for you ingredients.

Indulge in these 5 non-guilty summer dessert recipes that are low in calories and super high in satisfaction.

Non-Sweet 'Sweet' Carrot Dessert Recipe

To prepare:

• Cut carrots into small batons.
• Lightly glaze with honey or maple syrup.
• Roll in grated coconut.

Enjoy as an after-dinner munch. Tastes quite like gajar ka halwa, especially if you add some chopped nuts and raisins, but is oh so much better for teeth - plus delivers more nutrition than regular desserts!

Tall Fruits 'Sundae' Dessert Recipe

It’s not a regular ice cream dessert.

To make this one:

Add one scoop frozen flavored yogurt, one scoop no-sugar-added sorbet, and a lots of different diced fruits (mango, melons, strawberries, etc), some muesli for crunch, and blended fruit (any) as a sauces, and finally an indulgent splash of low-fat cream and dark chic chips.

This might look humongous (so children will love them) but will only deliver some 200 odd calories hydration and antioxidants via fruits, protein via yogurt and loads of satisfaction.

Brilliant Banana Dessert Recipe

Dip banana pieces in orange juice (bananas always a good bet because it takes on different flavours very well), then into one of the following: unsweetened coconut, crushed peanuts, crushed cereal.

Apples, Raisins Dessert Recipe

Try this unusual baked apple dessert: microwave an apple stuffed with raisins and sprinkled with cinnamon; top with 1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt.

Walnut Delight Dessert Recipe

Mix 8 halves of crushed walnuts and 4 de-seeded, chopped dates into 1 cup beaten yogurt and top with 1 tbsp pure maple syrup. Chill and have.

(The author is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don't Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People (Jaico) and Ultimate Grandmother Hacks: 50 Kickass Traditional Habits for a Fitter You (Rupa).

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