fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2541 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2541 ⌋

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Do you make your own desserts, or do you buy them already made?

If you don't already, making your own desserts is a great way to a) control how much you eat, because if you want it, you'll have to put in the effort to make it (and hey, you can get some extra exercise in there by hand-mixing instead of using an electric beater, wherever possible) and also b) control what goes into your desserts. Making it yourself cuts out things like preservatives, and you can reduce sugar/fat etc, or make substitions with healthier alternatives - yoghurt instead of cream, for example.

Also, I may be reading too much into this, so correct me if I'm wrong - but going by the way you describe things, you don't really do much with fruit, as your alternative to pie/ice cream/etc.

... Well, yeah, you're going to get bored with it. Because pie, for instance, is a whole mix of flavours and textures. That's why it's exciting, and why you prefer it over plain fruit. Don't get me wrong, plain fruit can be delicious too, but - especially if you're transitioning from the kind of diet you describe - it can be asking a lot of you to have that six days a week.

Instead, look for ways to jazz up your fruit/healthy desserts. Cooking fruit with a mix of spices does this pretty much instantly, and then you can serve it with a dollop of fresh yoghurt instead of ice-cream. Or make something like a lassi (an Indian drink, basically a sweet yoghurt fruit smoothie; lots of recipes online) to sip on after your dinner. Again, making these yourself means you can control how much sugar etc goes into them.

Personally, I like yoghurt topped with fresh fruit and some nuts/broken-up crackers over the top. The fruit's got the sweetness and zing, the yoghurt's creamy and cool, and the nuts/crackers add some crunch (also some chocolate, if they're choco-covered). Also, it takes about a minute to assemble, since these are all ingredients you can keep on hand in your fridge.

TL;DR: Liven up your fruit desserts so they're a more interesting (to your tastebuds) alternative to your pies etc!

Also, if you're interested: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/healthy-dessert-recipes/pictures/index.html A lot of these desserts freeze well, so you can make them ahead of time (over the weekend?) and you can just pull them out whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely look into it. And you're right, that I don't really do a whole lot with my fruit (really, I don't do a whole lot with any of my food). Sometimes I'll freeze a banana or strawberries with some chocolate drizzle or dunk my apple in some peanut butter, but that's about as involved as I've gotten short of actually making pies or other baked desserts that use fresh fruit and are not terribly healthy.

I really don't like yogurt, but I should probably look into home made smoothie options.

AYRT

Bit of a belated reply, sorry!

Agreed on the smoothies! I'm terrible at getting enough fruit and veg in my diet, so smoothies were a great help when I started trying to eat healthier. They also have the advantage of filling you up a bit more than desserts do, so you can reduce your dinner portions. (Some days when I'm not that hungry, a smoothie can actually replace a meal, depending on the recipe.)

Even if you don't like plain yoghurt, you could give it a try in smoothies? I find plain yoghurt a bit blah, but love it when it's jazzed up. Or if it's the tartness you don't like, vanilla yoghurt's a lot sweeter and creamier.

Ooor if none of those work at all, then there are plenty of smoothie recipes that don't use yoghurt: there are those with silken tofu (no, seriously, they're actually really good, and it doesn't have that raw tofu taste, so you don't have to worry), cottage cheese, or just plain milk/juice. Any of those can be yummy, so experiment till you find what works for you. Don't forget, it's not just fruits that can go in these - veg, or tea, even nuts or supplements or whatever work too. A few suggestions, if you're interested:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_smoothie_recipes

What really worked for me when I was trying to eat healthier was to make my own meals as often as possible, using as many fresh ingredients (rather than processed) as possible. It's okay to cheat sometimes (especially while you're transitioning into a different diet), but I really highly suggest trying to make at least one meal a day (you can always make bigger batches and have the leftovers the next day; minimise the work you have to do while maximising what you get out of it!). Search for simple, quick recipes first of all, then try out those that appeal to you. That was really what made the biggest impact on my health, rather than trying to checklist what I was/wasn't allowed to eat.

Good luck with the new health plan!

[ SECRET POST #2541 ]

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