Healthy desserts are my favorite part of dieting! No matter how much you try, you’ll struggle to give up desserts for very long. But the reality is, you don’t have to! In fact, it’s been proven that completely cutting desserts from your diet actually has a negative effect on long term weight loss, meaning fewer people actually stick to it. So instead, educate yourself about low calorie and healthy desserts and then carefully moderate your dessert eating. That way, you’ll be able to reward yourself without ruining all your hard work!
Here’s a neat little trick from ‘Weight Watchers’ so that you really can have your cake and eat it too! You can’t imagine how delicious this cake is until you try it! Mix one can of diet soda with one box of cake mix. If you use a dark cake mix, use a dark soda. If you use a light cake mix, use a light-colored soda, such as 7-Up or Sprite. Those are the only two ingredients - the box of mix (no eggs, oil, water, etc.) and the soda. Then simply bake according to the package directions and enjoy the results!
Let There Be Cake!
Another popular Weight Watchers trick is to use a cake mix with a canned fruit or vegetable. Try a box of Angel Food Cake mix and one 20oz.can-crushed pineapple, undrained. Yep! Those are the only two ingredients. Bake according to package directions. My friend, Pat, likes to pour a can of cherry pie filling over the top before serving. Try a box of chocolate cake mix with a can of pumpkin. Add a little bit of water if the batter is too thick. Bake and enjoy!
Amazing Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
- box chocolate cake mix
- 1 can (15oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)
- ½ c water
- 3 egg whites
- Combine with mixer.
- Place in 13x9” pan.
- Cook according to box directions.
Pat’s Chocolate Pie
- 2 cups cold skim milk
- 3 pkgs. (4-servings-sized box) instant, sugar-free, fat-free chocolate pudding
- 1 12oz. sugar-free whipped topping, thawed
- 1 prepared pie crust
- Whisk milk and pudding for one minute.
- Whisk in half of the whipped topping. Spread on crust.
- Spread remaining whipped topping on top.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder on top before serving (optional).
Low-Cal Key Lime Pie
- 1 box (0.3 oz) sugar-free lime-flavored gelatin and 1/4 cup boiling water
- 2x 8oz. containers key lime pie-flavored light yogurt
- 1x 8oz. container fat-free whipped topping, thawed and 1x prepared 9” reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust
- Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
- With a wire whisk, stir in yogurt.
- With a wooden spoon, fold in whipped topping. Pour mixture into pie crust and refrigerate overnight or at least two hours.
Blueberry-Yogurt Bran Muffins
- 1 cup Fiber One Cereal
- 1 egg or 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 (6oz each) containers of Dannon Light and Lively Strawberry/Banana or Blueberry Yogurt
- 3/4 cup whole-grain wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp and 2 tsp Splenda brown sugar blend OR ¼ packed brown sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup fresh or frozen (without liquid) blueberries
- Heat oven to 400°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups, or grease bottom of each muffin cup with shortening. Crush cereal with rolling pin or meat mallet (or crush in food processor).
- In medium bowl, stir together egg (or egg whites), oil and yogurt. Add cereal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in berries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.
