Tag Archives: ice cream

10 Healthy Desserts—and They’re Tasty, Too

A sweet tooth is meant to be satisfied—yes, even if you’re watching your weight. Dessert, after all, is one of life’s pleasures, and deprivation typically backfires. It doesn’t have to be a high-calorie, high-fat disaster, either: The trick is making smart choices and substitutions. “Take advantage of foods that are naturally sweet and simply delicious,” says registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. Steer clear of fatty ingredients like creamy whipped topping or butter, and stick with fresh fruit and low-fat choices. Here are 10 desserts that are as healthy as they are tasty:

1. Grilled fruit. Try throwing pineapple, banana, apple, or pear slices on the grill. “There’s nothing healthier than sticking with fresh fruit, and on the grill, it becomes even sweeter,” Gans says. Grilling concentrates flavor by reducing water content, while also caramelizing the fruit’s natural sugars. One serving of grilled pineapple usually provides around 80 calories.

2. Dark chocolate “bark”. Melt dark chocolate and spread it on parchment paper. Sprinkle in healthy ingredients like tart cherries or sunflower seeds, suggests registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet. Refrigerate it for five minutes before breaking it into small pieces. “It’s a healthy option because dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate,” says Jackson Blatner. “And it contains more cocoa, which may make it heart-smart.” One piece of “bark” should come in at less than 100 calories.

3. Ricotta and berries. Blend 1 cup of mixed berries with ¼ cup of low-fat ricotta. “If you’re in the mood for ice cream, this can do the trick,” Gans says. “It’s creamy, sweet, and low in calories.” One serving provides between 150 and 200 calories.

4. Healthy apple “pie.” Bake an apple, cut in half, until soft. Top it with 2 tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt, a dash of cinnamon, and crumbs from one crushed graham cracker. Expect to spend about 150 calories.

5. Biscotti. “If you can stick with one, it’s a great low-calorie cookie,” says Gans; the smaller ones should only set you back about 70 calories. Liven things up with, say, an almond-apricot version, or even honey pistachio.

6. Greek yogurt berry brûlée. Spread plain, nonfat Greek yogurt over fresh berries in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle on a teaspoon of sugar, and use a culinary torch to burn the sugar for a minute or two, until it’s golden. Not only is this treat tasty, but the yogurt is packed with protein, and there’s lots of vitamin C and calcium, too. Calories: around 175.

7. Banana “ice cream” with cinnamon and walnuts. Purée frozen banana chunks with a splash of almond milk, creating a treat with a creamy, ice cream-like texture. Sprinkle chopped walnuts and cinnamon on top. (Cinnamon is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects, and may help diabetics manage their blood sugar levels.) This dessert is a “perfect sub” for ice cream, says Jackson Blatner. “It has less calories, no fat, no added sugar, and potassium and fiber from the banana.” Calories should add up to around 200 to 230.

8. Chocolate chia and almond bites. Use a food processor to purée pitted dates and water until a sticky paste forms. Add in cocoa powder, almonds, and chia seeds to create a solid dough. Shape the mixture into tablespoon-balls, and then refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. The dates make the dessert sweet, and the almonds and chia seeds provide healthy fats—along with texture and crunch. Calories: 160.

9. Mini ice-cream sandwiches. Put a small scoop of light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt between two vanilla wafers. Roll the sandwich in finely chopped dark or bittersweet chocolate so that it sticks to the ice cream. Each sandwich should cost about 200 calories.

10. Dark chocolate-dipped fruit. Microwave a dark chocolate bar until it’s almost melted, and then dip in the fruit of your choice—be it strawberries, mango, papaya, apricot, or banana. “It’s a nourishing and filling option, since fruit is loaded with fiber and water,” says Jackson Blatner. Antioxidants in cocoa are thought to boost the flexibility of blood vessels and lower blood pressure; since dark chocolate has a higher concentration of cocoa than milk chocolate, it contains more of these helpful compounds. Calories in a single chocolate-covered strawberry: around 80.

How can I supplement my weight gain goals?

Ask:

My body type is the definition ectomorph. I am 19 years old, 6’2 and 149lbs. I have an extremely high metabolism and usually low appetite. I don’t think that just making sure to eat three complete meals a day will do it for me. I don’t think that I have the appetite to start consuming massive calories and it’s also just not practical for my lifestyle.

I think I need to use supplements to help gain weight. Any up for consideration?

Answers (2):

Answer 1:

Try mixing a bottle of ensure, 2 scoops of ice cream, and a scoop of peanut butter in a blender then drink it like a milk shake. I’m 15 and have Crohn’s Disease so it’s really hard for me to gain weight (nearly impossible). Peanut butter and nuts have healthy protein in them to help you gain weight.
Here are a few other helpful weight gain recipes ~

INGREDIENTS

* 1 banana
* 1 tofutti cutie
* about 1 cup of juice
* about 1 cup of Vanilla Rice Dream

DIRECTIONS

1) Mix everything in a blender.

Ingredients

* 3 generous scoops lactose-free vanilla ice cream
* 1/2 can Boost

Directions

1) Blend if you have a blender, otherwise stir to a shake. Tastes best through a straw.

Ingredients:

* 1½ tsp. unflavored gelatin
* 2 Tbsp cold water
* 3 Tbsp sugar
* 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
* 1½ cups of any flavor Ensure
* 3 Tbsp corn oil
* 1 tsp vanilla extract

1) Soften gelatin in cold water.
2) Add sugar and corn syrup. Heat slowly to dissolve sugar and gelatin.
3) Combine Ensure, corn oil and gelatin-sugar mixture. Mix well and pour into blender. Blender capacity should be at least 5 cups. Blend until thick and creamy.
4) Add vanilla extract, if desired, and mix well. Or add fruit to the blender at this point. Blend well.
5) Pour blended mix into an ice cube tray and freeze until very icy.
6) Place back into blender and blend until smooth.
7) Pour into container and return to freezer until firm.
Make three ½ cup servings.

This is a shake my doctor recommended for me to gain weight:
2-3 scoops of Ice cream 1 Packet of any flavor Carnation Instant Breakfast

And any other things that you might like to add like fruit candy bars or other stuff.

Ingredients:

1 instant breakfast packet, any flavor
3/4 c. whole milk
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. ice cream, any flavor

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. whole milk

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 banana

1 1/4 c. strawberries (fresh or frozen)

3/4 c. lemon sherbet

2 tbsp. dry skim milk powder

Directions:

1.
Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2.
Blend until smooth.

Go to recipes for cystic fibrosis for more weight gain ideas
http://kidshealth.org/teen/recipes/

Good luck! Hope this helps! =)

Answer 2:

Have had the exact same problem most of my life. At 17 was 120 with goal of 150. Have not got around to checking out how negative with respect to good or bad fats, so would do that before adding one whole egg a day to your diet few times a week. Find on line healthy cookie recipe and try baking some cookies to munch on between meals. One of my family is dietitian and says all that power stuff you can get in health food stores to gain weight is mostly waste of money, because it is nothing more than de-hydrated milk with some vitamins added. Safe way to gain weight is to add muscle. Don’t all the weight loss commercials drive you nuts LOL. You are not that thin so don’t mess too much with a good thing.