Recipes Information

Fresh Fruit: The Sweet, Healthy Dessert


Americans love dessert so much that some of us eat it before the meal instead of after. Fudgy brownies, gooey layer cake, cookies the size of saucers - we savor them all. But these desserts are high in sugar, fat, and calories. Is there such a thing as a healthy dessert? Yes, and it's fresh fruit.

"The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook" recommends fresh fruit as a regular dessert and for good reasons. Fresh fruit contains fiber, something we need to eat every day. Our bodies also need vitamin C and fresh fruits are loaded with it. Some fresh fruits, such as red grapes, may protect your body from heart disease and cancer, according to Mayo Clinic.

There are other reasons for eating fresh fruit. An article on www.MyPyramid.gov says fresh fruit may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, protect the body against colon and rectal cancer, and reduce the risk of kidney disease. When the government and Mayo Clinic recommend fresh fruit, they're talking about plain fruit, not something under a mountain of whipped cream.

You must store fruit properly in order to reap its health benefits. The University of California, Davis, says some fruits should be stored at room temperature. Bananas are an example. If you put bananas in the refrigerator they get black spots on them and the flavor diminishes.

Honeydew melon, cantalope, and other fruits that can be refrigerated should be chilled after they're ripe. Store fruit in a separate bin, away from vegetables and meat. Fresh fruit should be washed just before you eat it.

Choosing fresh fruit for dessert satisfies your craving for sweets and helps you get the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. These desserts are the perfect ending for a casual or fancy meal. They're healthy, too, so if you want to eat dessert before dinner, do it!

RED AND GREEN GRAPES WITH FRENCH CREAM. Wash grapes, pat dry with a towel, and put them in a large bowl. For French cream, combine 1 cup of fat free sour cream, 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup Splenda, 1 teaspoon of grated lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon mixed grapes into serving dishes and top with a dollop of French cream.

ORANGE FLOWERS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE. Carefully remove the peel from four oranges. With a serrated knife, cut tic-tac-toe slices in the top of each whole orange, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place the oranges on serving plates. Spread the orange "petals" apart, leaving the center "stamen" in tact. Combine 1/2 cup low sugar raspberry jam with 2 tablespoons hot water and 1 tablespoon of honey. Drizzle sauce over the orange flowers and garnish with mint.

STRAWBERRY DELIGHT PARFAITS. Wash and slice 1 pint of strawberries. Sprinkle with Splenda and set aside. Break apart mini vanilla wafers until you have 1 cup of crumbs. To make parfaits layer strawberries, fat free, sugar free strawberry yogurt, sugar free topping, and crumbled wafers in parfait glasses. Stick a whole wafer on top of each parfait before serving.

BAKED APPLES WITH CINNAMON CRUMBLE. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel 4-5 Granny Smith apples. Cut the apples into slices and arrange in concentric circles on a 9" pie plate coated with baking spray. Combine 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 3 tablespoons extra-light olive oil, and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. Sprinkle crumble mixture over apples and bake until the top is golden brown, or about 30 minutes. Serve warm with a spoonful of fat free, sugar free vanilla yogurt.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. She was a food writer for the former "Rochester Magazine" in her home town of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD is available on http://www.amazon.com.

For more information on her work go to http://www.harriethodgson.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Festive Recipes for Merry Drinking
MarketWatch - 8 hours ago
*High resolution cocktail images and additional recipes are available upon request. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. (C)2008 RUBI REY AND DESIGN IS A TRADEMARK. ...


Kellogg buys Mother's Cake & Cookie Co.'s recipes
CNNMoney.com - 17 hours ago
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Kellogg Co. said Wednesday it is acquiring the trademarks and recipes of Mother's Cake & Cookie Co., a regional brand with a ...
Kellogg Company Acquiring Trademarks and Recipes of Mother's Cake ... MarketWatch
In the Neighborhood Battle Creek Enquirer
UPDATE: US: Kellogg plans to keep Mother’s regional just-food.com (subscription)
just-food.com (subscription) - just-food.com (subscription)
all 34 news articles


Recipes for Health Rich Garlic Soup With Spinach and Pasta Shells
New York Times, United States - 16 hours ago
This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, ...


Examiner.com

Tis the season for eggnog recipes
Examiner.com - 5 hours ago
When you try out some of the recipes on this site, remember that, like many other of our grand traditions, there is history and life behind that little ...


Canada.com

Readers share their oatmeal-cookie recipes
Kentucky.com, KY - 5 hours ago
We asked readers to share their best oatmeal-cookie recipes, and although they have some similarities, these cookies are as individual as the cooks who ...
Winning cookies: Readers submitted recipes, and we picked the best Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Baking for the holidays Grand Junction Free Press
Cookie Tips Emporia Gazette
Canada.com - Minneapolis Star Tribune
all 12 news articles


Rias Baixas Albarino Recipe Contest Winners Wow Celebrity Palates
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
During its third Annual Recipe Contest, contestants from across the nation logged onto the campaign website to enter their recipes that included Italian, ...


Canada.com

More holiday cookie recipes
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 22 hours ago
Note: From Allison Koster of Northfield, Minn. "Cafe Deluxe was an institution in the tiny college town of Decorah, Iowa," writes Koster. ...
Tried and true holiday recipes Canada.com
There's great chemistry in Christmas cookies Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Cutout cookie recipes Press & Sun-Bulletin
WRAL.com - KUAR
all 45 news articles


The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com

Attention deer hunters: Venison works in recipes from easy to elegant
The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com, PA - 23 hours ago
by Marcia White Quail Ridge Press PhotoVension can be the featured ingredient in any traditional beef recipe. My freezer's been filled with deer meat since ...
Venison recipes and cooking tips for Pennsylvania and New Jersey ... The Express Times - LehighValleyLive.com
all 3 news articles


Okoboji Innkeeper Recipes Featured in new Iowa cookbook
Emailwire - Dec 3, 2008
Okoboji Country Inn owner and innkeeper, Donna Muilenburg, has several recipes featured in the new Iowa cookbook, Discover Iowa: Cooking with Iowa Wines, ...
Spencer Iowa Innkeeper Recipes Featured in New Iowa Cookbook Emailwire
New Iowa Cookbook Now Available at Amazon.com Emailwire
all 3 news articles


Heirloom goodies: Holiday cookie recipes
Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 3, 2008
By Jolene Ketzenberger Three generations of cookie fans have enjoyed Darlene Miller's Christmas Yeast Crescents. The Lebanon resident took top honors with ...

Recipes - Google News

home | site map
© 2006