Healthy low fat, sugarless foods don't have to taste like cardboard. Discover some new recipes and learn tricks and tips that will allow you to eat healthfully and flavorfully.
Baked Goods
Baking without much fat or sugar seems like a recipe for disaster, but it doesn't have to be. Use applesauce or bananas to add moisture and act as a binding ingredient. By adding these ingredients to a baked recipe, the fat content can be reduced significantly. In these sugarless oatmeal cookies, from North Dakota State University, the bananas are used as both a sugar and fat substitute. Most artificial sweeteners don't bake well, instead, use ripe or overripe bananas to add sweetness to the recipe.
Sugarless Oatmeal Cookies
3 bananas
1/3 cup margarine, melted
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Let stand about 5 minutes, until oats become wet.
4. Heap teaspoons with dough and drop dough onto greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet. Remove cookies to wire racks or a towel to cool completely.
Frozen Desserts
Ice creams and other frozen treats don't have to be off limits when following special diets. Fresh fruit purees and fruit juices can be frozen for sorbet-like desserts, while frozen yogurts can substitute for ice cream. Artificial sweeteners can be used in these recipes to add sweetness if desired.
Frozen Fruit Yogurt
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries or peaches
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin, dissolved in a little warm water
1 packet Equal or other artificial sweetener
1 cup low or non-fat plain yogurt
Mix together in a blender or food processor the berries, softened gelatin and sweetener. Gently fold this mixture into the yogurt and pour into a shallow pan. Freeze, beating with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes to reduce the size of the ice crystals. Serve when frozen.
Breakfast Smoothies
An easy breakfast or snack, this smoothie recipe can also be frozen for a treat. If cooked fresh pumpkin isn't available, use unsweetened , or experiment with other fruits. Make sure to use yogurt that has no added sugar; natural, unflavored yogurt works as well.
Pumpkin Smoothie
Blend together and serve in a tall glass:
3/4 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1 cup low fat milk
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
A dash of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Tags: canned pumpkin, cookie sheet