Healthy Dessert Food Options

If you want something sweet, there are lots of healthier options you can choose. Fruit is an especially good choice and can count towards your 5-a-day, which we should all be aiming for whether it's fresh, frozen, tinned or dried.

You could try:

• seasonal or exotic fresh fruit salad
• a slice of melon
• baked apples
• rhubarb crumble
• tinned peaches with lower fat natural yoghurt - remember to go for fruit in natural unsweetened fruit juice rather than syrup
• low-fat fruit yoghurts - you could buy individual pots, or mix your own using low-fat plain yoghurt and soft fruit

Rather than desserts with cream or chocolate fillings, you could choose:

• fruit flan, tart or pie - the healthier option is pie with just one crust, either a top crust or a flan with a pastry base
• fruit crumbles
• steamed puddings
• rice pudding made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. If you're buying it tinned, go for lower-fat varieties. Try to avoid adding sugar, and throw in some bits of fresh or dried fruit instead such as dates

And rather than having cream with your dessert, which is high in saturated fat go for:

• low-fat yoghurt
• low-fat fromage frais
• fruit puré
• custard made with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk

for more information visit www.healthyfoodforall.com