Who doesn’t love a little dessert?  Is it possible to make healthy choices when it comes to dessert?  Yes!  There are alternatives that still satisfy the sweet tooth, but don’t compromise healthy eating.  For example, smoothies are a great way to incorporate fruits into your diet and still feel like you are eating a treat. Get creative and  share your favorite recipe in the comment  box below.   Sherbet can be a good alternative to ice cream when it comes to fat.   If you want to bake a treat, look for opportunities to include whole grains instead of white flour, such as the whole wheat cookie recipe listed below.  This adds the good kind of grain we should consume each day.  Another simple alternative is to replace sweets with some fresh fruit.
 
Whole Wheat Cookies
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and milk. Combine all ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. 
Recipe taken from www.cooks.com
 

Smoothies
1 cup apple juice
1 cup milk
1 frozen banana
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup strawberry yogurt

Pour all liquid ingredients into the blender. Add all frozen ingredients. Blend at MIX setting for 30 seconds then blend at SMOOTH setting until smooth. While the machine is running, move the stir stick around counter-clockwise to aid mixing. Serve immediately. Each recipe serves 3-5.
Recipe taken from www.smoothieweb.com

It is noon, and you are standing in front of the work refrigerator staring into the freezer.  You are staring at a collection of colorful boxes, with mouthwatering names like butternut squash ravioli and oven roasted beef burgundy.  You choose the butternut squash ravioli, but was that a healthy choice?
It’s no surprise that frozen dinners are popular.  They are fast, convenient, and great for singles, a busy family and office workers.  They can also be a huge money saver in these hard economic times, compared to restaurant meals! With so many choices, it is hard to find one that is good, satisfies your hunger and are healthy for you. Here are some tips to help you pick out a healthy frozen entrée.  Keep in mind that most meals will meet some, but not all of these recommendations.
• 300-500 calories
• 10-18 grams of total fat, or less than 30% of total calories
• Less than 4 grams of saturated fat
• Less than 800 milligrams of sodium
• 3-5 grams of fiber
• 10% of the Recommended Daily Value of vitamins or minerals
• 10-20 grams of protein
If a smaller entrée won’t satisfy your hunger, don’t be afraid to add a side of fruit, or some yogurt.  Next time you take a stroll down the frozen foods aisle, you will be better prepared to make the healthy choice.

Nearly anyone who has ever gazed over the rows of brightly colored packages and deposited the right combination of coins and bills into a vending machine has noticed that most of the choices are unhealthy.   Lurking in the back of offices and schools, vending machines wait for people weakened by hunger pangs to come, change jingling in their pockets.  As most students and office workers know, making healthy choices is a difficult task, especially when hungry.   A morning spent in meetings and hours at the computer make that Snickers bar hard to avoid–as if being tasty didn’t make that hard enough. Next time you want to push D6 for that Little Debbie cake, consider some of the following healthier options.

Instead of…                                                    Try this…

Combos Cheddar cheese 240 calories     Nacho Cheese Doritos 150 cal.

Original Sun Chips210 calories               Baked Lays 110 cal.

Double Decker Oatmeal Pie470 cal.         Rice Krispies Treat 150 calories

Mrs. Field’s Choc. Chip Cookie 330 cal.   Milano Cookies (1 pkg) 180 cal.

Twix (1 pkg) 280 calories                      Kit Kat ( 1 package) 220 calories

Sugar Wafer(1 pkg) 400 cal.              Vanilla Crème Cookies(1 pkg) 170 cal. 

Corn Chips 160 calories                         Pretzels  110 calories