Can desserts be part of a healthy diet?

Yes, they can! When talking about desserts, I’m generally an advocate of eating small portions of whatever dessert you want, infrequently.  The concept of “healthy dessert” is usually uninspiring.  (It brings to mind the only batch of chocolate cookies I made in college that nobody wanted– I used all whole wheat flour and lowfat butter.  I don’t recommend it.)  However, as part of my day job as a physician, I was asked recently to teach a healthy desserts workshop for a group of patients with high blood pressure.  Some of them need to lose weight, others not, but all of them are working on adapting healthier lifestyles.  So I took the challenge.  I thought about the healthy cooking principles I  teach, and applied them to dessert.  Here are my tips on how to include sweets as a (small and occasional) part of a healthy diet.  And don’t forget to allow yourself the occasional “non-healthy,” decadent dessert for special occasions such as your birthday and major holidays. (Disclaimer: this post is not intended as medical advice.  Please consult your doctor if you have any health conditions or special dietary requirements.)

To see my tips and for recipes for Secret Ingredient Brownies and Banana Cardamom “Ice Cream,” head over to BlogHer.