Dessert is a sweet way to cap off a meal, but it can also be a lightning-fast way to derail your healthy-eating efforts. You can stay on plan and still indulge — it just takes a little advance thinking .
Dining out
You’ve probably noticed that dessert portions in restaurants are huge — usually much more than you’d serve yourself at home, and likely way more than you need to feel satisfied. Cream, butter, sugar and nuts can do a number on your weight loss efforts — not to mention your daily SmartPointsTM budget. In fact, you might be surprised to find that dessert may pack in more SmartPoints values than your entrée. See our tips below for finding the biggest, most delicious bang for your buck.
Get a smarter sugar fix
- Plan ahead. If you know you’re going to want dessert, skip the appetizer or box up half of your entrée before you dig in.
- Wait half an hour. Eating dessert at home is easier on your budget and your body. Chances are you’ll have healthier options there and more control over portion size — plus, on the drive home, your sugar craving might pass.
- Split it. Sharing a dessert with your dinner companion is a surefire way to cut down on calories.
- Have a sweet after-dinner drink or coffee instead. A cappuccino with cinnamon and whipped cream just might do the trick.
- Wrap it up. Cut that slice of cheesecake in half and take home the rest in a doggie bag. You can enjoy it again later in the week.
- Stick to one flavour. Many restaurants offer a dessert sampler or let you choose two to three flavours in one bowl of ice cream. Just choose one. Most people eat more when faced with a delicious variety.
- Skip à la mode. Just half a cup of ice cream can add 7 SmartPoints to your dessert. If you must have ice cream, make it the main event and not a topping.
- Hold the whip. You don’t need to eat every last whipped-cream peak — every bite counts. As for that chocolate-dipped coconut cookie sticking artfully out of your mousse, eating it will add additional SmartPoints values to your plate. Wrap it up and save it for tomorrow, or offer it to others at the table.