Healthy Living: Healthy Eating - Sherbet...Great Low-Fat Dessert

In our quest for healthy eating we look for ways that we can minimize or limit our daily fat intake.  A little bit of fat is ok.  In fact, we need a certain amount of daily fat to maintain healthy nutrition, however, that fat can mount up quickly as it seems that anything that tastes good has lots of fat content.  The challenge is to get the taste we want in the foods we desire without loading up on fat...especially saturated fats.  

That challenge is most clearly put to the test at dinner time when it's time for dessert.  Sure, you can skip dessert, I do it often.  But sometimes (if you have a real sweet tooth) there is no substitute for something sweet at the end of a good meal.  Ice cream is the great American dessert standard, and there certainly are low-fat ice creams on the market, but...have you tried them?  They may be low in fat, but more times than not, they are low in taste as well.  It's just hard to take the fat out of a dessert and keep the rich, smooth flavor.  Next time the dessert spirit moves you, try sherbet.  

Sherbet has low amounts of fat (usually 1 to 3%) yet it maintains a rich flavor and satisfies the need for a sweet dessert.  For those of us that have had heart disease, this provides a wonderful way for us to maintain healthy eating habits without the guilt that we are consuming too much fat. 

Here's a tip for a great sherbet pick-me-up.  Start with your favorite flavor of sherbet.  Put a couple of scoops in a blender.  Add a half cup of fruit, adjusting portions to taste.  I like strawberry banana.  Add a small amount of crushed ice (you can add a protein powder if desired) and blend.  You'll have a great tasting drink that goes well at any time of the day.  

If you have desserts that are low in fat but taste great, let me know.  Meanwhile, I'll keep searching for other tips and secrets to share for healthy living and healthy eating.