A Conscious Guide To Having Your Cake And Eating It Too - By: Randy Rabney

I tell my girls all the time that you can have birthday cake and eat the things that you want as long as you are eating your fruits and vegetables every day and exercising. - Michelle Obama

If you've worked with me at all, follow my writing or have even had a short conversation with me about food, then you probably know how I stress the importance of ingredients. I like to work with ingredients that are as close to the way nature created them, organic when possible and recognizable as food to past generations. I talk a good amount about eating health supportive food. So what does that mean when it comes to dessert?

Personally, I don't have a huge sweet tooth. My favorite dessert is a cheese plate. There was a time in my life when I really did crave sugar. I'd eat it every day and would especially want something sweet after a nap. After years of eating less and less processed food and more and more vegetables, my cravings disappeared. This, however, is a different conversation. I know that desserts can be delicious, I still sometimes eat them, many people love them and you should be able to enjoy them. Here are some tips on how to do it.

- Make them at home using the best ingredients: This is my first choice. It allows you to choose ingredients like organic eggs, grass-fed, cultured butter (instead of low quality inexpensive oils), unbleached and whole grain flour and natural sweeteners like maple syrup, evaporated cane juice and palm sugar instead of white sugar. When you make desserts like this, they can actually be more nourishing than many pre made breakfast items, including most cereals marketed to kids.

- Buy them from a very high quality bakery, chocolate shop or indulge when you're at a great restaurant: While it's likely that white sugar will be used, the quality of ingredients will most certainly be considered. Go to a place that uses real butter and if you're lucky enough to find it, organic eggs, real whipped cream instead of whipped topping made of artificial ingredients and low quality oil and the product will be worth the indulgence.

- Choose quality over quantity: When getting desserts out of the house it's important to pay attention to the ingredients used and also to not be tempted by the extra large pieces of cake or even the huge muffins that are so common in many stores and restaurants. When something is really good, a little goes a long way.

- Limit pre-packaged items that have ingredients that prolong the shelf life. Fresh food is perishable. When you going for a treat, why not go for the best? What would you rather put in your body, a cookie that was baked today or a cookie that was baked months ago?

- Check the ingredients before buying ice cream. Look for as few ingredients as possible and don't buy something with ingredients that you don't understand. When you can, look for ice cream that is made from milk that is organic or hormone free.

As with all food, when it comes down to choosing desserts, it's the ingredients that matter most.

Action Steps

- Think about your favorite desserts, what's in them? - Is there a way to improve the quality without limiting your pleasure and satisfaction? - How often do you eat them? - How are you feeling about it?

Copyright (c) 2011 The Conscious Plate

About the Author

Randy Rabney-Founder of TheConsciousPlate.com; dedicated to helping people learn to make educated decisions about their diet. Randy is a Chef, Board Certified Health Counselor, graduate of the Natural Gourmet Inst for Food & Health and Inst for Integrative Nutrition. For support in making fast, healthy & delicious meals, visit our website.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Randy-Rabney/142463

Additional Articles From - Home | Food & beverage | Organic