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Food

How To Make Your Desserts Healthier

February 14, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

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A great dessert can be the perfect way to round off a meal or celebrate a special event. However, you needn’t abandon your healthy eating regime simply to enjoy a good dessert. If you want to avoid harmful additives, tons of sugar and unhealthy fats, take a look at these top tips for making your desserts healthier and tastier.

Switch to dark chocolate

If a recipe calls for chocolate, don’t automatically reach for a bar of white or milk chocolate. The added fat and sugar content will make your dessert less healthy than it could be. Instead, substitute it for good quality dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate that’s at least 70% cocoa will have less sugar than other options, which means your dessert will be healthier than you expect. What’s more, you’ll get the delicious taste and texture of chocolate without the sugar overload. 

Use sweet fruits

Rather than relying on lots of sugar or sweeteners to flavor your desserts, use sweet fruits instead. Raisins, figs, and pineapple are all widely used in desserts, partly because of their sweetness. With a homemade date bar recipe, sticky cinnamon figs or a skinny pineapple cheesecake, you can enjoy a decadent dessert, without unnecessary sugar or calories. 

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Steer clear of cream

Adding cream to a dessert automatically increases the amount of fat it contains. If you like adding a dollop of cream to your dessert, try flavored yogurt or natural Greek yogurt instead. With a range of options available, you can opt for a low-fat addition to your dessert or choose a flavor that complements the dish. Depending on what you use, switching out cream for yogurt could save you hundreds of calories and a good deal of fat too!

Turn to Science

Dessert may be perfect for a sweet tooth, but it’s actually just composed of foods just like any other dish – and those ingredients have their own nutritional properties. Depending on the dessert, they might just have a lot more sugar involved! Using a food macro calculator is a great way to keep an eye on the calories and macronutrients in all your favorite desserts, so you can find healthier alternatives, adjust your portion sizes, and stay aware of exactly what you’re eating.

Have dessert on the go

When you’re planning your meals, be sure to incorporate desserts you can eat on the go. As well as enjoying a sweet treat after a meal, you may crave something sugary in the afternoons. By having sweets and desserts on hand, you’ll always have something healthy to snack on. Fruit bars and no-fat cookies are a great option, so plan ahead and keep a batch in the freezer for when you need them. 

Try whole-wheat flour

When recipes call for plain flour, try using whole-wheat instead. As plain flour is refined, it tends to be less healthy. By switching to whole-wheat, you’ll make your desserts healthier and increase their fiber content. 

Using whole-wheat flour, rather than plain, can alter the texture of your dessert a little bit, in most cases, you’ll barely notice the difference. Practice in advance and you’ll have a good idea of how to make the switch before you are serving your guests. 

Choosing Healthy Desserts

When we are treating ourselves to a tasty dessert, it’s easy to choose things you know you love. However, you could be missing out on something even better! Be open to trying new dishes and flavors and you’ll find there are a wide range of healthy desserts to enjoy. 

Thank you for reading!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: baking, desserts

Health Nutrition Reviews

Live Better with Thrive™ Algae Oil + Recipe

October 26, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Thrive™ Algae. All opinions are my own.

Did you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States? It’s crucial that we supplement those high (bad) fats hidden in our food. There’s been a long time debate between olive oil and coconut oil (which one is healthier; better for your heart?). Olive oil is better for your heart, but still contains 2g of saturated fat. Luckily, there’s a new oil in town: Thrive™ Algae Oil.

ThriveAlgae Cooking Oil LA

Thrive™ Culinary Algae Oil contains only .5g of saturated fat (75% less than olive oil) and has the highest level of monounsaturated fat (the good fat). Cooking with algae oil also makes foods even more delicious. It has a light and delicate taste that lets the flavor of food shine through, and you get to taste the earthy, natural flavor of your ingredients, without heaviness or greasiness. I was worried it would taste like the ocean (I don’t like seafood), but it doesn’t at all. I don’t like the smell of olive oil, and my boyfriend strongly dislikes the taste of coconut oil, so algae oil is perfect! Plus, you can use it for literally any type of cooking. Up until now, an oil low in saturated fats, high in the good fats, that could also be used for frying and high-heat cooking was pretty much unheard of. Now, fried foods, crispy sautéed foods, baked goods, etc. all can be made better.

 

ThriveAlgae Oil Nutrition Facts

I decided to use Thrive™ algae oil for dinner this past evening. I’m a pretty picky eater, so I wanted to make something that was quick and delicious. I decided to make chicken parmesan (without the breading) and green beans with sliced almonds.

 

Follow the steps below to create your yummy chicken parm made with Thrive!

 

First, I poured 1 tbsp of algae oil in the pan, then added the chicken. I used fully cooked chicken, because that’s usually the kind we have in our freezer. 😉 You can use raw chicken, but I recommend baking it in the oven so it cooks thoroughly.

ThriveAlgae Oil Chicken Recipe Blog

I LOVED using the algae oil. It covered the entire pan without forming a puddle (what olive oil tends to do for me), it barely had a smell, and it didn’t burn up! When cooking with olive oil, it tends to disappear or burn a bit. Nothing like that happened with the algae oil.

After the chicken was cooked, I added a bit of marinara sauce and provolone cheese to the chicken while still in the pan.

ThriveAlgae Oil Recipe Blog Chicken

I also sauteed green beans with sliced almonds and a pinch of salt using the algae oil. They were SO delicious; definitely the best I’ve ever had! Plus, it only took me about 15 minutes to make this meal. Perfect for busy, on-the-go parents, students, or even those who dislike cooking.

ThriveAlgae Oil Recipe Blog Thumbnail

Right now, Thrive™ algae oil is only available in Los Angeles (at Gelson’s), as it’s a brand new product. However, you can place an order online here (ships within 5-7 business days). I highly recommend ordering a bottle (or two!) for yourself and your family; you won’t be disappointed!

Stay connected with Thrive™ Algae on social media for updates, recipes, and more: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

  • What kind of cooking oil do you use/prefer?
  • What is your favorite dish using oil?

ThriveAlgae Oil Dog Blog

Even my pup, Archie is intrigued! 😉
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Filed Under: Health, Nutrition, Reviews Tagged With: algae oil, baking, chicken, coconut oil, cooking, Gelson's, good fat, heart disease, heart health, LA, Los Angeles, monounsaturated fat, olive oil, recipe, saturated fat, ThriveAlgae

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