Healthy Foods Your Kids Will Love – Great Dessert Ideas

Frozen Yogurt & Fruit Parfait

Making truly “healthy” desserts can be a challenge. Try this colorful frozen yogurt and fruit parfait with layers of frozen nonfat yogurt and fresh seasonal berries, melon, kiwi and banana. You get at least two servings of fruit, and the nonfat frozen yogurt is a good source of protein and calcium, which is important to have for growing kids.

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mixed berries
1/4 cup melon, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 kiwi, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 small banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup frozen nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 Maraschino cherry (for topping)

In alternating layers, spoon fruit (try a nice color pattern) and yogurt into a tall parfait glass. Place the Maraschino cherry on top for decoration. Keep chilled or serve immediately.

Fruit Bars

A tasty dessert completes a good meal. But if it’s too rich, it can add lots of unnecessary calories and fat. This recipe offers you a smart “escape route” without turning you into a party poop.

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, apricots, cut in small pieces
1-1/4 cups golden brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup liquid egg substitute
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Place fruit in a steamer basket, cover and cook over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350º. Combine brown sugar, egg substitute and vanilla in a mixer. Beat until pale and fluffy. Mix with flour and salt. Add the fruit and mix in. Spray a square baking dish with oil and spread out the dough evenly. Bake until golden and puffy, about 35 minutes. Let cool down completely before cutting.

Peach Cobbler

The traditional cobbler is a fruit dish topped with a crisp biscuit. Here is how you can reduce the calorie and fat content by making a better topping and using fresh ripe peaches to avoid extra sugar.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients for filling:
6 cups fresh peaches, sliced
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch

Ingredients for topping:
1-1/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
5 tbsp. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup sour cream, nonfat
3 tbsp. milk, nonfat
1 tsp. raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine peaches, sugar, and cornstarch. Place in a baking dish. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter and whisk in until coarse. Stir in sour cream to soften dough. Spoon the dough over the fruit to form 8 dumplings. Brush each dumpling with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just like Grandma’s – only a little lighter. In this recipe, you can replace the eggs with liquid egg substitute and replace most of the butter with prune purée. Even granny won’t notice the difference, and she will be pleased to know that she taught you well.

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/4 cup prune purée
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda together. Set aside. Whip the butter and prune paste together in the bowl of a mixer until blended, scraping repeatedly the sides of the bowl. Add sugar and beat the mixture until it is dissolved. Beat in the egg substitute until mixture is fluffy. Mix the chips into the dry ingredients and add into the egg mixture with the mixer on low speed. Work until just blended. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray and bake in oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown with the top springing back to the touch.

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