Easy to Make and Fun: 5 Low Calorie yet Delicious Treats

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I was having one of those days last week when nothing I ate was satisfying. Maybe you know what I mean. Most of the time I’m careful about what I eat but that’s the problem. It was one of those days when all I wanted was a tasty sweet treat. Nothing else would do. Low calorie and healthy would be fine but whatever I chose had to be tasty and sweet also. I needed some new ideas fast!

 

There was nothing in the house that would do. I like it that way. It’s much easier to stay on track with healthy eating. But I do believe in keeping my pantry stocked with potentially important ingredients for when an inescapable craving hits.

While reviewing my RSS feeds (an information retrieval system on my computer) I happened upon a recipe for a 35-Second Chocolate Cake in a Cup! I couldn’t believe my good fortune. The recipe looked yummy and I actually had the ingredients on hand. Yippee! I gave it a try and oh wow was that good!

That one success inspired me to come up with other ideas. Here’s what I found.

1. Linda’s Chocolate Cake

I followed the basics of the original recipe for 35-Second Chocolate Cake in a Cup created by Linda of the EatingWellLivingThin blog. However, I switched out the all-purpose flour for whole wheat, used skim milk, and included 2 packages of Truvia instead of the Splenda Granular. And it turned out great. I would imagine the original recipe is as good or better if you’d like to check it out! (follow the link above)

My version:

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

2 Pkgs. Truvia

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. instant coffee crystals (optional, I used Taster’s Choice House Blend)

Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp. skim milk

1 tsp. vegetable oil

Drop of Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Spray a custard cup or ramekin with vegetable cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, Truvia, cocoa powder, baking powder, coffee crystals, and salt till there are no lumps. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the prepared custard cup.

Bake in a microwave oven on high for 35 seconds (time may vary depending on the microwave). Linda suggests cooking an additional 5 seconds if necessary but she says to be careful with overcooking or the cake will become rubbery.

Serve with just a bit of chocolate sauce, sprinkle of powdered sugar, cream, or eat plain as a brownie.

110 calories

3.7 grams protein

2.7 grams dietary fiber

2.0 grams sugar

2. Baked Grapefruit

I’ve never been much of a grapefruit fan because I need to add too much sugar to mask the tartness and underlying bitter taste that I experience when eating a grapefruit cold or at room temperature.

However, adding just a tiny bit of sweetness and baking, an otherwise unappealing grapefruit becomes a restaurant quality, warm, and sweet treat. I think I may never eat grapefruit any other way!

Serves two.

Ingredients:

1 Grapefruit

2 tsp. maple syrup (or honey)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Halve the grapefruit and loosen the sections with a paring knife. Drizzle a tsp. of maple syrup OR honey on each half. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

70 calories

2.6 grams dietary fiber

38.8 mg Vit. C

3. Orange Sorbet

The original recipe I found calls for using sweetened condensed milk. Umm…not a good idea on a low calorie diet. I suppose you might try using plain nonfat yogurt BUT the little bit of fat in Half & Half makes this simple recipe a real treat! And a 1/2 cup serving of the sorbet will only have 1 gram of saturated fat.

Makes 2 servings about 1/2 cup each

Ingredients:

1/8 cup Half & Half Cream (2 Tbsp.)

Juice (and Pulp if preferred) from 2 Oranges

1-2 tsp. Lemon Juice

2 pkgs. Truvia

Directions:

Halve the oranges. Squeeze the juice and pulp into a small bowl. Add the Half & Half Cream, lemon juice, and Truvia. Mix well and freeze for 4-5 hours. Allow to thaw slightly for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

94 calories per serving

97 mg Vit. C

4. Strawberry Sorbet

In this recipe, as with the Orange Sorbet, I chose to use Half & Half Cream instead of plain nonfat yogurt. The difference in taste is noticeable. The calorie count is only slightly higher and the saturated fat content minimal. If you are keeping track of your overall saturated fat intake, the amount in this recipe needn’t be a problem.

Makes 3 servings about 1/2 cup each.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups frozen strawberries

1/2 cup Half & Half Cream

2 pkgs. Truvia

Directions:

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until creamy. Serve immediately or freeze 4-5 hours. Allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

85-100 calories per serving

4.8 grams fat

2.9 grams saturated fat

5.3 grams sugar

41.2 mg Vit. C

5. Easy Baked Apples

Make this recipe for one as a treat and you will also have one serving of fruit for the day. Or enjoy only half at a time. It’s filling and good but not very sweet. If you can afford the additional calories you might want to add a bit more sugar or a sugar substitute.

Serving: One baked apple.

Ingredients:

2 apples (baking apples)

1/4 cup Quick Cooking Oatmeal

2 Tbsp. Half & Half Cream

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the top and bottom off of the apples and core. Pour lemon juice over the cut sides. Mix the oatmeal, half & half cream, cinnamon, and honey. Add mix to apple core. Place the stuffed apples on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake for about 40-50 minutes until tender.

Serve with a little more Half & Half Cream or vanilla yogurt.

For one whole apple:

156 calories

5.4 grams dietary fiber

5.2 grams protein

2.5 grams saturated fat

15 mg Vit. C

I had fun trying these different recipes. Yum! What creative ideas do you have for easy to prepare, low calorie, healthy treats? If you give any of these recipes a try, what changes would you make? Please share. Each of us needs all the help we can get to stay on track with healthy low calorie eating to lose weight or simply maintain. Thanks!

 

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