Great HEALTHY desserts

Fresh fruit is always a great idea you can prepare it easily and it tastes great. Nothing tastes better than fresh fruit that is in season. Make sure that it is perfectly ripe and ready to eat, this means it'll be sweet and juicy.
You don't have to stick with the ho hum fruit salad there are a ton of different ways to eat fresh fruit. Keep in mind if you do eat fruit salad, most of the prepackaged on the market are chock full of sugar and fat. Read the label, keep to ones that say in real fruit juice and not light corn syrup.

"We stay away from sugar because it easily converts to fat in the bloodstream." The reason why sugar has such a bad rap has to do with insulin. In the body, insulin has a very important job. It is secreted in response to elevated blood sugar levels, such as those that occur after a meal, and it pushes that sugar into storage. First to be filled are the tissues of the muscles and the liver where the sugar is converted to glycogen. Glycogen is the body's fuel of choice for high intensity aerobic activity because it is readily available and because it is quickly converted to ATP for energy.

Weight Loss Research - helping you to lose weight: Check your BMI

The problem is that the body only has storage for about 2500 calories worth of glycogen providing your stores were totally empty (which is impossible). Most people only have room to store about 500 calories of glycogen from any given meal. After these storage areas become full, insulin pushes the remaining sugar into the other infinite storage area, FAT STORAGE. To reduce the impact of dietary carbohydrate you should strive to eat foods low on the glycemic scale.

The glycemic index, invented in 1981 by David Jenkins and Thomas Wolever of the University of Toronto, is a new system for classifying carbohydrate-containing foods, according to how fast they raise blood-glucose levels inside the body. In simple terms, a food with a higher glycemic value raises blood glucose faster and is less beneficial to blood-sugar control than a food which scores lower. A GI of 55 or less ranks as low, a GI of 56 to 69 is medium, and a GI of 70 or more ranks as high.

I am not in anyway saying that just because a food is at a certain GI it is bad, but as with everything in life, you should try to keep it well balanced. So for this article we will stick to only fruits that are low on the GI index.

Try a putting some apple slices in a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice, a sprinkle of some sweetener (or cinnamon) and a dab of butter (or margarine). Bake on 350 degrees for about a half hour, depending on the size, until the apples are tender. Scoop into a serving dish and add a scoop of fat free frozen yogurt. Instead of frozen yogurt you can also try taking some milk and a sprinkle of sweetener, I like 1%, and using a hand held mixer to whip air into it. You need to make sure that it is ice cold for this. You will notice after awhile it kind of looks like whipped cream.

US Apple Association - lots of great information, free stuff, recipes, & kids stuff.

Try the above with cherries instead of apples, also quite good. I also like it with a bit of uncooked oatmeal in with the cherries while it cooks. You can use it to make tarts or turnovers. Use your imagination.I like to make mine in a non stick pan over medium heat.

"Choose Cherries" - A great site with recipes & information about cherries and their benefits.

I've seen some great recipes for grapefruit, most people don't think about it except for breakfast so I hope these come in handy.

I like to take some cherries, mandarin oranges, pink grapefruit, pineapples, peaches, a squirt of lemon juice and some sweetener and cook them in the crockpot on low heat for about 3 hours. Serve with the above whipped topping or some frozen fat free yogurt.

For those of you who don't care for grapefruit: Broiled Grapefruit Chalet Suzanne
* 1 Red grapefruit
* 2 Tbsp butter (I use a little less)
* 4 Tbsp cinnamon-sweetener mix (1/5 cinnamon, 4/5 sweetener)

Slice grapefruit in half and cut membrane around center of the fruit. Cut around each section half, close to membrane, so that the fruit is completely loosened from its shell. Fill the center of each half with 1 Tbsp butter. Sprinkle each half with 2 Tbsp cinnamon-sweetener mix. Place grapefruit on shallow baking pan and broil just long enough to brown tops and heat to bubbling hot. Remove from oven and serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

Some great citrus recipes, keep an eye on the sugar content though ;)

These are pretty simple, I like just slicing them in half and mixing them in some strawberry lowfat yogurt with maybe some whipped topping.

Florida Grape Growers Association

Syllabubs are usually made with cream, but this zesty low fat orange dessert retains all of the flavor with little of the fat.
INGREDIENTS:

* 4 medium oranges, peeled and membranes removed
* 2 1/2 cups plain low fat or fat-free yogurt
* 6 tbsp nonfat dry milk
* 4 tbsp confectioner's sugar
* 1 tbsp grated orange peel
* 4 tbsp orange juice
* 2 egg whites

PREPARATION:
Cut peeled and skinned orange segments into pieces and divide between four dessert glasses. Mix yogurt, milk powder, sugar, orange peel and juice in a bowl. Cover with wrap and chill. Beat egg whites until stiff.Fold into chilled yogurt mixture, and spoon on to orange segments. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with orange zest.

Citrus fruit facts, recipes and more, from Sunkist.

These are best if you do not over cook them. A little bit of heat to help them release their juices, while mixing in the sweetener, before making them a tart (see above) or something, is best.

The state's oldest, continuously operating peach packing house. Offers recipes, facts, and gift ideas.

Georgia Peach Festival, Byron, Fort Valley, Peach County, GA

Try simmering these with some apples and lemon juice. Add a bit of sweetener and some whipped topping.

Also try adding some of your favorites, pears included to some unflavored gelatin. Mix the gelatin with your favorite 100% fruit juice and let set. Top with whipped topping.

Downloads, recipes, just for kids, & health information.

Try boiling and using it like you would a banana.
Another idea is to bake it with a little cinnamon.

What is a plantain?

All about the plantain, includes recipes &how to prepare it.

I like making cobbler with these also, a little bit of heat, sweetener, and some oatmeal.

Plums - food facts & how to prepare.

History of plums and different species

Most people do not appreciate or understand prunes but they can be cooked so that they are really not that bad. Try simmering with some lemon and or orange, these help sweeten them up.

What are prunes?

Sunsweet prunes

I love this fruit. Let me repeat this, love this fruit. I love so much that I will have a Lens about everything strawberry in the near future, lol.

Low Fat Berry Delight (About.com)

Here's a nice, creamy yet almost fat-free berry dessert that's perfect for spring and summer. Top with a little fat-free whip if you wish.
INGREDIENTS:

* 1 3-ounce pack strawberry gelatin
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 8-ounce package fat-free cream cheese,softened
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
* 1 6-ounce pack fresh raspberries
* 1 cup sliced strawberries

PREPARATION:
Dissolve strawberry gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water, stirring until no granules remain. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in gelatin liquid. Using a wire whisk, add whipped topping, whisking until smooth. Stir in raspberries. Empty into an 8-inch by 8-inch glass dish or similar serving dish. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When set, decorate the top with sliced strawberries, or berries of your choice.

Strawberry hints and tips for buying, storing, and eating.

Cooking Light Magazine

Fruit-Sweet and Sugar-Free: Prize-Winning Pies, Cakes, Pastries, Muffins, and Breads from the Ranch Kitchen Bakery (Healing Arts Press)

Dulce Tentacion

Unbelievable Desserts with Splenda: Sweet Treats Low in Sugar, Fat and Calories

The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook: 300 Appetizing Recipes to Keep Your Weight Down And Your Energy Up! (Everything: Cooking)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss