How to Enjoy Dessert and Still Lose Weight · What You Do Need to Know about Calories You don’t have to count calories to lose weight, but understanding calories can help you slim

How to Enjoy Dessert andStill Lose Weight20 Healthy Dessert Recipes

2015 Edition

Contents

The Surprising #1 Reason Desserts Lead To Weight Gain 4

What You Do Need To Know About Calories 5

What You Need To Know About Blood Sugar (For Weight Loss) 5

Desserts And Diabetes

Enjoy Dessert Without Spoiling Your Blood Sugar 6

Three Primary Culprits Make Desserts Such A Danger To Your Blood Sugar 7

Is It Worth Making Changes? 8

5 Dessert Tips For People Who Care About Their Blood Sugar 9

Choosing Fresh Fruits 10

20 Delicious Dessert Recipes 12

Sweet Fillo Shells 14

Chocolate Pudding Shells 14

Very Berry Pie Filling Shells 15

Caramel Pudding Shells 15

Very Berry Pie 16

Chocolate Pudding 17

Caramel Cream Pudding 18

Peanut Butter Flaxseed Cookies 21

Peanut Butter Bites 22

No Bake Pumpkin Chocolate Pie 24

Easy Berry Salad 26

Diana’s Brownie Delights 28

Diana’s Cookies 29

Coconut Macaroons 30

2 Grain Pie Crust 32

Strawberry Peach Parfait 34

Positano Fruit Salad 36

Peach Ice Cream 37

Cherry Ice Cream 38

Crunchy Wheat Berry Parfait 39

Classic Pumpkin Pie 41

Apple Crisp 42

Desserts are usually

the first foods to go

when a person starts a

diet. But that’s no fun!

So we’ve created this

Guide to show you

how to do dessert

smarter. In addition to

some tips and tricks,

you’ll get delicious

recipes for guilt-free

desserts that will

delight your sweet

tooth without sabotag-

ing your weight loss.

The Surprising #1 Reason Desserts Lead to Weight GainReady for some trivia? Guess the #1 reason desserts lead to weight gain.

I bet you’re thinking calories right? Believe it or not, calories are not the answer. The big reason

desserts lead to weight gain is people usually add dessert on instead of working it in.

See if you can relate to this situation.

Jessica was nervous when she parked at the restaurant. It was her first meal

with friends since she’d started losing weight. “Will I look weird? I don’t want

people to know I’m dieting.”

She ordered grilled chicken, chose the side of broccoli, and added a cup of

beans. She enjoyed the envious stares of her friends as she devoured her

delicious meal. And it was only 600 calories. Sweet!

Jessica drove away from the restaurant grinning ear to ear. A mile from

home, she spotted the drive-through. “I’ll grab a milkshake to reward myself

for sticking to my weight loss plan at dinner,” she decided. “I’ll even order a

small.”

What Jessica didn’t know was that 8oz chocolate milkshake had another 400

calories. Her dinner wasn’t so healthy anymore.

Please don’t miss the point of this story. It’s not that milkshakes are bad and you should never

eat them. The takeaway is you need to think about dessert as a part of your meal, instead

of “adding it on” without any thought.

And here’s the good news: You don’t have to count calories!

At Full Plate Living, we recommend filling 75% of your plate with high fiber foods and saving the

rest for other favorite foods. If you’re getting a milkshake after dinner, you need to treat that as

part of your plate. In other words, leave room for it.

When you make room for dessert, you can have your cake and lose weight too.

What You Do Need to Know about Calories

You don’t have to count calories to lose

weight, but understanding calories can help

you slim down faster…

A slice of cookie cake has 580 calories, but

1 cup of vanilla ice cream has 290. So, if you

like ice cream as much (or more) than you

like cookie cake, choose the ice cream. Or,

if you’re a big cookie cake fan, maybe have

half a slice instead of a whole one. Over time,

choices like this can speed up your weight

loss.

And be on the lookout for lower calorie des-

serts. You’ll find a bunch of delicious ideas in

this Guide!

What You Need to Know about Blood Sugar (for weight loss)

A big problem with most desserts is they

mess with your blood sugars. Stable blood

sugar makes it much easier to lose weight.

Unstable blood sugar…well, you’re smart. You

get the picture. :)

We’ve designed the recipes in this Guide to

give you better blood sugar control.

Of course, over time, high blood sugar can

also lead to diabetes. And if you already have

diabetes, high blood sugars will cause health

complications.

If high blood sugar is a problem for you, this next section will help.

If not, you can skip to the recipes on page 12.

Full Plate Living How to Enjoy Dessert and Still Lose Weight | 6

Ah, dessert.

Why does it have to be so tantalizing on the tastebuds and a wrecking ball on blood sugars?

If you’re concerned about your blood sugar, this guide will give you the nitty gritty on enjoying

dessert in a healthy way. That will lead to tighter blood sugar control over time.

But first, a quick synopsis of what happens to your body once that first bit of sweetness

touches your tastebuds. As you may already know, your body turns all food you consume into

glucose - the main fuel that gives it energy. But in order for the body to use glucose, it needs a

little bit of help. The pancreas makes insulin, which helps glucose enter your body’s cells.

The problem is, the typical American diet is full of foods that tend to lead to high blood sugar

levels, which demand lots of insulin to bring them down. Over time, this frenzied work can wear

down your pancreas and lead to Type 2 Diabetes. For people who already have diabetes, those

high blood sugars can lead to complications - heart disease, dialysis, blindness, amputations...

to name a few.

Enjoy Dessert without Spoiling Your Blood Sugar

Desserts and Diabetes

People who choose to implement lifestyle changes recommended in this guide, such as

changes in their diet and exercise regimens, should consult with their physician or health care

provider before making changes.


Three primary culprits make desserts such a danger to your blood sugar

1. Sugar

As we said earlier, when you eat a plate of food, your body turns it into blood sugar. This pro-

cess works best when it takes time, resulting in a steady supply of blood sugar to power your

body’s cells until your next meal.

But here’s the problem: sugar is already sugar.

It takes very little time to convert sugar into blood sugar. And when you’re eating sugary des-

serts after a meal that’s already high in carbs (foods that easily break down into sugar), you end

up with Everest-sized readings on your blood glucose monitor.

2. Processed,refinedgrains

Processed grains, such as white flour, are found in cookies, cakes, and many other desserts.

And these grains are examples of starches. What are starches? Bad news. Starches are hun-

dreds of sugar molecules hooked together in long chains.

So when you eat a slice of cake, you’re consuming a large amount of sugar and processed

grains. This is a double whammy for your blood sugar, which leads to a blood sugar spike.

3. Fat

Most desserts like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, and pies also have a lot of fat. Fat is

more of a silent, behind-the-scenes culprit. It doesn’t spike your blood sugar; however, a lot of

fat makes it hard for your insulin to lower your blood sugar. Over time, this leads to insulin resis-

tance - the medical term for when the pancreas wears out because it can’t pump out enough

insulin to keep the blood sugar down.



Is it worth making changes?So now you know how typical desserts can harm your blood sugar, your pancreas, and your

overall health. But when some people think about making changes to their dessert habits, they

get grumpy. They question whether it’s really worth it.

“Why should I make changes when no one else is? I’m healthier than most of my friends, and they’re doing fine,right?”

When these thoughts begin orbiting your brain, it’s good to have an answer.

Here it is:

25.8 million Americans have diabetes — and of those, 7 million don’t even know they have it. *

It’s also estimated that one in three American adults have pre-diabetes. That means they are on

their way to diabetes.

That’s a staggering statistic. One in three American adults are currently heading in the direction

of diabetes. You are definitely not alone!

If you have trouble believing that could be true, compare the world of today to the world of your

childhood. When you were a kid, was there a fast food place on every corner? Were grocery

aisles stocked with cheap, packaged junk food? Did restaurants offer sodas the size of your

head?

Our choices are catching up with us.

But this section isn’t intended to be a soapbox. It’s only here to give you the motivation you’ll

need to make healthy changes. So let’s cover a few tips and then get to the recipes!

* National Diabetes Education Program: http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes-facts/index.aspx#howmany



5 Dessert Tips for People Who Care About Their Blood SugarKeep in mind that no matter how diabetic-friendly a processed dessert is, it will still cause your blood sugars to spike.

But the spikes will be much gentler if you follow the following tips:

1. Since processed

desserts contribute

to high blood sug-

ars and high blood

sugars can lead to

all kinds of serious

health problems,

it’s important to monitor portion sizes and to re-serve processed desserts for spe-cial occasions.

A good guideline is

once or twice a week

– not every meal,

everyday. On those

other days, a piece

of fruit can be a great

way to wrap up a

meal. And when you

DO choose to have

processed desserts,

be sure to stick to the

actual serving size.

2. When you eat des-

sert, you should

limit other blood

sugar-spiking foods

in the meal. For

instance, this can

mean skipping the

side dish of potatoes

in order to have a

cookie. When it comes to des-sert, don’t add it on – work it in.

3.Remember that taste buds change. When you

first taste healthier

desserts, you may

think they need more

fat or sugar. But after

some time to adjust,

you will find our des-

serts delicious and

satisfying. And the

processed ones you

enjoyed before will

make you feel yucky

when you try them.

4. When you bake, purchase, or prepare des-serts, don’t keep more than one serving. Leaving

cookies in the jar or

an extra slice of pie

in the fridge leads to

over-indulging. If you

do bake or purchase

more than you need,

find a new home for

the leftovers. Give

them to a friend, take

them to work, or

throw them out.

5.Enjoy dessert when you eat it. Don’t scarf it down.

Savor each bite and

let the pleasure of

that experience satis-

fy you for a few days.



Choosing Fresh FruitsThe best dessert in the world is fresh fruit. Fruit is packed with health-promoting vitamins and

minerals and phytochemicals, and the sugar is diluted by water and fiber. Below are some tips

about choosing fruits.

Apples

Apples are best when they have taut skin,

that’s very firm when gently pressed. Avoid

those with soft spots or punctures. Flavor

and texture vary widely among varieties. Seek

them out at local farm stands or farmers’ mar-

kets in the fall. (Granny Smith apples are the

least sweet if you want to go for the variety

with the least amount of sugar.)

Berries

Unsweetened berries, either fresh or frozen,

are some of the most blood sugar friendly

fruits. Strawberries should be fragrant, shiny,

firm, not too big, with healthy green stems.

Blueberries should be firm, uniform in size,

with no green or red areas. Raspberries

should be full, just soft, but not oozing juice.

Blackberries should be full, plump, with no red

or green areas. Watch for mold and mush.



Grapefruit and oranges

Pick ones that are heavy for their size. With navel oranges,

avoid severe bruises and soft spots. Oranges for juice and

grapefruits should be taut, with shiny skin.

Lemons and limes

You want the ones that are not much more than 3 inches

from tip to stem, heavy for their size, with taut, thin skin.

Avoid those with very hard skin. Should give slightly when

pressed.

Pears

Pears are best when fragrant, with no soft spots, punc-

tures, or bruises. To eat right away, pears should give

easily if pressed gently at the base of the stem. They ripen

quickly in a brown paper bag.

Stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums)

Pick the fruit that is most fragrant with taut skin. Avoid

those with wrinkles and bruises. They should have some

give when gently pressed. Handle carefully, and place no

more than four per bag. Leave firmer fruit to ripen at room

temperature.

Bananas

In general, bananas are not so diabetic friendly, especially

when they’re ripe. However, if you want a banana, choose

one that’s plump, evenly colored, and green on the ends.

The greener you eat them, the gentler they are on your

blood sugars.

Melons

Melons are not very diabetic-friendly, but if you choose

one, be sure it’s fragrant and heavy. Press the end oppo-

site the stem to feel for a bit of give.


19 Delicious Dessert Recipes And now the moment you’ve been waiting for…

Or maybe you got tired of waiting and skipped

ahead. Can’t blame you. These recipes are total-

ly awesome. But you should go back some time

to check out what you missed. It’s awesome too

because it helps you avoid the mistakes that lead to

weight gain and crazy blood sugars.

And here’s an important point about these

recipes…

They’re still dessert.

These delicious treats are great alternatives to pro-

cessed desserts. But you don’t want fill your plate

with these foods. Just because a cookie recipe is

healthier doesn’t make it broccoli. Comprende?

That said, these tasty recipes are special. They’re

better for weight loss, better for blood sugar, and

they contain more healthy nutrients. Basically,

they’re candy to your taste buds and the rest of

your body.

Take a look, and email us with any questions or

comments. We want this Guide to make your life

better, and your feedback helps!

Yum!


Sweet Fillo ShellsMakes 15 shells: 7 ½ - 2 shell servings

Mini Fillo Shells were definitely winners in the

pastry department when it came to keeping

a dessert blood sugar friendly. We filled ours

with three different “puddings” - chocolate,

berry, and caramel. It takes about 2 table-

spoons of each filling to top off a shell. And 2

filled shells are the serving size analyzed for

each flavor.

Filling recipes on following pages.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 2 Shells

Calories: 90

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 55mg

Total Carbohydrate: 11g

Dietary Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 3g

Protein: 2g

Net Carbohydrate: 8g

Carb Choice: 1/2

Chocolate Pudding

Use 2 tablespoons of chocolate pudding (pg

17) in each shell. Chill before serving.

Sweet Filo Shells


Very Berry Pie Filling

Use 2 tablespoons of very berry pie filling (pg

18) in each shell. Chill before serving.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 60

Fat: 1g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 25mg


Dietary Fiber:1g

Sugars: 3g

Protein: 1g


Carb Choice: 2/3

Caramel Cream Pudding

Use 2 tablespoons of caramel cream

pudding (pg 19) in each shell. Chill before

serving.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 150

Fat: 4.5g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 240mg


Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sugars: 6g

Protein: 5g


Carb Choice: 1

Sweet Filo Shells


Very Berry Pie


Very Berry PieMakes 1 - 9” pie: 8 slices

This tart berry pie gets all of its flavor from fresh berries. Yum!

1 - 2 Grain Pie Crust (pg 33), pre-baked

2 - 12 ounce bags unsweetened frozen mixed berries

6 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup water

Make your pie crust, bake, and cool. Put frozen berries in a saucepan and bring to a boil over

medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together

cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch mixture to berries and stir until thickened. Spoon into pie

crust and chill before serving.

Recipe tip: You can use this filling in the Very Berry Shells.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1/8th of a 9” pie

Calories: 150

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 75mg


Dietary Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 7g

Protein: 1g


Carb Choice: 1 1/2


Avocado Chocolate PuddingMakes 1 cup: 4 - 1/4 cup servings

Here’s a marvelous heart healthy chocolate treat. The fat comes from

avocado, which is jam packed with cholesterol lowering fiber. But the

taste comes from good old cocoa powder.

1 ripe avocado

1 ¼ cups almond milk or coconut milk (from carton not can)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons Florida Crystals (organic cane juice crystals) or sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon hazelnut extract

1/8 teaspoon caramel extract

Cut the avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and put the flesh in

a small food processor or blender. Add the remaining ingredients and

process or blend on high until creamy, 1-2 minutes.

Recipe tip: This keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can

use this pudding as a filling for Avocado Chocolate Shells.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1/4 C

Calories: 120

Fat: 9g

Saturated Fat: 1.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 60mg


Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sugars: 6g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1/2

Avocado Chocolate Pudding


Caramel Cream PuddingMakes 1 ½ cups: 6 - ¼ cup servings

What’s not to love about caramel? Probably the effect it can have on

your blood sugars. But here’s a fabulous fiber-rich version that will get

your tastebuds dancing with joy and your sugars pleasantly stable.

The secret? Beans...shhhh...don’t tell your family, just let them try it

before you confess.

1 - 15 ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon organic powdered sugar or powdered sugar of your

choice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cashew butter

½ teaspoon caramel extract

Put rinsed, drained beans in a food processor. Add the remaining in-

gredients and process until creamy, about 2 minutes. Chill in a covered

container before serving.

Recipe tip: You can use this caramel pudding as a topping on various

fruits, as well as the filling in Caramel Pudding Shells.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: ¼ C

Calories: 120

Fat: 3g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 220mg


Dietary Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 6g

Protein: 5g


Carb Choice: 1


Peanut Butter Flaxseed Cookies


Peanut Butter Flaxseed CookiesMakes 20 - 2 tablespoon cookies

Adding healthful flaxseed to good ol’ natural peanut butter is an

unusual twist to the all American favorite, which takes these peanut

butter cookies to new flavor heights - and lower fat depths.

½ cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread, Organic Whipped

¾ cup Florida crystals (organic cane juice crystals) or sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup natural peanut butter (no added sugar or fat)

¼ cup ground flaxseed

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon Rumford Baking Powder

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In a medium bowl, beat the spread, sug-

ar item, vanilla, and peanut butter until creamy. In a small bowl, stir

together the flaxseed, flour and baking powder, and stir into the peanut

butter mixture until well combined. To make the cookies, pack the

dough into a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop or measue, place on the

baking sheet, and flatten the cookies slightly with a fork. Bake for 12-

15 minutes, until golden brown. Immediately place on a cooking rack

and cool.

Recipe tip: Be sure to let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a

couple minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. If you try to

remove them immediately they fall apart.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1 cookie

Calories: 140

Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 1.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 85mg


Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 3g


Carb Choice: 1


Peanut Butter BitesMakes 17 - 2 tablespoon balls

Similar to the flaxseed cookies but with a touch of chocolate chips,

these bites are the perfect chocolate fix.

1 cup dry old-fashioned oatmeal

2/3 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup natural peanut butter (no added fat or sugar)

½ cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir together very well.

Pack the mixture into a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop or measure,

remove, roll into a ball, and place in a container. Repeat until all the

balls are formed. Cover the container and chill for at least half an hour

before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Serving tip: These are perfect for serving at get-togethers. Quick and

easy.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1 ball

Calories: 140

Fat: 8g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 50mg


Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 6g

Protein: 3g


Carb Choice: 1


Peanut Butter Bites


No Bake Pumpkin Chocolate Pie


No Bake Pumpkin Chocolate PieMakes 1 - 9” pie: 16 slices

This is our most popular desert. Every single team member was in love with the smooth choc-

olatey taste. Just pay attention to the serving size. No bake pies are much higher in carbohy-

drates, and this one is no exception.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 - 15 ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder


1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 - 9” graham cracker crust

Put the chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and melt them by microwaving for 40 seconds.

Immediately add the next 4 ingredients and stir together with a wire whisk until smooth. Add the

filling to the crust, spread evenly, and refrigerate for a few hours to set before serving.

Recipe tip: This pie would also work great as a frozen treat.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 130

Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 2.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 125mg


Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 12g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1


Easy Berry SaladMakes 4 cups: 4 - 1 cup servings

This basic fruit salad is quick to make, colorful to look at, delicious to eat, and

thanks to the naturally low glycemic properties of berries, diabetic friendly. You

can jazz it up with a bit of fat free Cool Whip® or homemade coconut milk cream.

When fresh berries are not in season, just use frozen unsweetened berries.

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 cup fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blackberries

8 tablespoons fat free Cool Whip®

Rinse and drain berries well. Put all the berries in a small bowl and gently fold

them together. Divide the berry mixture among 4 serving dishes and top each dish

with 2 tablespoons of topping. Serve immediately.

Nutrition note: Berries are a wonderful diabetic friendly fruit because they are

fiber-rich but not sugar concentrated, despite their sweetness.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1 cup

Calories: 80

Fat: 0.5g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 5mg

Total Carbohydrate:19g

Dietary Fiber: 6g

Sugars:10g

Protein: 1g


Carb Choice: 1


Easy Berry Salad


Diana’s Brownie DelightsMakes 1 - 8” x 8” baking dish: 9 brownies

Velvety, rich, and moist, these brownies are a scrumptious alternative to

the usual suspects full of the sugar and saturated fat.

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup Florida crystals (organic cane juice crystals) or sugar

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ cup almond flour

1 tsp Rumford Baking Powder

1 – 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread, Organic Whipped

½ cup water

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 º F. Lightly spray an 8” x 8” baking dish. Put the

first 5 dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir together well. Put the re-

maining 5 ingredients in a food processor and process until very creamy.

Add to the dry ingredients and stir all together. Put batter in baking dish

and spread evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpaste stuck in the

center comes out clean.

Recipe tip: Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1 brownie -

1/9th of an 8” x 8” baking dish

Calories: 170

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 1.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 250mg


Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sugars: 17g

Protein: 4g


Carb Choice: 1 2/3

Diana’s Brownie Delights


Diana’s Cookies

Diana’s Cookies 3/4 cup Earth Balance natural buttery spread, Original

3/4 cup Florida Crystals (organic cane juice crystals)

1/4 cup brown sugar packed


1/4 cup soymilk or almond milk

2 tablespoons canola oil or other vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups white flour all purpose

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips non-dairy

1/2 teaspoon salt

Be sure all your ingredients are room temperature before you mix.

1. Preheat oven to 350 º F.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Measure the flours as de-scribed in the tips below and put them in the same small bowl.

4. Add the baking soda and salt to the flours and stir all together well and set the bowl aside.

5. In a separate small bowl, whisk together oil and milk and set aside.

6. Measure chocolate chips into a small bowl and set aside.

7. In a medium bowl, cream to-gether with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy: Earth Balance marga-rine, both sugars and vanilla.

8. Add the oil and milk mixture and cream all together with the electric mixer for another minute.

9. Add half the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir together with a spoon. Add the chocolate chips and stir together. Then add the rest of the flour and stir all together again.

10. Scoop dough onto bak-ing sheets using a 2-oz ice cream scoop. Pack and level the dough in the scoop before placing on the baking sheet. Leave a couple inches between cookies. Press down just a bit on each cookie.

11. Bake for 12 minutes.

12. Leave cookies on the bak-ing sheet briefly before re-moving with a metal spatula to a cooling rack.

Here’s the method for measuring the

flours in this recipe: Stir the flour several

times with a wire whisk to unpack it a bit

by mixing in some air. Scoop up the flour

with a measuring cup and level off with a

knife. Put the flour in a small bowl.

Nutritional data

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Calories 230

Fat 13g

Sodium 190mg

Total Carbs 28g

Dietary Fiber 2g

Protein 2g


Coconut MacaroonsMakes 24 macaroons: 12 - 2 cookie

servings

These honey golden bundles are our

unique diabetic-friendly version of the

sugar laden Jewish original. The secret

is that we replace a portion of the usual

coconut with carrot, and use unsweet-

ened coconut for the remainder. The

result is a distinctive synthesis of Old

World carrot cake and conventional

almond kissed coconut macaroons.

Watch your portions though, because

even unsweetened coconut is still high

in fat. These cookies can be baked and

frozen for later use.

1 cup tightly packed grated carrots

¼ cup water

6 tablespoons Florida Crystals (or-

ganic cane juice crystals) or sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 ¼ cups unsweetened shredded

coconut

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together well. Let sit for

15 minutes. To make cookies, pack the mixture into a 2 tablespoon ice

cream scoop or measure and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20

minutes, until slightly golden. (Cookies will brown first on the bottom,

so watch carefully!)

Recipe tip: You can use ½ of this recipe as the crisp in our Apple Crisp

recipe.


Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 2 macaroons

Calories: 180

Fat: 12g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 110mg

Total Carbohydrate:16g

Dietary Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 8g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1

Coconut Macaroons


2 Grain Pie Crust


2 Grain Pie CrustMakes 4 single 9” pie crusts: each crust - 8 servings

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING:

1/8th of the pie crust

Calories: 80

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 75mg


Dietary Fiber: 1g

Sugars: 0g

Protein: 1g


Carb Choice: 1/2

This tasty pie crust has ½ the carbs of store bought pie crusts and is incredibly easy to make.

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup unbleached white flour

1 cup oat flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cold water

2/3 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 º F. In a small bowl, stir

together the flours and salt. Put the water and oil

in a blender and blend until it becomes thick and

creamy. Add the blended mixture to the flours, and

stir together until you have one large ball of dough.

Separate into two balls. Place one dough ball be-

tween two pieces of wax paper and roll out with a

rolling pin. Peel off the top piece of wax paper, place

the pie pan upside down on the dough, flip the two

over so the pie pan is facing up, and peel off the

other piece of wax paper. Press the dough into the

pie pan, trim the edges, and prick the bottom with a

fork if you are baking an unfilled pie crust. Bake for

20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and firm. If you

are filling the pie crust, bake according to the recipe

instructions. If the baking time is more than 25 min-

utes, you will need to cover the edges of the crust to

prevent burning.

Freezing tip: Save leftover dough by wrapping it

in plastic wrap and freezing. Let thaw completely

before using.


Strawberry Peach ParfaitMakes 1 Parfait

Peaches and strawberries make the perfect replacement for

strawberry box cake when paired with lady fingers and caramel sauce.

1 lady finger, cut in 4 pieces

1/3 c chopped fresh peaches

¼ c chopped fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons Caramel Cream Pudding

Put the lady finger pieces in the bottom of the parfait glass. Cover

them with half the caramel topping and add the chopped fruit. Top

with the remaining caramel topping and serve.

Recipe tip: Lady fingers are more gentle on your blood sugars than

sponge cake, and they taste wonderful when paired with summer fruit.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING: 1 Parfait

Calories: 80

Fat: 1.5g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 15mg

Sodium: 55mg


Dietary Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 9g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1


Strawberry Peach Parfait


Positano Fruit SaladMakes 1 ½ cups: 2 - ¾ cup servings

Tangy and sweet? This fruit salad is the perfect refresher for a beach

getaway.

1 large orange

½ c fresh raspberries

½ c fresh strawberries, diced

1 tsp lemon juice

Cut the orange in half, scoop out the flesh, and place in a small mixing

bowl. Add the raspberries, diced strawberries, lemon juice, and mix

together. Divide the salad between the two orange peel bowls. Enjoy.

Recipe tip: For a sweeter taste, pick oranges when in season.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 70

Fat: 0g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg


Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sugars: 12g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1

Positano Fruit Salad


Peach Ice CreamMakes 2 3/4 cups: 4 - 2/3 cup servings

This creamy sorbet is bursting with real peach flavor.

1 - 16 ounce bag unsweetened frozen peaches

1 tablespoon Florida Crystals (organic cane juice crystals) or sugar

¼ cup Greek yogurt

¼ cup fat free Cool Whip®

Thaw peaches until they soften, about 30 minutes. Put thawed peach-

es and juice in a food processor or blender, and process or blend

until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process or blend until

thoroughly mixed. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. The ice

cream will be ready to serve in 45-60 minutes. Alternatively, you can

freeze the mixture, which should be ready to serve in 2-3 hours.

Recipe tip: Fill up your popsicle forms with the mixture and surprise

the kids, or the kids at heart, with a guilt-free peachy treat.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 70

Fat: 0.5g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 10mg


Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 14g

Protein: 2g


Carb Choice: 1

Peach Ice Cream


Cherry Ice CreamMakes 2 ½ cups: 5 - ½ cup servings

Here’s a delicious way to get your cherry fix even when they are out

of season. Frozen cherries are just as nutritious, and you won’t even

be able to tell they were not fresh when this homemade ice cream hits

your taste buds.

1 - 12 ounce bag of unsweetened frozen cherries (not sour cherries)

½ cup fat free Cool Whip®

Let the cherries thaw until they soften, about 30 minutes. Put the

thawed cherries and juice in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Add the Cool Whip® and process until thoroughly mixed. Transfer the

cherry mixture to an ice cream maker. The ice cream will be ready to

serve in 45-60 minutes. Alternatively, you can freeze the cherry mix-

ture, which should be ready to serve in 2-3 hours.

Recipe tip: Fill up your popsicle forms with this cherry mixture and

surprise the kids, or the kids at heart, with a guilt-free cherry treat.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING:1/2 cup

Calories: 90

Fat: 0.5g

Saturated Fat: 0.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg


Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 16g

Protein: 0g


Carb Choice: 1 1/3

Cherry Ice Cream


Crunchy Wheat Berry ParfaitMakes 1 cup: 2 - ½ cup servings

Here's a tasty parfait that will be gentle on your blood sugars, mainly

because the "granola" is made with wheat berries, and has no added

sweeteners.

¼ cup Guilt Free Granola

½ medium pear, diced

½ medium peach, diced

6 ounces plain yogurt

Make Guilt Free Granola if you do not have any on hand. Wash and

dice the fruit, then stir together. Layer half the fruit, half the yogurt and

1/8 cup of the granola in a parfait glass for one serving.

Recipe tip: Fruit yogurt contains quite a bit of added sugar that will

spike your blood sugars much more than plain yogurt.

Nutrition Facts


Calories: 150

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 60mg


Dietary Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 10g

Protein: 10g


Carb Choice: 1

Crunchy Wheat Berry Parfait


Classic Pumpkin Pie


Classic Pumpkin PieMakes 1 - 9” pie: 8 slices

Serve this pie at your next fall gathering.

1 box Mori-Nu silken tofu, extra firm, light

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 - 15 ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 - 9” 2 Grain Pie Crust

Combine the tofu and maple syrup in a food processor or blender until

creamy. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar and seasonings and process

or blend well. Put the mixture in the pie crust and spread evenly. Bake

at 400ºF for 1 hour, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out

clean. You may want to cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent

over-browning. Chill before serving.

Recipe tip: Light silken tofu is a great substitute for fatty cheeses

like mascarpone or cream cheese, used in desserts like tiramisu and

cheesecake. Because tofu is tasteless, you can give it any flavor you

wish by the seasonings you use. And you get to lose lots of fat calories

in the process.Nutrition Facts


Calories: 160

Fat: 6g

Saturated Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 190mg


Dietary Fiber: 3g

Sugars: 12g

Protein: 5g


Carb Choice: 1 1/3


Apple CrispMakes 8 servings of an 8” x 8” baking dish

Sweet and sour marry perfectly in this new twist on an old favorite.

1 Granny Smith apple, diced

2 tablespoons cinnamon

½ Coconut Macaroons recipe

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with

cooking spray. Make ½ recipe of Coconut Macaroons and

press it into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with the

diced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 30

minutes, or until the apples start to brown. Remove

from the oven and let cool completely before slic-

ing.

Recipe tip: If you choose sweeter apples,

you can cut down the sweetener in the

Coconut Macaroons by 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition Facts

ANALYSIS FOR 1 SERVING:

1/8th of an 8” X 8” baking dish

Calories: 160

Fat: 8g

Saturated Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 85mg


Dietary Fiber: 4g

Sugars: 13g

Protein: 1g


Carb Choice: 1-1/4


Apple Crisp

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