‘For special occasions’

A treat every now and then is one way to spoil yourself, but it is important to remember that it is indeed a treat and not a necessity. Making good choices and eating small portions will allow you to still enjoy a treat for special occasions.

The desserts and treats in this section do contain carbs and small amounts of sugar, but these are better options than most other desserts and puddings. If you plan a meal that will include dessert, remember to take this into consideration and ‘allow’ for this after the main meal. If a dessert with a higher carb content is chosen, then you need to compensate with the meal and either have a ‘no carb’ side dish or choose a low-carb dinner. This way it is easier to make the best choices and to ensure that your dinner and dessert doesn’t contain too many carbs. This is a great tip for all of us to enjoy healthy meals and even more so for those with diabetes.

There are a wide range of ingredients and options to help make healthier choices. Be creative with different seasonal fruit and rather sprinkle with toasted nuts than chocolate. A homemade custard, where you can manage the amount of sugar added, is a better option than shop-bought custard. Serve desserts with plain unsweetened low-fat yoghurt seasoned with vanilla, cinnamon or lemon rind instead of cream or ice cream. A sprinkle of toasted coconut can add wonderful flavour to many desserts. Ground spices like cinnamon, mixed spice and allspice add lots of flavour to fruit based desserts.