October 24, 2008
Grain-Free Dessert Ideas
Are you similar to me in that you follow a grain-free diet? More and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease as well as a more mild gluten allergy or sensitivity. Gluten-free alternatives abound for everything from breakfast cereals to children's cookies to breads and muffins!
This is all well and good, but what if you've chosen to follow a no-grain diet? I did so about three years ago; I felt much better after eliminating gluten from my diet, but it wasn't until I removed ALL processed foods from my diet that I found what works the best for me.
As such, I've found that my favorite things to have if I want something sweet involve preparing all sorts of fruits in many ways, shapes & forms!
LIkely the easiest option is simply to eat a piece of fruit! OK, I realize that's boring, but if you try a new fruit each week, or stick with whatever you find that was grown by your local organic farmer at the market or health food shoppe, you're bound to run into something new at some point!
Try baking apples: Wash, core and place in a pan with water. Bake until soft and serve with toasted walnuts.
Grill some peaches or pineapple: brush the grill with olive oil (make sure you've cleaned it since you made those steaks!) and keep a close eye, turning frequently to avoid scorching!
Steam some pears, puree and top with nutmeg and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.
Freeze a banana, cut in half, sprinkle with shaved cinnamon and a touch of raw almond butter.
(Frozen grapes are delish by themselves!).
Make homemade 'sorbet' by freezing chopped melon and pureeing in your food processor; no need to add white sugar!
Of course, there needs to be room in any nutritional plan for the occasional splurge. Try to include that on a day when you've gotten in a nice run or hike in order to keep your caloric intake and output in balance.
Plan for the treat, and enjoy it! For me, it's always got to be something involving a premium piece of extrabittersweet chocolate…
