Summer Dessert Recipes That Pack a Punch!

Summer Dessert Recipes That Pack a Punch!

By Angela Hummel, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN

www.takingbites.com

            Summer is a great time to attend cookouts, parties and festivities.  When we get together so often with friends and family members, we tend to eat more!  Parties are all about the food and socialization is almost always centered on food.  I have learned, mostly because of my own food addiction, that the more appealing food looks – healthy or not – people want to eat it!

            Here are some fun, colorful recipe ideas that are perfect for the Fourth of July festivities and they are full of fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and lower in calories.  The best part is that they taste great!!

This New York-style No Bake Cheesecake is topped with brightly colored, fresh strawberries and blueberries.  The fruit on this dessert can easily be changed to raspberries, blackberries or cherries to pack a healthy punch.

Reprinted with permission from the American Institute of Cancer Research

            Chocolate and Blueberry Tofu Mousse with Sesame Crunch is another interesting and unique recipe that has been designed with cancer prevention qualities.  This recipe satisfies cravings for sweet and crunchy all at once.  Try using white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips and add red berries to make it fit a red, white and blue theme. 

Reprinted with permission from the American Institute of Cancer Research

            Try this tasty spin on traditional Red Velvet Cake.  This recipe uses the natural red color of beets to give these cupcakes a vibrant red hue.  The addition of beets also boosts the fiber, folate and phytochemical content of this moist cake.  Top with dark, sweet cherries and dark chocolate shavings to set this dessert apart from the rest. 

Reprinted with permission from the American Institute of Cancer Research

            Make this summer a summer of healthy eating by deliberately choosing to eat foods that provide cancer-fighting properties.  Start today by getting creative, making food fun and exploring the power of a mostly plant-based diet!

I am a registered dietitian who specializes in oncology nutrition.  Check out my blog at www.takingbites.com.