Scooped Food

Enjoying an ice-cream in summers is a favourite activity for all. Yesterday I felt like having a chocolate flavour. But then I realised that it is too sweet and thought of having something that is not too high in calories.
I was just searching on the internet about the places serving it which offers healthy ice creams.

It is made by whipping the mixture (a combination of milk, cream, eggs, sweeteners and flavourings) with a lot of air. This makes it light and fluffy.

In general, a regular one contains around 140 calories and six grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving.

I also heard that Gelato, which is becoming very popular these days, is mixed very slowly, limiting the amount of air and giving it a thick and dense texture.

Gelato usually has less fat than regular one. So, I tried gelato also. It was creamy and smooth.

I thought of asking my friends for best places serving sugar-free ice creams. There are many places serving sugar free flavours. Earlier there was not much variety in sugar free but nowadays there’s a lot.

There are plenty of other diet-friendly options like frozen yoghurt, sherbet, slow-churned ice-cream, soft serve and sorbet.

You can also sometimes avoid to have toppings such as chocolate chips, candies and sprinkles which have even the calorie count even higher and don’t offer any nutritional benefits.

The best places in Delhi are Haagen-Dazs, Mother Dairy, Cream Bell, Frugurpop and many more. So, these are some of the places where everyone can visit to eat their choice.

Ice cream is by no means a healthy diet. But sometimes it is a pleasure most people wouldn’t want to give up.

There is lot of craze these days about Natural. It opened its first store in Delhi last year. The ice creams made by this brand are made using fruits, dry fruits, milk and sugar with no preservatives.

The flavours are coffee walnut, guava, kaju kismis, kesar pista, malai, mango, pineapple and many more.

Apple Extravaganza

What you need:

• 2 apples, sliced into skinny wedges
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 4 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded coconut

Mix together 1 tablespoon chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until melted. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter and remaining coconut oil and heat in the microwave until melted. Arrange apple wedges on a plate and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour chocolate mixture followed by peanut butter mixture. Top with remaining chocolate chips, pecans and coconut.

Gluten-Free Choco Avocado Brownies

What you need:

• 2 large avocados
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Scoop out the flesh of the 2 avocados and place in a food processor. Add the coconut sugar and cocoa powder to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the eggs, brown rice flour and baking soda and continue processing just until eggs are well-combined with the mixture. Carefully fold in chocolate chips. Pour the batter in a greased 8×8 inches brownie pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven (350F) for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Dark Chocolate Chewy Cookies

What you need:

• 2 eggs
• 10 pcs. dried dates, boiled
• 2 cups almond butter
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine softened dates, water and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add almond butter, vanilla extract and baking powder to the food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in (by hand) the chocolate chips. Form mixture into balls and arrange on greased baking sheets. Bake in a pre-heated oven (350F) for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool for several minutes in a cooling rack before serving.

Satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty – try these delicious guilt-free desserts!

You can make phirni parfait with the freshest of seasonal fruits available – strawberries, raspberries, mango, black grapes, peaches or cherries. For the crunch you can use bread croutons, chocolate cookies, or vanilla sponge cake. Phirni Parfait is one of those desserts that can be totally customised as per your liking. Treat your loved one to an intimate dinner and end your date night by indulging in this romantic dessert for two.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves for 2

Ingredients:
1/2 Liter Full Cream Milk
1/3 Cup Makhana (Lotus Seeds)
1/2-Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Tsp saffron strands
1 tsp cardamom powder

Other Ingredients:
1 – 2 peaches/mango diced
1/4 Cup bread croutons
1/4 Cup diced apple
1/4 Cup pomegranate pearls
2 tbsp chopped pistachio

Method:
In a pan heat ghee and roast lotus seeds for 5 minutes.
Pulse in a blender once to make a coarse powder. Keep aside.
Soak saffron strands in a tablespoon of milk and put aside.
Take milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the saffron strands and cardamom powder.
Boil on low flame. Keep on stirring at regular intervals.
Once the milk is reduced to half the original amount add the lotus seed powder.
Allow the milk to simmer until it thickens and stir at regular intervals
Add the sugar, simmer the phirni for 2 – 3 minutes and then turn off the heat.
Allow the phirni to cool down completely. Keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Arrange it in the serving glasses. Layer the bread croutons, nuts, and fruits.
Serve Phirni Parfait chilled.

On contrary to the common belief, a healthy person should always have a dessert after every large meal; doing this is even more important for you if you are a non-dieter. Nutritionists encourage inclusion of a dessert into every large meal as it helps in preventing feelings of deprivation. Most of us tend to do things that we are said not to do; so, when we decide that we will strictly stay away from indulgences, we often end up consuming more of them. Making them regular part of our lives will reduce our cravings for unhealthy food items.

A study conducted recently has revealed that regular consumption of dark chocolate, which is apparently a high calorie food item, is a great way of diminishing sugar craving. During the study, a group of people were allowed to consume dark chocolate every day for a certain period of time. The members in this group were found to consume 15{ed0a7c9e178df9eb5b220bc152ba91da3e8b2ed20a019775b54a2fc686681e4b} fewer calories than those who didn’t eat chocolate during the same phase.

Experts say that nutritional deficiency and limited calorie intake result in craving for dense foods. Individuals who eat less tend to have higher craving for sugar-based food items. When a person consumes very less amount of carbohydrate, eating some rich dessert helps him or her to regain strength; it allows the person’s system to gather the necessary energy for functioning properly.

It’s true that desserts are definitely not the healthiest carbohydrate source you will come across. However, if you are a healthy person and not suffering from a condition like obesity or diabetes, having dessert is definitely not a sin.