As we strive to reduce our risk for heart disease — and our waistlines — we often forego some of our most beloved foods, like dessert. While this is a good strategy to follow most of the time, you don’t have to exclude desserts entirely from your life. In fact, rich, decadent desserts can fit into a heart-healthy eating plan, especially when you use a little culinary know-how and portion control.
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This recipe demonstrates how simple ingredient substitutions can result in mouthwatering masterpieces that will fool your biggest healthy-dessert skeptics. Although most of our desserts can’t be called low-fat, they certainly have less total fat, saturated fat and trans fat levels, which help promote a heart-healthy lifestyle and give a little oomph to your next mealtime or dinner party.
To cut the total fat and saturated fat in this dessert even further, try using regular — not light — Smart Balance trans-free tub spread in place of butter. You’ll drop the total fat to 6 grams per serving and saturated fat to 2 grams.
For the biscuits
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons Splenda Blend sugar substitute, plus extra for sprinkling on unbaked biscuits
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into half-inch cubes (or Smart Balance spread)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
For the berries and cream
3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled and sliced
¼ cup Splenda Blend sugar substitute
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup low-fat frozen whipped topping
Make the shortcakes
Make the berries and cream
Calories 240
Total fat 8 g
Saturated fat 5 g
Trans fat 0 g
Cholesterol 5 mg
Sodium 330 mg
Carbohydrates 40 g
Dietary fiber 4 g
Protein 6 g
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