How to Have Dessert on Core

Article by: Leslie Fink, MS, RD

Let's face it: There's no true substitute for Chocolate Mud Pie. But that doesn't mean you can't satisfy your sweet tooth on Core. Here are seven luscious ways to get a sugar rush without any actual added sugar. But when only a hot fudge brownie sundae or a chewy chocolate chip cookie will do, go for it. (That's what your Weekly POINTS® Allowance is for.)

Sugar-free, fat-free pudding
Its uses are endless: Plain, topped with tofu cream (see Tofu section below), layered with fruit or mixed with couscous in our Banana Couscous Pudding and Fruit Parfait (a variation on rice pudding). For a frozen treat, make your own chocolate pudding pops with popsicle molds and sticks. Swap the fat-free milk with evaporated skim milk to make them extra creamy.

Ricotta Cheese
Nope, it's not just for Italian food. We jazz it up with cinnamon and Splenda and serve it over Cinnamon-Scented Baked Pears. Try it over your favorite fruit compote, too.

Tofu
When most people think tofu, they think stir-fry. But blend silken tofu with milk, vanilla extract and Splenda and you've got the perfect vanilla sauce for fresh fruit or our Broiled Mixed Berries. Broiling enhances the fruits' juiciness — the berries will burst in your mouth.

Tofu does wonders for sautéed apples, cranberries and pears, too. It's processed with Splenda, vanilla extract and cinnamon, and tops our Autumn Fruit.

Really Fresh Fruit
Truly fresh fruit doesn't need much (or any!) dressing up. But when you're looking for a special touch, accent it with an ingredient or two like in our Caribbean Fruit salad: Combine a cubed pineapple, 2 cubed mangoes and 1 cubed papaya with 2 tablespoons of fresh spearmint leaf strips. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and stir until combined. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Experiment with other fabulous toss-ins as well such as freshly minced ginger; crunchy, sweet jicama; or slivers of pungent basil.

Smoothies
The combinations for smoothies are endless and the ingredients are as simple as fruit; skim milk; plain, fat-free yogurt or tofu; and ice. Just blend and sip away. Our Purple Power Blackberry Peach smoothie is a winner. In winter, opt for frozen, unsweetened chunks of fruit and leave out the ice.

Yogurt
Whipped cream is not the only dessert topping! Fresh basil and ginger provide the perfect flavoring for our Grilled Pineapple's yogurt cream sauce.