Sweet treats you can enjoy without piling on the pounds

A sweet tooth is the downfall of many a dieter but here are some options that you can enjoy without too many worries...

Sugar-free jelly

Opt for the sugar-free type and it’s about as low a calorie dessert as you can wish for – with only around 15 calories per 200ml serving. Add in fruit – fresh or canned – to make it even healthier.

A cream meringue

An average cream meringue with whipped cream has a surprisingly low 145 calories – that’s around half the number of calories in a Mars bar.

Sweet popcorn

Popcorn’s high volume means it takes up lots of space in your stomach, so it is a filling sweet treat. An average serving also counts as a healthy wholegrain serving. However once toffee coatings are added, the calories do start to mount up, so keep control of portions by going for individual size packs. One 35g pack of Snack a Jacks Butter Toffee popcorn contains 148 calories.

Low-cal hot chocolate

Get a chocolate hit without the waistline downside by having a sachet of low-cal hot chocolate (40 calories per cup). You can even add a squirt of aerosol cream and a couple of marshmallows and it will still come in at under 100 calories.

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Banana and custard

This nursery food dessert is sweet, comforting and filling but has less than 250 calories if you have it with low-fat custard. This pudding also counts as one of your daily fruit servings, and is rich in magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6 and carbohydrate – all nutrients that can help if you’re feeling pre-menstrual.

Jaffa cakes

With just 45 calories per Jaffa cake on average, that’s a 40-calorie saving compared with a chocolate digestive.

Strawberries sprinkled with sugar replacer

For a healthy low-cal dessert that is still very sweet, sprinkle a granular sweetener (2 calories per teaspoon) instead of sugar (20 calories per teaspoon) over your strawberries or fruit salad.

Fruit bread

Moist, delicious and around 100 calories a slice eaten without butter. Fruit bread is also low GI and a reasonable source of fibre, so it will keep your energy levels steadier than some other sweet treats.

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