Diet Healthy Dessert

BlackPantherChick123

I went to the store and bought like different protein bars, Clifs, PowerBar, ThinkThin, Promax, Lenny & Larry, Zone Perfect, and Luna bars and I was wondering are things good as desserts instead of eating a chocolate bar, brownie, cake, cookie ect.?

TeaBea

Lifestyle changes .........

For me there are no substitutes for chocolate......

I won't give up chocolate, cake, or cookies forever, so I still eat them while losing weight. Granted, I can't eat them "whenever." I'm learning moderation. I make room for a small portion and log it.

BlackPantherChick123

I can't give them up either, but I was curious about these bars and see how good they were and if it's ok to have them as desserts. Very curious about the Clif Bars

jgnatca

Recipes made with Quest bars.
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/chelsea/26-quest-bar-recipes-cheatclean
I suspect these would all be calorie bombs. Their only superiority over regular desserts is a higher protein count.

I am not a sweets person and as a diabetic for many years I got out of the habit. So I'd be just as happy with an apple with a bit of peanut butter. Or microwave a cored apple stuffed with walnuts, cinnamon, and raisins. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt.

I will indulge in chocolate some evenings. I make a hot chocolate again sweetened with stevia. Or make a tea spiced up with cinnamon and cocoa with a little stevia.

The thing about mug brownies is that you can make it on demand, but you don't have an entire tray around begging you to eat it.

Emily3907

I am a daily dessert eater. I have to build it into my day. I have used the Luna bars for my dessert on some days, but honestly there are lower calorie options. My current favorite is these crustless pumpkin custards. I make 6 of them on Sunday for the week and dollop some cool whip free on top. With the whipped cream and all they are about 215 calories.
http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/individual-crustless-pumpkin-pies-aka-pumpkin-custards/

Other favorites are the 90 calorie fiber one brownies. Edy's slow churned ice cream, sugar free pudding topped with granola (love the Bear Naked Maple Pecan!) and s'mores (low fat graham cracker, some nutella and marshmallow in the microwave).

BlackPantherChick123

I haven't exactly had any sugar cravings after I bought a lot of sugar stuff to when I want my daily treat, but they make me nervous. I'm athletic and should b ok with the high sugar and carb intake but I still feel nervous about sweets and now these protein, energy bars. I hope I don't regret buying them

BlackPantherChick123

I bought like 1 of each (not box) of things I crave (brownie, cookie, blueberry crisp, and cheesecake)

Emily3907

FWIW, I think the Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick bars taste similar to girl scout thin mints. :-) So those make me really happy. Luna also has a protein line that has a Mint Chocolate Chip, they pack more protein and are just as yum.

tmartin19710

When I really want chocolate I do mug brownies. I also like the nature valley chewy protein bars. I have to watch my sugar intake so I use sugar free brownie mix, unsweetened apple sauce ,egg and water to make my brownie with.

BlackPantherChick123

Will eating protein bars make you gain? Trying to lose/maintain before thanksgiving.

MarcyKirkton

I dont like any of those bars.

jgnatca

@Emily3907 I have SO pinned that crustless pumpkin recipe. I might try cream cheese or Greek yogurt instead of the condensed milk as I am more likely to have them around the house.

@Blackpanther34 you will gain if you eat over your assigned calories for the DAY. You can fit a bar in if you subtract something else, like having soup or salad for lunch instead of a sandwich. But how you divvy up your calories is entirely up to you. Some people save their calories for a 300 calorie protein bar, because it is worth it for them.

@MarcyKirkton what sorts of flavours and textures do you like?

MarcyKirkton

I like choc and not dry. I think i dont like sugar sub. Anyway i keep trying diet and Protein bars Galore.

kshama2001

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

Will eating protein bars make you gain? Trying to lose/maintain before thanksgiving.

Only if they make you go over your calorie goals.

Lleldiranne

My favorite is Balance Bar, but some of the others are good, too.

I don't generally use them as dessert (although I do on occasion). I keep them for when I need a quick snack or light meal ... with 5 kids I'm often on the run and if I don't eat regularly I start feeling ill then tend to overdo it. 200 calories is pretty reasonable for a snack, especially when it comes with 12-15 grams of protein. And then, there are times when I use them to help with a bit of a sweet craving. The nutrition in the bars are much better than a Snickers, for example. (Don't get me wrong, I love indulging in a Snickers bar, too, when my macros allow for it)

They also make a pretty good post-workout snack.

The basic point is that they can be a great tool to help you meet your goals. Work them into your calories and let them help you meet the protein goals, but don't look at them as a no-guilt treat or dessert.

stephanie_queen

Fruit is my go to. They are naturally sweet and still good for you (in moderation of course). Sometimes if I feeling really bad I have chocolate covered fruit for the extra 'yum'. Fruit is natures candy

kshama2001

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I haven't exactly had any sugar cravings after I bought a lot of sugar stuff to when I want my daily treat, but they make me nervous. I'm athletic and should b ok with the high sugar and carb intake but I still feel nervous about sweets and now these protein, energy bars. I hope I don't regret buying them

I'm a baker and would prefer something I made myself. However, I then have to find a way to give away (or freeze) some of the batch.

I've eaten Luna and Cliff bars before when I traveled and think they do make good convenient treats. This may very well be a good solution for you.

jissellc

Something that helps satisfy my sweet tooth is the Dole Dippers. They are strawberries or bananas covered in chocolate. The strawberry pack is only 60 calories and the banana pack is 100 calories.
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Strawberry-Dippers
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Banana-Dippers

TeaBea

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

Will eating protein bars make you gain? Trying to lose/maintain before thanksgiving.

If you are over your maintenance calories....you will gain weight. It doesn't matter what the food is. Veggies can make you gain weight, if you eat enough of them.

brb2008

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I can't give them up either, but I was curious about these bars and see how good they were and if it's ok to have them as desserts. Very curious about the Clif Bars

Sure, BUT personally I would rather enjoy a reasonable portion of something a little less expensive! I have bought a quest bar now and again when I am craving them, but I'm planning to eat a little chocolate every night this week to practice true moderation every day.

As far as "good for dessert" they're fine! Just know that anything in moderation is fine. You could have a similar amount of calories in a bowl of ice cream and potentially be more satisfied, it just depends on how much YOU like the bars and what you prefer to eat!

christinaleigh44

You can eat 3 snack size pieces of Hershey's dark chocolate for 170 calories, just saying

Owlfan88

Emily3907 wrote: »

I am a daily dessert eater. I have to build it into my day. I have used the Luna bars for my dessert on some days, but honestly there are lower calorie options. My current favorite is these crustless pumpkin custards. I make 6 of them on Sunday for the week and dollop some cool whip free on top. With the whipped cream and all they are about 215 calories.
http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/individual-crustless-pumpkin-pies-aka-

Last year at Thanksgiving, my MIL forgot the sugar in the pumpkin pie. It was ok (but not great) with whipped cream. So last week I made pumpkin pie with 1/3 cup sugar instead of the 3/4 cup it called for. With whipped cream, it was just fine - for me and DH and my teen. Without the crust, one slice of pie and whipped cream was 141 calories. I could have made it lower cal if I hadn't been using the full fat evaporated milk, but that's what I had on hand.

jgnatca

MarcyKirkton wrote: »

I like choc and not dry. I think i dont like sugar sub. Anyway i keep trying diet and Protein bars Galore.

Ha! I've found a bar you haven't tried yet, and it meets your criteria.

http://www.kindsnacks.com/store/dark-chocolate-nuts-sea-salt.html

But of course, you don't need to eat protein bars to have a successful diet. They're simply packaged convenience. To meet my calorie goals, I cut the bars in half to make a 100-ish calorie snack.

enterdanger

Emily3907 wrote: »

I am a daily dessert eater. I have to build it into my day. I have used the Luna bars for my dessert on some days, but honestly there are lower calorie options. My current favorite is these crustless pumpkin custards. I make 6 of them on Sunday for the week and dollop some cool whip free on top. With the whipped cream and all they are about 215 calories.
http://cupcakesandkalechips.com/individual-crustless-pumpkin-pies-aka-pumpkin-custards/

Other favorites are the 90 calorie fiber one brownies. Edy's slow churned ice cream, sugar free pudding topped with granola (love the Bear Naked Maple Pecan!) and s'mores (low fat graham cracker, some nutella and marshmallow in the microwave).

I have a similar crustless pumpkin pie recipe that you make in your crockpot.

http://www.recipesthatcrock.com/crock-pot-crustless-pumpkin-pie/

I'm crockpot obsessed. Just bought a new one so I can make dinner and dessert at the same time. lol. Oh and I also like to take a 15oz can of pumpkin and stir it into a box of chocolate cake mix and bake it in mini muffin tins. Makes some very nutritious brownies. Lots of fiber.

BlackPantherChick123

Are the Quest Bars and Clif Bars worth eating though? They look delicious and r big and I usually eat anything under 400 calories of a piece of dessert.

Emily3907

jissellc wrote: »

Something that helps satisfy my sweet tooth is the Dole Dippers. They are strawberries or bananas covered in chocolate. The strawberry pack is only 60 calories and the banana pack is 100 calories.
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Strawberry-Dippers
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Banana-Dippers

I keep looking at these in the store, but haven't made the leap to try them. Are they mushy? I don't like mushy fruit. But I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries.

Emily3907

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

Are the Quest Bars and Clif Bars worth eating though? They look delicious and r big and I usually eat anything under 400 calories of a piece of dessert.

It is hard to say if they are worth it or not, because it boils down to personal preference. If you have the calories/macros for them, you think they are tasty and they fulfill that "sweet" craving, go for it. Just remember that there are SO many options for dessert, so don't box yourself in. Have fun with it and experiment.

For me, the protein type bars are used for dessert in my house when I can tell I am going to get hungry during the night and want the extra protein for the day. But, like I said above, I am an equal opportunity dessert eater.

Emily3907

jgnatca wrote: »

@Emily3907 I have SO pinned that crustless pumpkin recipe. I might try cream cheese or Greek yogurt instead of the condensed milk as I am more likely to have them around the house.

Pinterest is exactly where I found them! This time of year I love me some pumpkin pie and I liked that these were "single serve", so easy to portion control. My husband doesn't eat pumpkin pie, so making six of them for a week of pre-planned desserts worked out perfect!

Sued0nim

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I went to the store and bought like different protein bars, Clifs, PowerBar, ThinkThin, Promax, Lenny & Larry, Zone Perfect, and Luna bars and I was wondering are things good as desserts instead of eating a chocolate bar, brownie, cake, cookie ect.?

OK

One I don't do protein bars ..I get my protein from Greek yogurt, meat and other foods

And two none of things you have mentioned are desserts in my head...they are all snacks or things to have with a mug of tea

A dessert for me is
170g 0% fat Greek yogurt and 150g fresh berries ...protein and fibre hit
An ice cream ...remarkably low calorie for the pleasure
I'm now drawing a blank on desserts ...ummm oooo baked banana and ice cream and berries or yogurt and berries

jissellc

Emily3907 wrote: »

jissellc wrote: »

Something that helps satisfy my sweet tooth is the Dole Dippers. They are strawberries or bananas covered in chocolate. The strawberry pack is only 60 calories and the banana pack is 100 calories.
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Strawberry-Dippers
https://www.dole.com/Products/Dippers/Banana-Dippers

I keep looking at these in the store, but haven't made the leap to try them. Are they mushy? I don't like mushy fruit. But I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries.

Not at all. They are quite the opposite actually lol. I have sensitive teeth so I have to eat them very delicately. They aren't hard as rocks. Its like biting into a cold candy bar.

teanahk

Some of those protein bars are pretty calorie dense. I'd rather fit in a real dessert a few times a week.

I had a delicious dessert yesterday that was only about 100-150 calories called Affogato. It's a scoop of Gelato drowned in a shot of espresso. omg so good.