Great Desserts for off-season!

Question: As a triathlete trying to stay “lean in the off-season,” am I allowed to have desserts, and if so, do you have any acceptable options? I’m going to go crazy if I have to spend one more night watching my husband eat ice cream while I sit there sipping water!

Answer: We’ve all been there. You want to cheat, but sometimes a Dairy Queen Blizzard or a slice of cheesecake with chocolate just does too much damage. Here’s a few creative options that I recommend to some of the athletes I coach:

Fruit Parfait: Stir 1 Handful Frozen Fruit into 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt with 1 tablespoon raw honey (Plain, Low-Fat Greek Yogurt tastes even better!)

Dipped Chocolate: 150-200 calories worth of a Dark Chocolate Bar dipped in 1 teaspoon Almond Butter

Almond Butter/Chocolate Banana Protein Shake: 1 tablespoon Almond or Cashew Butter + 1 scoop protein powder (I prefer Mt. Capra’s Organic Double-Bonded Whey Protein) + 1 tablespoon Hershey’s chocolate or Ovaltine + 1/2 banana (optional), and ice/water to taste. If it’s after a workout, you can use yogurt instead of water.

Warm Salted Nuts: Handful Almonds or Walnuts drizzled with Honey ­ saute nuts in 1 teaspoon olive oil for 5-10 minutes, lightly add sea salt, and
drizzle with 1 tablespoon raw honey.

Ben’s Reese’s Cup: Use 1/2 cup of plain, fat-free yogurt. Add 1 tablespoon nut butter and 1 tablespoon dark chocolate pieces or cocoa mix. Stir together, close your eyes and imagine you just took it out of that little orange wrapper. Freeze for added effect.

Enjoy!