Sweet Cravings in Diabetes: Desserts that are not so Sinful

Desserts form an important and integral part of South East Asian cuisines and are often associated with festive eating and celebrations. Since most desserts are high in caloric content and contain refined carbohydrates and saturated or trans-fats, their consumption poses obvious challenges in diabetic individuals. Meals should not only meet the biological needs of an individual but should also be palatable, appealing and retain their hedonistic aspects of taste, smell and visual appeal. While remaining within the principles of medical nutrition therapy, desserts can be incorporated into meals with use of whole grains, low fat dairy or yoghurt, fruits, vegetables and pulses as their primary ingredients. Intake of free sugars can be minimized by using non-nutritive sweeteners, soluble fiber, condiments and spices. In this article, we focus on ways to encourage healthy eating among diabetics while still retaining pleasurable foods such as desserts.