By Tasija Karosas, Swimming World College Intern
A swimmer’s day consists of endless amounts of yardage, weight sessions, and a busy class schedule. On top of that you are expected to fuel your body properly in order to perform at an elite level. With all this training, school, and focus, our bodies deserve a bit of reward; what better way to reward yourself than with dessert!
If you have a post dinner craving for something sweet, you are not alone. These cravings are a natural response from your body and are completely normal. But just because you are craving something sweet does not mean you should consistently be feeding yourself pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or Chips Ahoy cookies. A healthy dessert does not mean sugarless cookies, but rather pairing sugars with nutrient dense foods.
Below is a list of 3 delicious desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth while also delivering nutritional value!
1. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo Courtesy:Flikr
For those of you who cannot seem to find the self-control to put down the cookies, this recipe is perfect. These home baked cookies have just the right amount of sweet to satisfy your after-dinner cravings.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup of oats
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- ½ cup cranberries
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto a lightly greased pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let cool and serve with non-fat milk.
2. Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
Don’t let the name fool you; this recipe is as delicious as ice cream! The recipe below tells you how to make the base of the Nice Cream. After the base is made add whichever ingredients fit your taste buds! My favorites are salt, caramel and walnuts, or you can start with the choices below:
Ingredients:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1-2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2/3 cup fat free milk (or almond milk)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
In a blender add the bananas, peanut butter, and milk. Mix together until a creamy consistency is reached. Add the chocolate chips (or own choice of ingredients) and stir with a spoon. Transport into a Tupperware container let freeze for 24 hours (or overnight). It will be ready to serve the next day!
3. Not so Frozen Yogurt
Yogurt sounds like a breakfast food to most people but not in this case. Add a few extra ingredients and you have the perfect amount of sweetness and nutrients!
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/8 cup chocolate chips
- Fresh fruit (optional)
- Coconut shavings (optional)
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve with fresh fruit and coconut shavings.
Athletes should be allowed to treat themselves to sweet desserts (in moderation), but that does not mean they need to be all sugar and unhealthy fats! I encourage you to try a few of these dessert options to see if they can satisfy your sweet tooth.