Help! [Healthy Desserts]

Hi, all! I have been charged with buying some sweet treat for a colleague's last day of work tomorrow. That used to be no problem, except... I, and several of the other co-workers, have been trying to stay low-calorie for the past few months. We cannot turn down participating in the treats, since it is a small office and that is considered rude.

So, my plea is... Is anyone aware of a bakery that would have relatively healthy / low-calorie options? I will need to go first thing tomorrow morning (i.e., whenever they open) to get the treat before work, so I have no time to special order anything.

If you have ANY suggestions, I would very much appreciate it. I will be in and out all evening, but I'll check when I can. I would be very grateful for your help.

Thanks ever so much!

Katharine

Katharine...sorry to tell you -- I don't believe in low calorie sweet treats. A treat is a treat for a reason and I think that if you're going to bring in something special to share -- then just adjust your diet to accommodate your treat.

BUT...i'm not one to lecture. The only thing I can think of is for you to get something fruity and less cakey. So a good option might be one of Fox and Obel's great fruit tarts (or a similar creature from some other lovely place). Yes...there's usually custard and also usually a LOT of sugar but hey...there's fruit!!! Or maybe a fruit salad of some sort with cookies for the folks who'd prefer a nice indulgence?

or...maybe meringue?

or...eschew sweet entirely and go for hummus and veggies?

Anyhow..that's all I got.

Shannon

In this kind of situation, I have brought more than one treat. Meringues, or those lower-fat chewy chocolate cookies from Whole Foods (like 1 Weight Watchers point each, and the dieters by me really like them) and something not diet (and hopefully SPECTACULAR!), and maybe some fruit as well. If your departing colleague is not on a diet, by all means let them have something they will truly enjoy. It's their day!

I really advise against buying "diet" desserts as in sugar-free etc. Some of those contain sugar alcohols which people react to badly.

Whenever we have "snacktime" at my work, we have a fruit tray and a sweet tray. That way, people can have whichever it is that they want without argument.

I don't have a bakery recommendation - but if you must have something baked, angel food cake is one of the lowest calorie baked goods. Biscotti is also fairly low as long as it isn't dipped in chocolate. Or you could decide to be decadent in a contained, portion-controlled way and buy wrapped truffles for the group. Treasure Islands or Whole Foods ought to be able to accomodate any of the above.

A different way to go would be a fruit bouquet - there are a couple of companies in Chicago that make them now.

Good luck - you've got a hard task!

Fruit Flowers

2148 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60647
Phone: 877-80-FRUIT
FruitFlowers.com

Edible Arrangements

West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312-421-5440
Fax: 312-421-5441
Edible Arrangements

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm just gonna get something yummy for the majority of the group and go ahead with the fruit plate for the rest. (I wish I'd had more warning -- I make a surprisingly yummy low-cal pumpkin cheesecake! )

It looks like you have a good plan, but I was going to suggest making your own desserts. There are a lot of good recipes for low-fat cake (adapted to cupcakes) or cookies, and low-fat cheesecake is great. I really like Cooking Light's buttermilk cake recipe, and they have a good pumpkin pound cake recipe I recently made. Also, Wild Oats in Evanston also makes some pretty good vegan cookies. Sometimes a little underbaked, but a good treat without all the extra butter, and I think they use whole wheat flour.

Fela - That was actually my first inclination, to make my own, but I would've had to go grocery shopping and stay up late and I wasn't feeling well. I am actually sick today, so I just ended up at Dominicks (!) which has a nicer bakery than they used to and got a chocolatte raspberry mousse cake and a fruit plate. Dropped it off at work and came home to call the doctor! I hope the co-workers enjoy it and I don't have to worry about eating any of it. Next time I am asked to do it, I *will* bake! Thanks!