It’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t enjoy having a scoop of delicious desserts or a handful of cookies after dinner or just with evening coffee. But just as much as we love desserts, deep down, we know how threatening they could be for our health and overall well-being.
But what exactly makes desserts bad for our health?
Most of the regular desserts we can name are trans-fats, refined carbs, and the lack of highly calorie-dense nutrients. Most desserts made out of refined white sugar, white flour, and trans fat quite literally serve high cholesterol and diabetes on a plate! The dairy used in regular desserts like butter, cheese pose massive amounts of both fat and cholesterol and even less nutritional value.
But there are alternative ways to make desserts at least somewhat healthier without really compromising the taste. Here’s the solution- vegan desserts!
100% dairy and animal fat-free vegan desserts rely on quality plat-based, whole-food ingredients like fruits, nuts, maple syrups, honey and so on, very close to their natural states. That means vegan dessert provides us with the maximum nutritional potential we could get from any healthy dessert ingredients.
In this article, let’s talk more about how vegan desserts treat the healthiest alternatives to traditional desserts by retaining the same taste and sweetness.
1.Unsaturated fat: Higher nutrition, lower cholesterol
Unsaturated fats are one of the essential components of a healthy diet that are found mainly in vegan dessert ingredients. Not just lowering LDL cholesterol levels, foods with unsaturated fats also helps with controlling inflammation, building more robust cell membranes in the body and reducing the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Ingredients used in desserts are enriched with nutritional value and unsaturated fatty acids.
Let’s check some of those vegan ingredients-
Nuts: these delicious foods are high-fat contents and a great source of energy. Nuts like almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts are rich, healthy substances such as fibre, minerals, vitamins, and proteins.
Certain oils: both for baking and cooking vegan dessert goods, unsaturated oils are essential ingredients, especially for a lipid-lowering diet. Oils like avocado oil, olive oil, peanut oil, soybean oils and vegetable oils like sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil or canola have unsaturated fat, which helps to lower the risk of heart diseases. These oils are also great alternatives to oils high in unsaturated fat like butter or margarine.
2.Dessert ingredients with high fibre
Dietary fibre, also recognised as roughage or bulk, is a necessary food component. Unlike other food components such as carbohydrates, proteins or fats- your body doesn’t digest fibre. With adequate fluid intake, your body can easily break down the fibre, absorb and pass relatively intact and move down your digestive tract and out of your body.
Many research studies show that adequate fibre intake helps tremendously reduce the risk of chronic diseases, obesity, and diabetes and so on. Doctors also recommend consuming the right amount of fibre daily as well. Common vegan dessert ingredients like dates, strawberries, raspberries, oranges, pear, apples with skin, bananas, whole grains, beans, legumes etc., are high in fibre and many other nutritious values.
3.A perfect solution to lactose intolerance
If you are lactose intolerant or having a dairy-free diet but have a sweet tooth, vegan desserts are your 100% guilt-free treat. Despite not containing any milk, dairy products, eggs or animal gelation, Vegan desserts- DO NOT compromise with a luscious, mouth-watering taste most healthily and organically possible.
Milk is creatively replaced and prepared by plant milk like oat milk, rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc. Other dairy products like yogurt, cream, cheese are replaced by tofu and many other organic, non-perishable ingredients. You don’t have to negotiate the taste of sweet goodness, even while positively impacting our health, environment and animals.
So to all the dessert lovers out there, power through with luscious vegan desserts! You can replicate any sweet delicacy with an endless number of natural, organic and not to mention healthy vegan dessert ingredients. Pud for All Seasons offers delicious gourmet vegan and gluten-free puddings all over Melbourne. Contact us to try out their delicious homemade puddings online.
FAQs
Reasons Why Vegan Desserts are Healthy Alternatives to Your Sweet Tooth? ›
Conclusion: Vegan sweets offer a guilt-free and healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. With nutrient-rich ingredients, lower saturated fats, cholesterol reduction benefits, and a positive impact on digestive health, these plant-based desserts are a win-win for both your taste buds and overall well-being.
Why are vegan desserts healthier? ›Raw vegan desserts are typically made with more nutritious ingredients than those that tend to be found in regular desserts. They often don't contain any processed ingredients, such as refined sugars, which means you aren't taking in all of those unnecessary, empty calories.
Are vegan sweets healthier? ›Are vegan cakes healthier than non-vegan cakes, you may ask? For the most part, not really; while the removal of butter can mean less saturated fat, the vegan friendly replacement, often cocoa butter, can be similar in saturated fat levels.
Are vegan baked goods healthier? ›So, vegan cakes are generally healthier because they: don't contain cholesterol. are mostly lower in saturated fat (unless they contain a lot of palm or coconut oil) are made without eggs and dairy, so they're generally lower in total fat and calories.
Why do vegans eat desserts? ›Vegan Bakes are Nutrient-Rich
Vegan recipes rarely call for many processed ingredients or saturated fats. Instead, the nuts and seeds used as dairy substitutes are a great source of unsaturated fats, which help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
A vegan diet can be healthy as it is typically higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol than an omnivorous diet. As a result, some studies find a vegan diet lowers the risk of heart disease and premature death, helps manage type 2 diabetes and reduces the risk of cancer.
What are the health benefits of vegan chocolate? ›Many plant-based ingredients used in vegan chocolate, such as cocoa powder and cocoa butter, are high in fibre, which can help to support digestive health and may even lower cholesterol levels. Vegan chocolate is also often lower in saturated fat compared to regular chocolate, which can be beneficial for heart health.
Why is vegan chocolate healthier? ›The answer is a resounding “yes!” Vegan chocolate typically contains more antioxidants and less sugar than regular chocolate. In addition, it has been shown to improve heart health and lower blood pressure.
What are the benefits of vegan snacks? ›The high fiber, antioxidants, and low saturated fats in plant-based foods lead to a healthier heart. High fiber vegan snacks can help in keeping you satiated, reducing the chance of overeating. A vegan diet is linked with lower risks of diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers.
Why are vegan cookies healthier? ›As you can see, there are lots of unhealthy ingredients that vegan cookies just don't use. Butter, for instance, can be high in both cholesterol and hormones - and eggs can too. Simply put, vegan baking alternatives are just healthier.
Are vegan products actually healthy? ›
Compared to the standard American diet of highly processed, low-fiber, high-calorie, sugary foods, vegan diets have some health advantages. However, researchers found that avoiding all animal foods may lead to nutritional deficiencies in vitamin B12, omega-3, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and high-quality protein.
Are vegan desserts less fattening? ›Raw vegan desserts like fruit salads tend to be slightly healthier than baked treats or cold sweets because they contain nutrient-rich natural sugars. However, raw vegan desserts (and vegan desserts as a whole) can still have comparable amounts of calories to regular desserts if they're packed with oily nuts and agave.
Why don t vegans like sugar? ›How's this for a shocking fact: not all sugars on the supermarket shelf are vegan. Even though sugar comes from the sugarcane plant and does not contain animal products, the process used to manufacture some refined sugars can involve bone char—cow bones.
Why do vegans eat sugar? ›Sugar is usually produced from sugar cane, sugar beets, or coconuts. All-natural and appropriate for a vegan diet, none of these ingredients on their own pose any problems. It's during the refining process that sugar becomes a non-vegan product.
What sweets do vegans eat? ›Fortunately, loads of candies are vegan, so we can indulge our cravings (mostly) guilt-free. Most dark chocolate is vegan, as are popular sweet treats such as Smarties (known as Rockets in Canada), Oreos, Airheads, Jujubes, and Swedish Fish (some Swedish Fish contain beeswax, so be sure to check the label).
What is the purpose of eating vegan? ›Veganism is about modifying consumption habits that cause harm to animals, no matter how great or small. Veganism aims to reduce animal suffering and advocate for a more compassionate world by avoiding products made from animals. As such, veganism can be both a food and lifestyle choice.
Is being vegan healthy for a child? ›The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US for example states that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for all life stages, including pregnancy, infancy and childhood.
Who was the first vegan ever? ›One of the earliest known vegans was the Arab poet al-Maʿarri, famous for his poem "I No Longer Steal From Nature". (c. 973 – c. 1057).
Are Oreos vegetarian? ›Are OREO cookies suitable for vegetarians? Yes, OREO products are veggie-friendly! Are OREO cookies suitable for vegans?
What vegan stands for? ›Vegan refers to any food formulated without ingredients produced by or derived from animals, or any diet consisting exclusively of these foods. A vegan lifestyle, whenever safe and practical, additionally avoids the use of any products linked to animal exploitation.
Are vegan dairy products healthier? ›
Aside from animal proteins, growth hormones and saturated animal fats, vegan cheese is a safe and healthy alternative and is also a good alternative for those with allergies or lactose intolerance.
What are the health benefits of vegan protein? ›A big benefit to plant-based protein is the fiber it provides. Fiber helps regulate the body's sugar use, keeps hunger and blood sugar in check, and helps food move through the digestive system with regularity.
What are some facts about vegan chocolate? ›Vegan chocolates are definitively chocolate. They are made from the same cacao beans, and they only become “non-vegan” when animal products such as dairy, butter or honey are added. Vegan chocolates are crafted with plant-based ingredients such as soy milk or maple syrup.
Is vegan chocolate good for losing weight? ›You can eat chocolate while on a diet, and vegan chocolate is usually safe for any meal plan as it contains fewer fats and calories than the highly unhealthy milk chocolate. In fact, some chocolatey treats can contribute to a vegan diet for weight loss because cacao naturally contains catechins.
What are 3 benefits of vegan diet? ›- Get more nutrients.
- Lose excess weight.
- Reduce diabetes risk.
- Prevent cancer.
- Lower heart disease risk.
- Reduce arthritis pain.
- Recipes to try.
- Vegan vs. vegetarian.
Moreover, 'unhealthy' plant diets of processed foods increased heart risk,” Cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn states. “In addition to heart risk, processed vegan junk food increases the rate of bloating, weight gain, low energy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and brain fog.”
Are vegan snacks healthier? ›Vegan snacks naturally contain lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. So, by eating vegan snacks, you'll likely consume higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin E.
What do vegans eat in junk food? ›A junk food vegan is a vegan who regularly consumes highly processed foods that are primarily made in science labs. Some popular choices are the famous Oreo biscuits as well as a variety of vegan “cheeses.”
How healthy is plant-based food? ›Is a plant-based diet healthy? Yes. A plant-based diet is considered to be nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all of your nutrient needs.
What is vegan face? ›Vegan skincare means using cosmetic products that do not contain ingredients derived from animals. It also means that those same ingredients have never been tested on an animal. Things like beeswax are substituted for ingredients that are usually plant based or synthetic instead.
What is the healthiest dessert and why? ›
Berries and Cream
It's a classic combo. Berries are sweet, juicy, and low in calories. They also have many heart-healthy nutrients, like antioxidants and fiber. Dress a cup of them up with a dollop of whipped cream or low-fat sour cream -- it adds 20 to 50 calories, but little to no sugar.
Do vegan sweets taste different? No, vegan sweets taste the same as sweets that contain gelatine.
Are plant-based cakes healthy? ›A vegan cake may be healthier for the environment and it may contain fewer saturated fats than a non-vegan cake but it's not a health food and shouldn't be eaten too often. However a slice of vegan cake is healthier than having two slices of vegan cake.