If you have the ultimate sweet tooth like me, you’re going to appreciate this. I’m a nutrition student and future registered-dietitian (RD). I also eat dessert everyday. How?
There seems to be a connotation surrounding nutrition students and any RD, and that they always eat healthily, they never eat dessert, and they just have the strongest self-will. WRONG! I eat dessert every night, and I’m going to tell you how you can do the same.
What’s Considered Dessert?
This may seem like a silly question, but I’m serious! What even is dessert? What comes to mind when you hear the word “dessert?”
It may be ice cream, a slice of decadent cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, a tray of brownies, or a bowl of fruit. Everyone has a different image of what their ideal dessert looks like.
For me, I don’t associate dessert with a specific food, but rather with a general flavor or group of foods. When I say I eat dessert every night, I don’t always eat the same thing.
Some nights, I am craving a bowl of ice cream. Other nights, I might want some yogurt and a homemade muffin (check out my favorite muffin recipe, here). It looks different for each person, and it may look different on the day-to-day level as well.
Why I Eat Dessert Every Night
Now that we’ve covered what dessert is, I’m going to explain why I eat it every night.
I mentioned before that I have a serious sweet tooth. I usually have to follow each meal with something sweet. During the day, it’s usually a piece of fruit, a homemade muffin, or a piece of chocolate.
After dinner, I ALWAYS have a piece of chocolate. My go-to’s are the dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s or a piece of Jojo’s Chocolate (You can use my code “SPRINKLING10” for 10% off Jojo’s Chocolate!) Nothing major, but just a little something to keep me satisfied. I’ll usually have a bigger dessert or snack later in the night such as yogurt, fruit, ice cream, or homemade baked goods.
If I didn’t allow myself to have this small piece of chocolate after dinner, my mind would constantly be thinking about it. I would probably have an even bigger dessert later in the night because I restricted myself and didn’t listen to my body.
Trust me, I’ve been through the phase of not letting myself eat dessert, counting my calories, and only eating “healthy” foods. You can read more about why I no longer count calories, here.
Life is way more enjoyable and less stressful when you stop restricting the foods you eat, when you eat them, and why you eat them. We’ll get more into that in a little bit.
Different Types of Desserts
As I mentioned earlier, desserts don’t need to be this big elaborate production. You don’t need to go out for ice cream every night in order for it to count as “dessert.”
Some nights, I really want that ice cream shop ice cream with the waffle cone and whipped cream. Odds are, if I ate that every night, my body would not be feeling it’s best.
Other nights, I want an apple and peanut butter and a protein bar to satisfy my sweet tooth. This choice may make my body feel good, but won’t always satisfy my emotional craving.
What you want to eat for dessert each night is going to change based on how you’re feeling, and what you want, physically and emotionally.
Honor Your Emotions
Despite what diet culture has told you, it’s okay to eat based on your emotions.
What I’m not saying, is to go and eat 2 pints of ice cream and a bag of chips every time you have a bad day (you do you though).
What I am saying, is to honor your emotions and body, and eat intuitively. Sometimes, my body may not be physically hungry, but I just really want some ice cream.
Honor that feeling and allow yourself to have some ice cream. If I were to push that craving aside and eat apples and protein bars instead, my body wouldn’t be satisfied.
I would probably still go back and get ice cream, because that’s what I truly wanted. Instead of just eating the ice cream, I’ve now eaten an apple, peanut butter, a protein bar, AND ice cream. Way more than I originally intended.
Self-Deprivation Never Works
Let me say it again for the people in the back…self-deprivation never works.
If you’re constantly depriving yourself of desserts, or just food in general, it’s going to lead to some kind of binge at one point or the other.
Whether you only allow yourself to eat dessert after dinner, once a day, or whatever it is, it’s not going to have a good outcome.
If I’m craving chocolate in the middle of the day, I’m going to honor my body and have it. If I had some fruit instead, I would just be thinking about the chocolate, and how much I would eat later, when I was “allowed.”
You’re going to end up eating way more than you intended if you just instead let yourself have the chocolate after lunch.
Our bodies are not a clock. They don’t only crave chocolate or dessert at a certain time. We’re not going to disintegrate or combust if we have ice cream in the afternoon. I promise, you’re going to be fine. Dessert doesn’t just need to be eaten at night!
How You Can Eat Dessert, Too
I know that everything I said may seem easy, but I’m totally aware that it’s not. I’m still working on a lot of these things myself.
If you are struggling with only allowing yourself to eat dessert at a specific time or once a week, try and let that expectation and mindset go. I know, easier said than done.
Try eating some chocolate in the middle of the day, or whatever dessert you desire. See if you are still having major sweet tooth cravings later in the day. Odds are, if you’re not depriving yourself during the day, you won’t feel the need to binge on desserts at night.
Eating dessert every night can absolutely be a part of a “healthy” diet. The foods we eat and the lifestyle we live are all about balance and listening to our bodies.
The more we deprive ourself of what we truly want, the more we are going to want it. Kind of like when your mom told you NOT to touch the hot stove, but you did it anyway.
If you have never allowed yourself to eat dessert, start slow. Don’t jump in 110% and go crazy. Have grace with yourself and be realistic. Really try and tune into your body and mind, and think of what you actually want. What is going to satisfy you?
I hope that this was helpful and made you realize that you can have dessert everyday if you want, too. There is no one size fits all when it comes to being “healthy.”
For me, it may be having avocado toast for lunch with a peanut butter cup after. What works for me, may not work for you.
Find your balance and find your dessert!
xoxo
Such a hard one for me but this article helped a ton!!!
So glad it was helpful!! 🙂
I love this mindset! Healthy living is all about balance!
Absolutely!! Thanks for reading, Brittany!
I love this so much! I 100% relate to where you mentioned that if you don’t let yourself have that something sweet, you’ll be thinking about it all night long. I’ve been trying to adjust what my “dessert” is recently, so I can feel better about having it every night if I want to! The TJ’s PB cups are so. dang. good!
YES!! I totally relate. It’s hard to find that balance but it’s important to remember that desserts aren’t off limits! And I totally agree about the peanut butter cups…they’re amazing.
Thanks for this it is a really great reminder to just chill out about food. I do find it difficult, though, to find my way to losing weight without getting overly restrictive with food. I would be curious about your take on that.
That is a great point, Marla! There’s a very fine line between losing weight and getting too restrictive. My best tip would be to just really think of it as a lifestyle and not a diet. Diets NEVER work. Start focusing on small changes a little bit at a time so that way it doesn’t become overwhelming. Swap out sour cream for greek yogurt, jelly with fruit, etc. Little bits at a time so it doesn’t become restrictive. Hope this helps 🙂
This was a really great to read. I have a huge sweet tooth as well. Dessert is one of my favorite meals.
Me too, Sara!! I always need something sweet. Glad you can relate!