Desserts can feel like the perfect ending to your meal when you’re dining out at a restaurant. However, the age-old dilemma of whether or not to order a sweet treat always seems to be in the back of our heads. One main factor that drives our indecisiveness is none other than the dreaded calorie count. Not only do they contain a significant amount of calories, but they are also high in added sugars and provide little to no essential nutrients. Although the dessert menu options can look and sound very enticing, there is one type of high-calorie dessert you should avoid: desserts with extra toppings!
To learn more about why desserts with extra toppings should never be ordered at restaurants, we chatted with Ashlee Welter, a dietitian. She provided us with insight on why this type of dessert should be avoided and what we can order instead to satisfy our sweet-tooth cravings that aren’t as calorie-dense. Read all of her expert knowledge below!
Desserts With Extra Toppings
"Any type of dessert that has added toppings will be higher in fat, calories, and sugar," she states. If you observe a lot of the menu items in the dessert section, they are loaded with toppings, whether it's for presentation purposes or for extra flavor. These all eventually add up when it comes to the number of calories we are taking in, especially after having a big meal at a restaurant. She tells us, ""For example, a brownie topped with ice cream, caramel sauce, and nuts will be much more unhealthy than a plain brownie." Although a brownie that has additional toppings sounds way better than a brownie without toppings, it's important to avoid this type of high-calorie dessert for the sake of our health.
Treating yourself once in a while is perfectly fine, but Welter points out the importance of moderation when it comes to our dessert cravings. "Consuming excess calories, fat and sugar can impact the waistline over time. Additionally, frequently consuming too much sugar can put you at risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease," she says. You may have heard that sugar can be addicting, so it's especially important to keep your dessert consumption to a minimum if you want to keep your waistline small and avoid serious health complications.
Healthy Dessert Alternatives
Welter made sure to give us healthy alternatives we can go for when it comes to eating dessert at restaurants. Welter reminds us that we can always ask for extra toppings to be removed and just eat a simple, one-ingredient dessert. "For example, instead of ordering an ice cream sundae with chocolate, nuts and cool whip, order a plain bowl of ice cream," she suggests. "If ordering a cake or cookie-based dessert, request they hold off on the whipped cream, chocolate sauce or extra toppings. This can save a few hundred calories." This insight is definitely something to note if it's saving us a few hundred calories.
She recommends that we can also ask for a dessert in a kid's size portion or just control ourselves to eat a few bites in order to consume smaller portions of the dessert. "If you really can't resist a dessert, determine beforehand to only take 3-4 bites and save the rest for later," Welter advises.
The Bottom Line
Indulging in desserts at restaurants is undoubtedly a delightful experience, but be aware of the health consequences when they're smothered in extra toppings and consumed excessively. Avoid these high-calorie desserts by curbing those extra add-ons, requesting their removal whenever possible, or going for the smallest portion size. With these mindful choices, you can savor the sweetness without compromising your health.
