As a nutritionist, I almost never tire of extolling the virtues of healthy eating. But for a change, I will talk about the not-so-healthy foods this week. Eating dessert is often equated to eating unhealthily. But let’s acknowledge that it is one of the pleasures in life, and the psychological effects of banishing sweets may actually be detrimental. I am certainly not making a case for eating too much sugar, but going totally sugar-free is not necessary.
The WHO recommendation for adults allows for five percent of the total calorie intake from cane sugar, honey, jaggery, date sugar, and the many other forms of sugar we encounter. Therefore, there is scope to eat dessert, but how much of it to eat and what qualifies as a healthy dessert are important points to consider. Most of us eat dessert at the end of a meal. A simple reason for this is that the sweet taste is so gratifying that we’d like it to linger on. An exception to this norm is to be found in the Gujarati meal, which begins with dessert.
A study recently published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that there might be some wisdom to this order of eating.
In this rather interesting study, for one group of participants, the dessert was placed at the beginning of the line at a university cafeteria, whereas for the control group, it was at the end of the line. It was observed that those who ate the dessert first consumed, on an average, 30 per cent less calories than the other group that ate the dessert at the end. This appears to be a useful dietary strategy when trying to lose weight.
The lead researcher of the study explained that when you eat a high-calorie dessert first, you are conscious to choose healthier options in the main course. This way one manages to avoid consuming extra calories.
In my own experience I have observed that when we eat dessert at the end of the meal, it is usually despite feeling full. Naturally, then, we tend to overeat, both calorifically and otherwise. Incidentally, there’s equally good evidence that suggests saving your dessert till the end of the meal. So, what should you be doing?
Whether the dessert comes at the beginning or the end, the focus should be on getting enough green veggies, protein and fibre from the meal.
This way, the sugar spike is blunted and the hormones insulin and glucagon balance each other out. Regardless of where in the meal the dessert is placed, one must exercise portion control. Therefore, sharing a dessert may be the best way to enjoy it!
Neelanjana Singh
Nutrition Therapist & Wellness Consultant