Easy apple cobbler

“I’m a huge fan of dessert,” said Katherine D. McManus, director of the nutrition department and of the dietetic internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

One of her favourite healthy treats is a relatively quick and easy homemade apple cobbler. McManus slices up fresh apples and then simmers them in a pot. “I may put a little apple cider in it,” she said. “Then I cook it down, and add a little cinnamon and nutmeg.”

When the apples are soft, she puts them in a pan, sprinkles a mixture that contains oats, nuts and whole-wheat flour on top, and then bakes it in the oven.

“It’s really yummy,” she said. “I really enjoy it, and it’s consistent with eating healthfully. It’s high in fibre, it has whole grains, it has fruit, and it has spices and seasonings.”

Dark chocolate-covered nuts

Chris Damman, a microbiome expert and gastroenterologist at the digestive health centre at the University of Washington Medical Center, doesn’t have to think long about his favourite healthy dessert. “That’s easy,” he said. “Dark chocolate – especially dark chocolate-covered nuts.”

Dark chocolate contains polyphenols, which have been linked to numerous health benefits. It also has less sugar than milk chocolate. And nuts are rich in fibre.

One of Damman’s favourite treats is dark chocolate-covered pistachios, which he buys at Trader Joe’s. “They taste amazing,” he said. “They’re so buttery. And if you look at the nutritional profile of nuts, pistachios are right at the top. They have fibre, healthy fats, and they’re higher in protein than almost any other nut you can eat.”

Damman, who created SmartBites, a free food-scanning app that helps people make healthier choices at the grocery store, also loves chocolate ice cream.

“If you look at the epidemiological data on ice cream, it’s always associated with health,” he said. “We don’t know exactly why. But it might be that ice cream is better than the alternative. It’s better than eating cake and cookies. And the reason is probably its fat content. It has saturated fat, but also healthy fats like butyrate. There’s a certain amount of butyrate in all types of dairy, which helps to balance the fat profile.”

Berries with light whipped cream, or angel food cake with fresh strawberries

Exercising and eating a nutritious diet may help prevent many types of cancers. In fact, we know from studies that people who eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily have a lower risk of cancer than those who don’t, said Arif Kamal, an oncologist, associate consulting professor in the Department of Medicine at Duke University and chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society.

Most people don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. So Kamal recommends looking for ways to add more plants to your diet – including when it comes to dessert.

Kamal’s favourite healthy desserts contain a lot of fruit. One of those desserts is berries with light whipped cream. The other is a slice of angel food cake with fresh strawberries. These desserts are low in calories, and – thanks to the berries – they contain plenty of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and other nutrients.

Medjool dates with peanut butter and chocolate chips

To satisfy her sweet tooth, Danna Raphael, a registered dietitian and clinical nutritionist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, grabs a few Medjool dates from her pantry. Then she spreads a bit of peanut butter on each one and tops them with a few dark-chocolate chips.

“It’s just the perfect gooey sweet treat,” she said. “And there’s a lot of nutrition in there.”

The peanut butter contains healthy fats and protein. The dark chocolate has plenty of polyphenols and other beneficial plant compounds. And the dates are a good source of nutrients such as fibre and potassium.

Best of all, it’s not just for dessert. It can also be a homemade energy bar. “It’s a great pre-workout snack,” Raphael said.

Dark chocolate

Dessert is a daily affair for registered dietitian Nichole Dandrea-Russert – and it typically involves dark chocolate. In fact, she often has a little square of dark chocolate after every meal, including breakfast.

Dandrea-Russert, who is also the author of several books on plant-based eating, including Powered by Plants and The Fiber Effect, says that there are many nutritional benefits to good-quality dark chocolate. It’s high in antioxidants. It has prebiotic fibre, which is good for your gut microbiome. And it’s high in magnesium, which is great for your mood and sleep.

“I recommend eating good-quality dark chocolate that’s 70% cocoa or more,” she added. “And look for fair trade or ethical chocolate, where the chocolate maker supports their farmers and their well-being, and compensates them fairly.”

Ice cream with sliced strawberries

Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, said he eats dessert three or four times a week, which is typically an afternoon cappuccino with dark chocolate that’s 70% cocoa or more. “And with nuts, if I can find it,” he added.

Mozaffarian is also a big fan of ice cream. In fact, he recommends it to his patients as a relatively healthy dessert option. The reason? Ice cream has protein, healthy fats and a relatively low glycaemic index (meaning it’s not likely to cause a big spike in your blood sugar levels).

But Mozaffarian tells his patients to make it as healthy as possible. His recommendation: get a small cup of vanilla ice cream, then top it with slivered almonds or some sliced strawberries. “Almost every single time I’ve gone out to dinner with someone, they’ve told me afterward that they were afraid to order dessert, and then they saw me eating ice cream,” he said.