Gorgeous Fruit Desserts

Remember back in the day when we posted The Most Beautiful Salads? Or how about that recipe for Raspberry Beet Cheesecake? We got such a wonderful response from all of you for both posts that today we'd like to bring you a new riff on old favorites: a quick guide to beautiful and healthful fruit desserts.This Cinnamon Strawberry Tortilla is the perfect end to any meal. With fresh fruit, a sweet and crispy tortilla, and a dollop of sorbet, this dessert is sure to be a show-stopper!Ingredients:

• 4 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced (or an assortment of berries, as pictured above)
• 2 cups sorbet
• 1 cup peach baby food (2 jars)
• Very small amount of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350° Fahrenheit (F).
2. Lightly spray each side of the corn tortillas with vegetable cooking oil.
3. Dip the tortillas into cinnamon sugar, then place them on a baking sheet and cook until crisp. This will take about 8-10 minutes per side.
4. Put each tortilla on a dinner plate, then top each one with 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries.
5. Shave servings of the sorbet with a tablespoon and nestle 1/2 cup of sorbet on top of the strawberries on each plate.
6. Stir the baby food in a small bowl until it reaches a sauce-like consistency, then drizzle it over the top of each tortilla.
7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Chef's Tips:

1. This dessert serves 4.
2. Feel free to mix up the flavors of sorbet. I've had great luck with berry, chocolate, and mango versions.
3. No one will be concerned about the baby food if they don't know it's there. I have yet to find a smoother or more flavorful fruit sauce anywhere!

Nutrition Information:

• Serves 4. Each serving contains 182 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 43 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 13 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar, and 4 g protein.
• Each serving has 7% of the daily value (DV) for vitamin A, 111% DV vitamin C, 24% DV calcium, and 11% DV iron.

How about an Orange Tapioca Parfait? This cool and layered treat is sure to draw oohs and ahhs for both presentation and flavor!Ingredients:

• 2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
• 2 cups cooked instant low-fat vanilla tapioca
• 2 cups plain, fat-free, Greek-style yogurt

Directions:

1. Layer the oranges, tapioca, and yogurt together in a small glass. Start and finish with orange segments.
2. Consider garnishing the top with diced dried pineapple for a tropical flavor treat.

Chef's Tips:

• This recipe serves 4.
• You can replace the Greek yogurt with traditional nonfat plain yogurt.
• Tapioca adds excellent flavor and thickness to fruit puddings.

Nutrition Information:

• Serves 4. Each serving contains 226 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 295 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 33 g sugar, and 9 g protein.
• Each serving has 5% DV vitamin A, 83% DV vitamin C, 31% DV calcium, and 0% DV iron.

This fun twist on a traditional Banana Split packs flavor into every bite while offering significant calorie savings!Ingredients:

• 4 bananas
• 2 cups plain 0% fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons light chocolate syrup
• 1 cup fresh berries
• Small amount of shaved dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Peel the bananas and split them in half lengthwise.
2. Place each banana on a plate. Arrange the two halves perpendicular to each other, with one portion on top, as pictured above.
3. Place two small scoops of yogurt next to the banana.
4. Drizzle everything with chocolate sauce, then garnish with berries and chocolate shavings.

Chef's Tips:

• This dessert serves 4.
• To make this even more like a sundae, drizzle caramel sauce on the plate, add a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkle the whole thing with chopped nuts.

Nutrition Information:

• Serves 4. Each serving contains 229 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 33 g sugar, and 9 g protein.
• Each serving has 2% DV vitamin A, 58% DV vitamin C, 25% DV calcium, and 5% DV iron.

Now let's backtrack to the email that started it all. After our Raspberry Beet Cheesecake recipe went live, Brigitte Sliger wrote...

Hi Judy,

Every week a co-worker from our Community Health department will bring in a healthy treat to share to boost our team's participation in the Live Healthy Iowa Challenge. I was so excited when I saw your recipe for the Raspberry Beet Cheesecake, since I am an avid beet lover. So I made this and brought it to work to share.

Several co-workers who do not like beets really liked it, and then there was another co-worker who loves beets, but who doesn’t like cheesecake, and she loved it too! It was such a big hit that my supervisor said it was going to be hard to top for the weeks ahead.

Thank you so much for all your work, commitment and great website. I enjoy learning new things from your site and sharing many topics in our Employee Wellness Calendar.

You’re Super!Brigitte Sliger, Clerk II, Johnson County Public Health

What a treat! We loved Brigitte's response and just knew that we needed to offer even more beautiful fruit desserts that are also healthful and tasty. I hope you enjoyed this fresh look at balanced eating -- it was a lot of fun to put together.By Judy Doherty, PC II, Founder of Food and Health Communications, Inc.Oh and if you like what you saw in today's post, get your free copy of Fruit Tooth: Tasty and Healthful Fruit Desserts today!We're here to help you look your best, so check out these other great resources that can make your life easier!