Dessert Isn’t Your Enemy

Fresh spring colors and flavors are reinvigorating farmers' markets and grocery aisles.

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By Claire Bugos, Staff Writer Fresh spring colors and flavors are reinvigorating farmers' markets and grocery aisles. Before we know it, stone fruit season will be in full swing and I'll load up on peaches, apricots, and nectarines. Back home in California, my family will dust off my great-grandmother's pie pan, fill it to the brim with chopped fruit, and smother it with a topping of oats, nuts, and butter.   Growing up, I sometimes felt guilty eating this and other desserts. But as an adult, indulging in fruit crisp is a way to honor my sweet tooth while reaping some health benefits. Today's Top Story Embracing Natural Sugar Changed How I Think About Dessert Dessert sometimes gets a bad rap. Sugar, eaten in excess, can be detrimental to good health. Too much of it can lead to conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.   But not all desserts are created equal. For instance, those that derive their sweetness from natural sources, like fresh or dried fruit, can benefit your health. Whole fruits pack dietary fiber, essential vitamins, and minerals that can support the function of many parts of the body.   Blueberries, for example, contain anthocyanins, which fight cell-damaging free radicals. Oranges are high in vitamin C. And apples are packed with fibers that help manage blood sugar levels and promote good digestion.   U.S. dietary guidelines say women should consume 1.5-2 cups of fruit per day, and men should consume 2-2.5 cups. Finding creative ways to eat those fruits—whether that be in smoothies or baked into a dessert—can help you reach that daily goal. Know More Fruit sugar is called fructose, which is metabolized by the liver. Eating too much fructose over time can overwhelm the liver, causing it to turn the excess into fat and lead to obesity and liver disease. Whole fruits, however, often contain less sugar per serving than a similar amount of soda, candy, and other foods that are sweetened with fructose and high fructose corn syrup. Feel Better Fruit crisp can be made at just about any time of year, with any fruit that will hold up in the oven. Fresh peaches and apricots are my personal favorites, but it's equally tasty with frozen berries, apples, and even canned fruit without added sugar. The leftovers are delicious with a couple of scoops of Greek yogurt for a protein-packed breakfast. Most importantly, a bowl of warm crisp—regardless of the season—brings comfort and joy. It's good for your body and soul. You can find my recipe here. READ MORE The Omicron BA.2 variant is now the dominant COVID variant in the U.S. The CDC says BA.2 accounted for almost 55% of all new COVID-19 infections last week. If You're 50+ or Immunocompromised, You Can Now Get a Second Booster Yesterday, health agencies greenlit second Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for two groups of people: those who are 50 and older and those who are immunocompromised. The move comes as BA.2 becomes the dominant variant in the U.S., and as Israeli data shows a fourth dose can keep death rates down in older adults. U.S. officials are unsure whether and when the fourth dose can be extended to younger age groups, since federal funding is running low. READ MORE Rising Grocery Costs May Pressure SNAP Participants to Cut Back on Produce With rising inflation comes steeper food prices. For people enrolled in the federal food assistance program, called SNAP, this means it may be more difficult to afford fresh foods. And as pandemic relief is set to expire, SNAP participants are likely to lose the extra money. More than 60% of SNAP benefits cited "affordability" as the primary barrier to eating a healthy diet, according to a 2021 USDA report. READ MORE   In Other News   ■ The Dining Shed Will Soon to Be Banned in NYC. The Counter     ■ How Should Art Reckon With Climate Change? The New York Times Style Magazine     ■ Who Is the Girlboss Now? The Cut More From Verywell Food Workers Are Struggling to Put Food on Their Tables READ MORE Will Avoiding Meat Really Lower Your Risk of Cancer? READ MORE This Dietitian Is Teaching People to Cook Nutritious African Dishes READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.         You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy