The blueberry crisp is a fantastic comfort food! When this dessert is fresh from the oven with blueberry filling bubbling beneath a sweet, crunchy topping (maybe even a scoop of ice cream on top?), it is tantalizing. Yet, fit freaks may be afraid to know the calorie count. Rest easy, our recipe is low-calorie!
When it comes to dessert, we tend to want one of two things: a decadent, rich, no-holds-barred delving into pure bliss or a palatable substitute to scratch the itch.
I prefer a mixed approach in which a healthy recipe (or diet) contains both nutrient-dense and sinfully delicious foods. It is my belief that if a person is craving a sugary or fat-laden treat, they should have it. This is because foods consumed as sugar and fat substitutes are either unhealthy overall or actually contribute to overeating. Think about the last time you ate way more calories than planned because you refused to indulge the one sugary or fattening thing you really wanted. Or, think about how gross that chemical sugar replacement made your coffee taste.
No Artificial Sweeteners
Yes, it’s pretty much an oxymoron to say “I devour super sweet foods, but I refuse to eat calories from sugar.” Not only are artificial sweeteners pretty disgusting overall, they are manufactured in a laboratory and unequivocally linked to VERY BAD THINGS, such as multiple sclerosis and cancer. What’s even worse, is that the very taste of sweetness on your tongue can trigger the fat-storage that fit-fanatics are attempting to avoid by eating the artificial sweetener in the first place.
With all of this in mind, our low-calorie blueberry crisp recipe calls for NO artificial sweeteners.
No Fat-Free Fats
So, what’s worse than a trans-fat? A fat-free fat.
I remember my senior year in college (quite a few years ago), my good friend was extremely fit (still is). For the most part she ate and trained like an Olympian. The only flaw: the fat-free cheese and fat-free sour cream and fat-free milk. YUK!
I watched in abject disgust as a piece of fat-free cheese turned to a plastic-looking covering atop a serving of egg whites and thought to myself, “why?” Not only are fat-free fats not appetizing, often times the fat is replaced with simple carbohydrates (think fat-free sour cream), or a chemical (remember Olestra?). Real fat is vital to our health and to our feeling of satiety. So, our low-calorie blueberry crisp uses REAL BUTTER.
Why Use Substitutes for the Real Thing?
Why do we do these things? What reason causes a person to ditch the nutritious fatty egg yolk from their dish and replace it with a chemical substitute? Calories, my friend. We are trying to save precious calories.
I will show you how to create a delicious, nutritious, low-calorie blueberry crisp that not only boasts whole ingredients, but tastes great, satisfying your desire for a TREAT.
This recipe does not substitute chemicals for natural, healthy ingredients; it is a simple blend of healthy foods with just enough natural sugars to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Delicious, Nutritious Blueberry Crisp Ingredients
Filling:
- 6 cups of plump juicy blueberries (the Superfood you Need to Take Seriously)
- 1/3 cup of granulated sugar (You can use a substitute, but the overall recipe will suffer)
- 1/4 cup of flour (You can substitute 1 T corn starch or carrageenan (irish moss)
- Juice and zest of 1/8 medium lemon
- Salt to taste
Topping:
- 1/4 cup of flour
- ¾ cup of oats
- ¼ cup of light brown sugar
- ¼ cup of raw sugar
- ¼ cup of raw, organic honey
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Gently toss together filling ingredients
- Pour filling into baking dish (8×8)
- Combine Topping ingredients (maintain some variety in clump size)
- Sprinkle Topping over Filling
- Bake for 38 minutes (topping should be caramel-brown)
- Then, wait 10 minutes before serving.
Nutritional Information:
- Servings: 8
- Calories: 229
- Net Carbs: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Vitamin A: 4%
- Vitamin C: 11%
- Calcium: 14 %
Healthy, Satisfying Blueberry Crisp
When it comes to healthy eating, fats should be natural fats and sugars should come from natural sweeteners. Moreover, it is always best to satisfy a craving for dessert with an actual dessert. You want to satiate your body and mind because doing so will make it easier to adhere to a low-sugar and low-fat diet overall. Remember, not only is there nothing wrong with consuming a little sugar and fat, doing so is part of an overall healthy lifestyle. So, toss your filling, crumble your topping, and enjoy the decadent taste of our Low-calorie Blueberry Crisp that will satisfy your dessert cravings.
Read Also:
15 Snacks to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth AND Keep You Lean
Keto Breakfast Recipes You Can Easily Follow
5 Foods To Avoid While Trying To Lose Weight
