The ill-effects of sugar, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, fatty liver, and even acne, cellulite and lowered immunity and bone density is proven. However, that still does not mean that you need to give up on desserts completely. In fact, a better strategy is to practise moderation instead of going cold turkey. I wonder if that’s why a small portion of a dessert was always a part of our traditional thali .
The first rule is to make sure that the dessert gives you something more than just a sugar rush. So while picking what to eat, always make sure that it offers some goodness, some nutrition apart from empty calories and fat. A good guideline to follow is to avoid those desserts that are just combinations of sugar, white flour, butter and trans fat. For example, let’s say you have to pick between rasgulla and gulab jamun . While both are comparable in terms of calories and sugar content, rasgulla , made of cottage cheese, will deliver some dairy, which means some protein and calcium. Therefore, it is undoubtedly a better choice compared to the gulab jamun, which is decidedly delicious but actually just a ball of sugar and fat. Similarly, if there is a choice between fruit custard and jalebi , custard wins hands down for the same reason. Ditto for a choice between a fig burfi and a khoya (dried evaporated milk solids) one. Figs contain loads of calcium and fibre; you get the drift.
This was taken seriously in the olden days. Remember how all the home-made desserts we had while growing up always had a lot going for them. Apart from the sweet taste and satisfaction, they were invariably made with healthy ingredients and offered lots of nutrition as well.
Take the example of modak , a Ganesh Chaturthi special. It is made up of strained yoghurt, whereas puran poli (sweet flatbread) has a lentil and jaggery filling. Both besan (flour) laddoos and motichoor laddoos are made from roasted chickpea flour balls. Similarly, sandesh , rasgullas , kheer and kalakand are all made with dairy, and thus are all good protein and calcium sources. Coconut burfi , lauki (bottle gourd) burfi , pumpkin halwa and gajar (carrot) halwa are a good way of eating some super healthy ingredients. All these are ingredients that are loaded with nutrients and are good for us. Sesame chikki is a great way to score a lot of calcium. Similarly, when you are slurping a piping hot, delicious sheera , (flour-ghee concoction), you know you are taking in the goodness of lentils and nuts. And the guilt while eating a coconut burfi should be non-existent due to the good fats and antioxidants that coconut provides.
Making your own desserts, even if in small batches at home, is a smart move, and I strongly advise we go back to doing this. What we buy from the sweet shop and the patisseries is typically overloaded with sweet and refined ingredients (and chemicals too, unfortunately). When we make/bake our own treats, we can alter them according to taste/health and hold back our hand a bit when adding sugar and fats.
Also, another smart thing our grandmas used to do was to sweeten desserts with alternative sugar options, like honey or jaggery, which are not only less processed (than refined sugar), but also contain some beneficial elements, including antioxidants and minerals, even if in trace amounts.
Tradition wins
Have you considered the prasads doled out in our mandirs ? Most of those are healthy too. Take the famous laddoo of Tirupati temple. It is made of besan , cashew nuts, cardamom, ghee, raisin — all good ingredients in a recipe believed to be more than 300 years old.
Mata Vaishno Devi’s prasad (offering) is a mixture of moori (puffed rice), shredded coconut, sugar balls and pieces of dried apple; again making a healthy sweet. Lots of temples in the South serve a simple rice pudding or payasam.
Now, I haven’t been to Sammed Shikharji Temple in Jharkhand, but I am told that a refreshing drink of jaggery, water, honey and spices called kadha is offered to tired pilgrims, so that they can regain their energy. Such a sensible prasad , that is!
Finally, I feel it is important to understand that sticking to traditional sweets is a good idea. It is a time-tested, sensible way of incorporating the right portion of the right kind of sweets in our diet.
And it, of course, goes without saying that portion control is essential, just as it is with any food. The first bite gives you the taste of the dessert, the second satisfies you, and the third seals the deal. Any more bites after that is simply greed.
Excerpted and adapted from Ultimate Grandmother Hacks (Rupa), by Kavita Devgan
