If you are truly serious about becoming healthy — once and for all — at some point you will realize that the best dessert is a piece of fruit. But once in awhile a prepared dessert can be nice.

I recommend that you make these without sugar. There are many viable sugar alternatives.

And for best results you should eat them "mindfully". Eat your treat slowly, savoring every bite. You will enjoy your dessert more. You will remember it later. And you will feel better.

Apricot Pudding

2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar substitute (xylitol, erythritol, Splenda)
3 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp margarine
Dash salt
1 cup chopped fresh apricots
2 tsps vanilla or other extract

Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the liquid.
Put all except apricots and extract into a
saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly,
until mixture comes almost to a boil.
Turn down heat and simmer, stirring constantly,
until thick.
Turn off heat.
Add extract and apricots.
Chill thorougly.

VARIATION: Apricot Cream Pie

Prepare pudding as above.
Chill.
Pour chilled mixture into a cookie-crumb crust.
Keep refrigerated.

Baked Bananas

4 large bananas
Butter-flavored spray
1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup*
Lemon juice
Cinnamon
Sour cream (low-fat)

Peel the bananas, and cut them in half, lengthwise.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a baking dish.
Arrange banana halves in the dish.
Spray with butter spray to coat lightly.
Drizzle syrup and lemon juice over the bananas.
Dust bananas lightly with cinnamon.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Put the sour cream into a bowl, and serve it with the baked bananas.

*Or use sugar-free syrup, maple or other flavor.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can unsweetened coconut cream or coconut milk
1/3 cup powdered sugar-substitute*
1/4 cup soymilk powder
2 tsps vanilla powder

Put can of coconut cream/milk in fridge for 4 hours.
Open can, and remove the thick part at the top. Save the rest for other uses.
Put the thick coconut cream into a chilled metal bowl.
With chilled electric beaters, beat cream until thick and fluffy.
Gently beat in remaining ingredients.
Cover bowl, and chill for at least an hour.

Use on fruit, cake, pie, etc, just before serving.
Store in fridge.
Use as soon as possible.

For a stiffer topping, whip in some softened gelatin.

*Xylitol, erythritol, and some other sugar substitutes can be "powdered" in a coffee grinder. Do this in small batches. Store in an airtight container. Measure after grinding.