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7 Lo-Cal Summer Sweet Treats

In the hot, sticky dog days of summer, nothing refreshes quite like a cool sweet treat (unless it's an ice-cold beer, but that's another article). Instead of heading to the local ice cream parlor for relief, why not give one of these seven healthy and easy-to-make scrumptious recipes a try? They're low in calories—each one under 200 per serving—and just the ticket when you want to beat the heat with a cool sweet treat!

Fruit and Pudding Parfait
1 pack sugar-free instant pudding and pie mix
1-1/2 cups nonfat milk
2 cups fresh fruit (berries, mango, kiwi, banana, etc.)
1/2 cup nonfat whipped topping

Prepare pudding mix with nonfat milk. While it's thickening, divide half the fruit among 4 parfait glasses. Spoon half the pudding mix over that, then repeat with another layer of fruit and pudding in each glass. Top with nonfat whipped topping and serve. Serves 4. Calories (per serving): 135

Frozen Berry Bars
2 cups nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt
2 berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
2 Tbsp. protein powder, vanilla
1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal (optional)

Blend yogurt, berries, and protein powder, then pour (or spoon, depending on how thick you want it to be) into an 8" x 8" pan and freeze. Cut into squares and serve. Optional: Stir in Grape Nuts before freezing for a crunchy, fiber-rich version! Yields: 9 bars. Calories (per bar): 34 (with Grape Nuts: 57)

Melon Salad
3 cups assorted melons (1 cup each: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 kiwi fruit, skinned and sliced
1 banana, sliced
1 cup grapes (seedless, red or white)
2 Tbsp. coconut shavings

Scoop out all melons into a big serving bowl using a melon ball scoop. Add other ingredients and sprinkle with coconut shavings. Serves 4. Calories (per serving): 183

Tangy Strawberry Surprise
1 cup strawberries (halved)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Slice strawberries and drizzle with a bit of vinegar. (Add a pinch of sugar if it's too tart for you.) Chill an hour or two, then serve! Serves 1. Calories: 85

Frozen Banana-Peanut Crunch
1 banana
1 Tbsp. peanuts (raw, no salt), coarsely ground or chopped

Peel slightly ripened banana, then roll in ground peanuts, hard enough for peanuts to stick. Wrap with foil and freeze. If you absolutely must, dip a bite or two in a little bit of chocolate syrup—yummy! Serves 1. Calories: 185

Lemonade Delight
2 cups pomegranate juice
8 cups lemonade, sugar free

Pour pomegranate juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. Add frozen cubes to glasses of lemonade—enjoy! Serves 8. Calories (per serving): 45

Grilled Pineapple
Pineapple, whole
4–6 vanilla beans
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cups ice cream, vanilla (low-fat)

Pierce pineapple with skewer in 4 to 6 places, then insert whole vanilla bean into each slit. Grill pineapple until soft, then drizzle with honey, slice, and serve with a scoop of ice cream. (Pineapple slices can also be chilled before eating if you prefer a cooler treat!) Serves 4. Calories (per serving): 182