by Jill Jackson

Created on: February 19, 2009

The first thing we all have to remember about food... any food... is that there is no bad food. Period. Yes, there are foods that aren't as good as others - be it quality, flavor or nutritional value - but, say it with me now, There Are No Bad Foods.

The only thing wrong with dessert is that, most people, tend to eat too much of it and that's not the fault of the dessert. Let's be honest, most people tend to eat too much of a lot of things. In the US, our concept of portion size is seriously skewed and most of us have no idea what a single serving of anything actually looks like.

There is nothing bad about a having a piece of chocolate cake, now and then. There's nothing bad about having a piece of chocolate cake every day. What's bad is having a piece of chocolate cake the size of your head. What's even worse is having a piece of chocolate cake the size of your head, after having a steak the size of a hubcap. What's bad is having a slice of pie the size of a dinner plate with a trough of ice cream on top. What's bad is too much of a good thing.

Another issue is impulse control. We often find ourselves saying: "Hey, if one chocolate chip cookie is good, why not three? Sure, I'm starting to feel uncomfortably full but it's not a meal if I don't have to roll myself away from the table."

If we get something good, we'll eat it like it's going out of style. But, the thing is, if we slow down those cookies will be there tomorrow and we can savor them again.

And, speaking of cookies, not every dessert has to be super sweet, heavy, rich or cream-filled. In some cultures, dessert is a bowl of fruit or yogurt with honey. It's something sweet but it's a light finish to the meal, rather than something that has as many calories as the mains. So it's possible to take something considered "bad" and make it good by branching out into other cultures.

Dessert is not the enemy. We are. It is possible to have a nice meal and enjoy a sweet treat after without jeopardizing our health or weight. And, let's face it, sometimes dessert is a really great way to end an excellent meal and there's nothing wrong with that. So, unless you have a condition that needs to be controlled by diet, anything and everything is fine in moderation.

So here's what we need to do: learn proper portion sizes, practice some impulse control, and explore other cultures. Then, dessert should be a no-brainer.

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