The importance of desserts

Most people enjoy desserts.
Milk based desserts can be a nourishing, enjoyable and a pleasant way of getting vitamins,
minerals, protein and calories (kilojoules).

Examples of milky desserts include:

• Instant puddings made on milk
• Creamed rice - Make your own creamed rice or, buy canned creamed rice. ‘Ready to eat’ creamed rice is also available in the refrigerator section at the supermarket
• Custard - Make your own or buy ‘long life’ custard or custard from the refrigerator section of the supermarket
• Bread and butter pudding
• Yoghurt (plain or fruit)
• Frozen custard and frozen yoghurt

If you are not hungry enough to eat a main meal you may be able to manage an easy to eat,
nourishing milk dessert.

If you are going to have fruit and custard, put the custard into the dish first and fruit on
top. This will help to make sure that there is plenty of custard rather than mostly fruit with
just a little custard. Make sure that you choose a dessert bowl that is big enough to hold a
decent amount and have seconds if you like.

Many desserts are suitable for people with diabetes If you have diabetes, your ‘Meals on
Wheels’ service will be able to tell you the desserts that you can choose. Nourishing desserts can be eaten at both the midday and evening meal times as well as for morning or afternoon tea. They can also be eaten as snacks throughout the day. Milk desserts should be kept refrigerated and eaten within three days.