My Husband's Favorite Dessert Is Anti-Inflammatory & Straight from the Freezer

My husband's sweet tooth is undeniable. Not only does he reach for something sweet after dinner every night, but he almost always does after lunch, too. And if I’m painting the full picture here, if we have cinnamon-raisin bread or muffins around, he’ll grab that for “second breakfast.” 

His sweet tooth is not doing him any favors. He’s in the early stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (caused when too much fat builds up in the liver), and the best thing for him to do to nip that in the bud now is to lose weight, which is hard to do in your 40s! Plus, we’re trying to model good eating habits for our tween daughter—we want her to grow up having a healthy relationship with all foods, including desserts.

At EatingWell, we believe every food has a place in one’s diet. But added sugar is one of the most inflammatory foods you can eat. So, as we tried to think of ideas to satisfy his after-meal sweet tooth that would be lower in added sugar, he landed on one solution that he turns to again and again—frozen cherries.

We have a wide variety of frozen fruit on hand at all times (bought at Costco, of course!) for making smoothies, chia pudding, crisps and more. But who says you can’t snack on frozen fruit just as is? I ate frozen mango chunks like a champ when I was pregnant. Biting into each frosty piece had all the vibes of sorbet without all of the added sugar. And I didn’t have to wait for fresh mangoes to get ripe before enjoying them. So, one night, when he retired to his recliner with a bowl of frozen cherries, I thought, what a great idea! 

Related: The 5 Best Frozen Fruits to Eat Every Week, According to Dietitians

Frozen cherries tick so many boxes when it comes to the makings of a healthy snack. They’re sweet. They’re budget-friendly (hello, always in my freezer!). They’re low in calories (100 grams, about ½ cup, is only 71 calories). Plus, cherries are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols, which make them one of the best fruits for fighting inflammation. Those same compounds can promote more restful sleep, possibly by increasing our bodies’ natural melatonin levels—an added bonus of having them as a before-bed snack.

So while we still have “dessert night” two or three times a week and dig into ice cream sundaes, banana bread and the like, the other nights of the week are just as sweet—just enjoyed in a bowl of frosty cherries.