I’ve been the at the same weight (plus or minus 5 pounds) since I was 15. Usually during the winter it’s more towards the plus 5 and in summer closer to the minus 5. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’ll notice that the recipes always seem to get healthier in the spring…because it’s much harder to hide that back fat when you’re no longer layering up with bulky sweaters ;). That being said, I never give up dessert, but I do try to satisfy my sweet tooth with lower fat/calories options. Some nights a bowl of fresh strawberries will do the trick, other nights require chocolate, and then there are those nights that I’m somewhere in the middle. I made this fruit crisp on one of those nights. It’s certainly not as healthy as a bowl of fresh fruit, but since the oatmeal topping only has 2 tbsp of butter and 4 tbsp sugar it satisfies your dessert craving while helping you get your summer body back. Besides being healthier, this recipe couldn’t get much easier. I used a mixture of frozen fruit, but since all these fruits will be in peak season soon you could easily substitute fresh. Enjoy!
Easy Summer Fruit Crisp
16 oz frozen mixed fruit (I used strawberries, peaches, pineapples, and mangos)*
6 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
1 cup quick oats, uncooked
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Pour fruit into prepared dish. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar.
3. In small bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, vanilla, butter and remaining 4 tbsp sugar. Stir until fully combined and slightly crumbly. Sprinkle topping over fruit.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.
Notes: You could easily substitute any mixture of fresh fruits instead of frozen, although you would need to reduce baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Nutritional info (per 1/4th): 245 calories; 7.1 g fat; 45.0 g carbohydrates; 4.7 g fiber; 2.8 g protein.