Remember when having dessert or a cookie was not forbidden and a step on the road to obesity? Times have changed and anything sweet with refined sugar has been crossed off the approved food list. Is this really the best approach to take especially with your kids? Human beings have consumed sweets for several centuries without having the current skyrocketing obesity rates; so something has changed in the ingredients or portions eaten.Some people have taken the road that anything with sugar is poison and they (and their kids) do not consume foods containing sugar and its counterparts. This is a personal choice but studies have shown that this type of complete deprivation often produces binge behavior and extreme reactions when sugar is consumed. Moderation might be the key which our ancestors knew and our society has forgotten.

Desserts and snacks have morphed into huge confections with a multitude of different flavors combined together. It is not enough to have a simple butter tart anymore; it is now a tart twice the size with pecans, chocolate, coconut and a host of other additions. Although it is never advisable to include too much sugar in your diet a small treat now and then is fine. Have your desserts at home when possible where you can control the ingredients and portion size. Restaurant desserts are incredibly large and prepackages items have an incredible array of preservatives and chemical additives. Try making a few easy cookies, crisps or even cakes, serve a reasonable portion and enjoy.Chocolate chip cookies are an indulgence that can be eaten without guilt every once and a while. These pretty tasty cookies can even be decorated as favors or stacked up in a "cake" formation instead of a traditional offering at a wedding.