You may have fond memories of a family member who brought a
spectacular apple pie to an annual Memorial Day barbeque. There might be a particular bakery that has a
blueberry scone worth the trip across town and the Calories. All in all, dessert plays an important memory and sensory experience. It can fit into a healthy lifestyle. The
problem is our “grab-and-go” culture: a croissant and cappuccino at
breakfast, a slice of pizza and a cupcake in the break room at work...we can easily go off the sugar deep end.
Emily Luchetti’s #dessertworthy manifesto is a beautiful slice of
moderation of the better parts of eating—dessert. Luchetti writes:
“Dessert is being consumed by adults and children at an
alarming rate, resulting in troubling health issues, including Type 2 diabetes
and obesity. Compelled to take action, awardwinning pastry chef Emily Luchetti
launched #dessertworthy in July 2014 to raise awareness about sugarladen
processed foods and to encourage saving desserts for a treat, not a daily
occurrence. Ms. Luchetti, Chief Pastry Officer at Big Night Restaurant Group
and Board Chairman of the James Beard Foundation, aims to spread the mission of
#dessertworthy nationwide by 2016.”
With strict diet plans such as the Whole30 Diet, dessert
seems out of reach for those looking to have better health but want something
in moderation. Luchetti was recently
interviewed for Civil Eats here.
“I love desserts and I think they
really add a lot to our lives. If you’re having a birthday party or any other
celebration, there’s a dessert there, and it’s something that makes an event
more special. They have the power to give such pleasure, so I don’t want to see
anyone giving up sweets completely when that’s not necessary. Let’s put them in
their proper place. Let’s start asking which desserts are worthy
to eat and which ones aren’t.”
Gina Volsko RDN, LD is the SCAN blog coordinator. You can reach her at glesako@gmail.com or read more of her work and antics at www.sport2fork.com.
