Recipes: Dessert Dishes with UV-Blocking Effects
Tantalize your taste buds with these yummy dessert dishes – they are good for your skin, too! The recipes featured in this section are packed with nutrients that may help block some of the UV rays emitted by the sun. If you are hungry for more information about the UV-blocking properties of different foods and nutrients, check out the page Diet Tips for Protecting the Skin From UV Rays and the List of the Best Skin-Protecting Foods.
Green Tea and Mango Blast
This recipe pairs green tea with mango to create an antioxidant-rich smoothie to protect the skin.
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Blueberry Banana Smoothie
This smoothie is literally bursting with flavor and antioxidants, making it an excellent drink for the skin. Wild blueberries have been shown to have the highest antioxidant capacity of more than 20 fresh fruits and berries. What's more, the ground flaxseed this recipe calls for adds valuable omega-3 fatty acids to this delectable smoothie. See the Recipe
Melon and Green Tea Smoothie
This refreshing smoothie is perfect for sunny summer days but not only because it is great at quenching thirst; it is packed with antioxidants—including vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and green tea catechins—which help protect the skin against the free radical damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet radiation. See the RecipeBuckwheat Crepes with Bananas
Buckwheat is a superb source of rutin, a bioflavonoid that helps the body utilize vitamin C and that helps maintain collagen levels in the skin, keeping the skin elastic and firm. The eggs featured in these crepes provide plenty of selenium, which can help protect the skin from the sun due to its role in the antioxidant system of the body. See the Recipe
Wholewheat Muffins with Bananas and Walnuts
Not only are these whole wheat muffins full of flavor, they also contain ingredients that help protect the skin. Bananas provide vitamin C and walnuts contain ellagic acid which is a strong antioxidant. See the Recipe
Antioxidant Muffins
These scrumptious muffins feature blueberries and pecans, two antioxidant powerhouse foods. Blueberries top the list of berries with the highest antioxidant capacity, and pecans—along with walnuts and chestnuts—have the highest concentration of antioxidants in the tree nut family. See the Recipe
Carrot Muffins
You've probably heard that carrots are good for eye sight, but did you know that they can also boost your skin's natural protection against the sun's rays? Carrots are one of the best dietary sources of beta-carotene—a nutrient that is known to help protect the skin against free radical damage from sun exposure. See the Recipe
Low Glycemic Raspberry Muffins
This muffin recipe is a must-try for those who love muffins but are concerned about the high amount of simple carbohydrates in most muffins. In addition to being low in carbs, the soy and raspberries featured in these muffins ensure that you get plenty of antioxidants. See the Recipe
Scandinavian Blueberry Soup
In Scandinavia, blueberry soup is a popular treat that can be served warm as an appetizer or chilled as a dessert. But the benefits of blueberry soup extend far beyond its culinary use. In a laboratory test conducted by USDA researchers, wild blueberries were ranked number one in terms of antioxidant capacity over 40 other tested fruits, berries, and vegetables. The antioxidant properties of wild blueberries were shown to be even stronger than those of cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums, or cultivated blueberries. See the RecipeLow-Fat Apple and Raspberry Crumble
This lovely recipe combines raspberries and apples, two excellent sources of the flavonoid quercetin. The molecular structure of quercetin is particularly well suited for scavenging free radicals caused by sun exposure. Also the vitamin C found in apples and raspberries helps protect the skin. See the Recipe
Apple Slices with Cinnamon
This dessert is very easy to prepare, and it contains only 95 calories! In addition, it is rich in quercetin, a flavonoid with strong antioxidants properties. See the Recipe
Chocolate Sorbet
Scientists have discovered that dark chocolate, which is what this sorbet recipe calls for, contains significant amounts of flavonoids such as catechins and procyanidins. These flavonoids have been shown to have strong antioxidant activity. However, flavonoids lose much of their antioxidant power if chocolate or cocoa is consumed together with dairy. In order to maximize the antioxidant effects of chocolate, this sorbet is made with rice milk and water instead of cow's milk. See the RecipeNettle Crêpes with Raspberries
Don't worry about this intriguing dessert stinging you; the nettle in these crepes will only do you good. Young, cooked stinging nettle shoots are perfectly edible, and they are packed with antioxidants. Raspberries served on top of these delicious crepes further boost the skin-protecting properties of this meal. See the Recipe
Watermelon and Green Tea Smoothie
The watermelon lends its lycopene to this refreshing smoothie, making it an excellent drink for those who want to obtain extra protection against the sun through diet. Green tea catechins further strengthen the antioxidant potential of this smoothie. See the RecipeMillet Pancakes with Prune Compote
A study, which assessed the antioxidant capacity of a wide range of fresh and dried fruit and vegetables using the so-called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) methodology, ranked prunes, or dried plums, the #1 food in terms of antioxidant potential. Prunes had more than twice the antioxidant capacity of other high ranking foods such as blueberries and raisins. See the RecipeCantaloupe Smoothie with Probiotics
The delicious combination of cantaloupe—loaded with beta-carotene and vitamin C—and natural yoghurt—an excellent source of zinc—provides your skin with extraordinary antioxidant protection. Also vanillin, contained in the seeds of the vanilla bean, have been shown to possess antioxidant properties. See the RecipeFor more recipes that can help protect your skin, visit the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Protecting Skin from Sun Damage.
