Dessert Recipes for Strong Nails
Eat your way to healthy, strong nails with the help of our nail health promoting recipes and meal ideas! In this section, you'll find recipes for healthy desserts that are loaded with nail health boosting nutrients. But before you get your apron on and start creating 'nail-friendly' desserts, make sure you have checked out the section Diet Tips for Strong Nails and the section Best Foods for Nail Growth which provide more general information about diet and nail health.
Green Tea and Mango Blast
This recipe pairs green tea with mango to create a delicious and highly nutritious smoothie to strengthen your nails and to give your body a real health boost.
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
These delicious muffins deliver an abundance of amino acids necessary for strong nails. As an added bonus, the carrots featured in these muffins supply antioxidants. See the RecipeBuckwheat Crepes with Bananas
Buckwheat is rich in protein, and the protein it boasts contains all eight essential amino acids, all of which are needed for healthy nails. These crepes are also rich in nail health promoting vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin B7, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and vitamin E. See the RecipeMillet Pancakes with Prune Compote
Rich in iron, prunes can help keep nails looking beautiful and prevent brittle nails and washboard ridges. Also millet contains nail health promoting nutrients, including B complex vitamins and zinc. See the RecipeQuinoa Crepes with Applesauce
Nails are primarily made up of a fibrous protein called keratin, and a diet that is too low in protein may cause nails to become thin and brittle and slow down the rate of nail growth. An inadequate intake of protein may show up as white bands on the nails. Quinoa, the main ingredient in these pancakes, is packed with protein. What's more, not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it contains includes all eight essential amino acids, all of which are needed for normal tissue growth and repair. See the RecipeChocolate Cake
This flourless chocolate cake has a surprising ingredient: black beans! Black beans pack a protein punch, which is great news for all those who are keen on having stronger nails. In addition, beans are a great source of iron, zinc, and biotin, all of which help maintain healthy nails. See the Recipe
Whole Wheat Brownies
Cocoa is an ingredient in many beauty products, but the benefits of cocoa on beauty may go beyond the topical use of this food. Scientists have found the seeds of the cacao plant to contain significant amounts of flavonoids which have shown strong anti-oxidant activity. What's more, dark cocoa is a good source of iron which helps prevent dry, brittle nails, and washboard ridges. See the RecipeLow-Fat Apple and Raspberry Crumble
Oats, the basis of this divine dessert, are highly nutritious and an excellent source of B vitamins, zinc and copper, some of the most important micronutrients for maintaining healthy nails. The apples and raspberries featured in this crumble provide antioxidant protection. See the Recipe
Apple Slices with Cinnamon
This lovely dessert is a cinch to prepare and provides plenty of vitamin C. Vitamin C is crucial for healthy nails, and a deficiency of vitamin C may result in hangnails or ingrown toenails. 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 possess strong anti-oxidant properties. 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 dessert dish stinging your lips; the nettle in these crepes will only do you good. Young, cooked stinging nettle shoots are perfectly edible, and they are packed with iron, providing more than four times the iron found in spinach. A chronic iron deficiency can cause brittle or deformed nails. See the RecipeFor more recipes that can help you maintain strong nails, visit the main recipe directory of HealWithFood.org's Guide to Maintaining Strong Nails.
