This recipe is so rich and so creamy it’ll make you feel guilty about eating it, but it’s only 80 calories a serving! Replacing some of the sugar with your favorite low calorie sweetener is the best way to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor. This cold custard is the perfect warm weather treat for the chocolate lover in your family.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 packets Sweet One® granulated sugar substitute
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon chocolate extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan, whisk together skim milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and Sweet One. Whisking constantly, cook 6-8 minutes, until mixture boils and thickens.

Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir ¼ cup milk mixture into beaten eggs, stirring constantly to avoid curdling. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and stir in chocolate extract. Cook, stirring constantly over low heat 2-3 minutes or until custard thickens. Do not let custard come to a boil.

Pour custard into individual dessert cups or a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Nutrition:

80 Calories
13g Carbohydrates
4g Protein

Don’t forget to include some weight training in your exercise routine. It builds muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat.

This is a new guest post from registered dietitian Carolyn Reynaud. Carolyn is a health coach specialist with over ten years of experience working in corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. This post is sponsored by Calorie Control Council.

Spring has sprung! This has been a long and cold winter, but the air is getting warmer, the sun is staying out longer, and you can finally shake off those winter blues. This is my favorite time or year and one of the reasons it is my favorite is spring produce! You are finally seeing all of those colorful and tasty fruits and vegetables that go into hiding over the winter come back into season.

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet and research has shown that a colorful plate helps promote healthy eating. So, this is a great time to get in the kitchen and experiment with ways to color your plate.

Have trouble getting in your fruits and veggies? There are several ways to dress them up a part of your meal that you will look forward to.

A low-cal sweetener can be a great addition to your recipes. Your favorite sweetener will satisfy your sweet tooth without adding to your waistline. These products have been used for the last 30 years as a safe way to enhance your food without adding additional calories. Here is some great light and delicious recipes using these products that can help you get in your fruits and veggies this spring!

Garden pasta salad

Raspberry swirl peach soup

Fresh and light celery salad

Cucumber and tomato salad

Y’all I have some exciting news that I’ve been keeping a secret and I can finally share it with you today!

I am very happy to introduce TWO new guest bloggers to The Skinny on Low Cal! Carolyn Reynaud and Ellen Stokes are both registered dietitians with tons of real-world experience working with people to meet their health-related goals. Their blog posts will give you a dietitian’s perspective on things like healthy eating, exercise tips, recipes and the latest health news. These posts are being sponsored by Calorie Control Council.

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University.  She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion.  She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals.

Ellen Stokes, MS, RD, LD is an award-winning video producer, director, and writer in addition to being a registered dietitian. Ellen writes and creates videos about nutrition education, food safety, menu planning, grocery shopping, and healthful cooking on a budget. Ellen has worked with organizations and companies including the Partnership for Food Safety Education, the University of Georgia Food Science Department, and Golden Cuisine. Ellen formerly worked for CNN as a writer and producer and has taught food safety online for Georgia State University. You can check her out on Twitter @EllenS_RD

Tomorrow, Carolyn will share four easy recipes for all those springtime fruits and veggies that are popping up in your local grocery stores and farmers markets. Check back here tomorrow for her post.

Do you have a question or topic you’re dying to get their opinion on? Share in the comments and check back to see if they write about it!