Make the most of  naturally sweet fruits

Summer is the ideal season to shift your dessert tastes away from added sugars and toward naturally sweet fruit. This crisp recipe couldn’t be easier, and can be made with berries, peaches, plums or other summer fruits, as well as apples.
Yes, the recipe does call for a little sugar, but it’s less than a teaspoon and a half per serving, and you can try less if you prefer. But if you reduce the “sneaky” sugars in your diet, you can have your crisp and enjoy it, too.

Low-sugar Fruit Crisp

Topping:

• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil (or unsalted butter, melted)

Filling:

• 6 cups peeled, diced apples (or berries, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon white whole-wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons white sugar (or less, to taste)

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a baking dish with butter or oil. Combine dry topping ingre-dients. Add the oil (or butter) and stir again. Fill baking pan with filling ingredients. Stir well. Cover with the topping. Bake until the fruit is tender and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 167 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat fat — higher if using butter), 2 g protein, 26 g carbs, 14 g sugar (7 g added sugars).

By The Portland Clinic dietitians. Recipe from ChooseMyPlate.gov.