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Now You Can Eat A Banana Split Without Splitting Your Pants

March 31, 2011   29 Comments

Snack Girl is ALWAYS looking for ways to makeover treats into healthy food. And, she loves banana splits!

Low Calorie Banana Split

In fact, one of my favorite banana splits is served at Friendly's for a whopping 880 calories. ouch.

What to do?

Well, one of my new Weight Watcher's buddies shared with me her secret for replacing ice cream. She just puts some whipped cream on a banana.

I wasn't sure it would work but I gave it a try with the bowl and banana pictured above which features fresh strawberries that are just arriving in the stores. All I did was add about 8 tablespoons of light whipped cream to this bowl.

Eight tablespoons of sweetened whipped cream (from one of those crazy nitrous oxide filled canisters) is only 60 calories.

The entire dish featured 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 banana, and whipped cream. It came out to 206 calories (I saved myself 674 calories) and, honestly, I really enjoyed it.

I didn't miss the ice cream. The whipped cream was enough of a "treat" for me.

Of course, these canisters aren't the most eco-friendly packaging in the world. So, if you have a bit more time you can buy some light cream, add a little honey or maple syrup and just whip it up really fast.

Cream is considered a really high calorie food, when you add AIR the calories decrease by quite a bit. Below, I have featured my favorite whisk - a "steel ball" whisk for those with large......hands.

I have to confess that I was given one of these at a foodie gig, and I fell in love with it because it is easier to use than a regular whisk. BUT, it is $23 - seems like a lot for a whisk.

If you like whipping things (such as egg whites or cream) this is your tool.

Kids will love making this faux banana split and it is a great way to dress up their after school snack.

This snack is ridiculously easy (and only 1 Weight Watchers point). Give it a try!

bananasplitb

Banana Split Makeover Recipe

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(serves 1)

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Ingredients

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 banana
8 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream

Instructions

Slice strawberries and banana. Put in a bowl and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

206 calories, 4.8 g fat, 38 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g protein, 5.9 g fiber, 3 mg sodium, 1 Points+

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

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First 20 Comments: ( See all 29 )

Use frozen Cool Whip or partially frozen light yogurt for an ice cream texture.

Been doing this for a long time. And frankly...it's a amazing what a little drizzle of chocolate syrup adds! Minimal calories added really!

This is a great idea! You could also make banana 'ice-cream' (freeze chunks of banana for an hour then process in food processor until the right consistency) and then just adding strawberries and whip cream on top!

If you use Cool whip free its about 10 calories per two table spoons...its just as good as the original. Been doing this for a long time..partially freeze the cool whip (it comes frozen anyway). For an added treat melt a chocolate vitatop muffin (100 calories and better for you than an apple) on the bottom, cover with bananas and frozen cool whip free. 200 Calories and fat free...Amazing, healhy and filling!

I do this all the time but use frozen cool whip lite and add a little Hershey's chocolate syrup.

To make this a fancy dessert, layer with strawberries, blueberries and banana in a trifle dish. We add the whip and sugar free vanilla pudding (horrors) and the kids devour it. We layer in a pretty glass trifle dish for adults and guests and layer the same in a huge mixing bowl for the 7 kids!

Can light cream really be whipped? I thought it had to be heavy cream to hold its shape, and assumed "light" whipped cream had thickeners, stabilizers etc.

Great question, Susanne! I was wondering the same thing.

I love all the variations people have added in their comments. They all sound so delicious!

Cool whip lite is healthy?? Low calorie does not equal healthy. It is loaded with hfcs as well as hydrogenated oils and plenty of unrecognizable chemicals. Spend a few extra calories on the real thing.

If you look in the natural section of your grocery store, look for TruWhip. It's essentially natural "cool whip" - it tastes as good or better, is only a dollar or so more expensive, and doesn't have all the hideous chemical garbage of the original!!

Lisa, that does sound good! I'm a tad curious have you tried fat free cream yet? One of my favorite chefs here in Atlanta that runs "The flying biscuit" uses it in her grits. Apparently its all over america you can get it at whole foods. If you simply poured that into a stainless steel whipped cream canister with a CO2 canister on the side you could easily cut a few more calories! Oh and you have a degree in chemistry, yes? Why does the chemical name for a b vitamin sound so much like pyrithirine? a pesticide. Just curious. You're obviously more educated on these chemicals than I am.

Thanks for the great idea. Will remember this when I am looking for a sweet treat!

Hi Kayla,

By healthy I was talking about the vitatop and banana. Vitatop deep chocolate has

50% Vitamin A
50% Vitamin C
20% Calcium
50% Vitamin D
50% Vitamin B12
50% Iron
50% Vitamin E
50% Vitamin B6

9 Grams of Dietary Fiber and more! They also taste amazing alone or in this little recipe.

Turkey Hill vanilla frozen yogurt is only 2P+ for a half cup. It is delicious and counts as a calcium serving, with 25% daily value. When I want a 'real' dessert, I will warm up 1/4 cup orange juice or pineapple juice in a saucepan, add a T. of brown sugar and a tiny bit of cornstarch to thicken it. Then add a cut up banana and a few pineapple chunks and warm through. It is delicious with the frozen yogurt for something that has few P+ and tastes like a total splurge!

I like the idea of the frozen banana in a food processor to make 'banana ice cream'. Cool whip is scary. PBS app has these Wired Science clips of a show called "What's Inside". They did a "What's Inside Your Fridge" one that looked at the chemical guts of Cool Whip. So gross...

I love Cool Whip, bananas, and a graham cracker. Like a banana cream pie! YUMMY!

Snack girl - do you live in my kitchen? I do this every now and then for the same reason; loved banana splits as a kid but know better as an adult. Add a scant tablespoon of chopped walnuts to heighten the effect.

That looks so good. Today I did Chobani pain greek yogurt (100) cal added 2 packets of Truvia(0) cal a ton of cinnamon (because I love it) a handful of blueberries and about 10 teddy grahams. such a great snack combo. would have added more blueberries but didn't have enough.

Had to try this tonight with a frozen banana and added a few blueberries...omg what a treat!!!

Oh, for heaven's sake! Eat some real ice cream! Half a cup with the extra fruit would be great, and a half a cup won't kill anybody. MODERATION folks!

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