It seems as though the debate as to whether or not dessert is healthy has been officially closed. We’ve all been convinced that’s it’s the absolute devil, and to stay away at all costs.  Sugar has been found to be linked to both obesity, weight gain, as well as a wide variety of chronic diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

To our good fortune however, recent findings have suggested that dessert here and there may actually help us stay healthy, believe it or not – especially when it’s the real decadent kind of desert, we’re not talking about fruit cups here.

As it turns out, those who chose their dessert before their meal were actually found to eat less at the end of the day. Psychologically, people are more inclined to chose a healthier and lower calorie meal when they know what kind of dessert is waiting for them at the end of it, even without having the sweet treat before the meal.

The research found that merely knowing what they had chosen was enough to spark a significant change.  People often feel as though that after having a healthy meal, that they are now entitled to having an even bigger dessert afterwards.  But if you change up the order from the get-go, then you’ve already used up your credit, in a sense.

Indulging in treats in moderation can also prevent binge eating, especially since depriving ourselves can lead to uncontrollable cravings, causing people to end up eating far more than they bargained for.

It’s all about balance, but yes, it does in fact seem as though you can have your cake and eat it too.