Low fat desserts have a bad reputation -- either they're plain ol' fruit, which does not count as dessert, or they have no flavor at all. Better to skip dessert than to eat some of the low fat desserts we've had in the past, huh?

Well, I'm here to make you a happy low fat dessert eater! Let me tell you the secret: Rawleigh's Chocolate Pie Filling and Dessert Mix, which is a great value and also makes a fabulous treat for anyone taking care of their health. It's a low calorie mix with no fat unless you add some in; and if you take some of my suggestions for additions, you'll have low fat desserts that are so luscious that no one will be able to tell the difference.

First of all, when the basic recipe calls for adding milk, use skim milk -- the pudding mix is so rich already that you'll never miss the fat from whole milk. But you can still add more flavor to your low fat dessert: use half skim milk and half coffee to make a mocha pudding. Or add a few tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice with the milk, and chop up a few cherries to mix into the pudding, and you've got a low fat dessert that's rich with chocolate and has some texture, as well.

I'm not opposed to using fruit in a low fat dessert, even if I don't think that it qualifies as a low fat dessert. A simple treat is to slice some bananas and mix them into the pudding, or place a layer of banana slices between two layers of pudding to make a trifle. Or cut some orange slices and fan them out on a plate, then place a scoop of pudding that's been made with orange juice and a bit of orange zest into the center, for a supremely elegant low fat dessert with gorgeous color, too.

There are so many things you can do with a simple pudding mix that there are no excuses for depriving yourself of low fat desserts anymore. I've given you several ideas; now go into the kitchen and start mixing and stirring and having some fun for yourself while creating a whole new array of low fat desserts to be proud of!