Why You Should Prioritize Desserts That Are Good for Gut Health

Author: Marco Sabater

The Importance of Gut Health

It is hard to overstate how much your overall health is impacted by your gut health. It has been shown that developing and maintaining personal habits for nurturing your digestive system are important to improving mental, emotional, and physical health. As the research on the human microbiome—the complex collection of bacterial worlds in our body—becomes more well-known, the foods we eat and the eating habits we establish for ourselves have taken center stage. 

We for one, do know that the adverse effects of poor gut health go beyond an upset stomach. Problems such as digestion issues, bloating, and IBS are common signs of an imbalanced gut. Plus, it has also been made clear that over time, these gut issues cause other adverse side effects—such as inflammation, unintentional weight gain, poor sleeping patterns, skin irritation, food intolerances, and even autoimmune conditions.

For those interested in fostering long-term gut health, the consensus has been to shift from diets heavily based on meats, carbs, and processed foods to one that emphasizes plants. The main benefit of this holistic lifestyle shift is that you receive the nutrients you need and give your gut a break from working to digest harsh ingredients. But therein lies the question: When you are a health-conscious individual, what happens when you crave a sweet mid-afternoon snack or want to indulge a bit on dessert? Without negatively affecting your gut health, is it possible to have your dessert and eat it too?

What About Your Cravings?

In the past few years, there has been a significant response to consumer demand for healthier snacks and more ingredient transparency within the consumer packaged good (CPG) market. But for all of the strides made in this “better-for-you” snack market, there remains a lack of viable dessert options—especially ready-made sweets that let you indulge, without the added food guilt. 

Desserts, and especially brownies and blondies, are seen as disruptors to healthy eating habits and can lead to feeling guilty about eating the “wrong” food. When we categorize foods in moral terms, we’re really categorizing ourselves as good or bad, strong or weak, worthy, or unworthy. At dalci, we believe that eating a dessert you love is not a moral failing and that no one should feel guilty about enjoying the foods they love. 

We also understand how frustrating it can be to search for that tasty, gut-healthy, and ready-made dessert. For our founder, they distinctly recall coming home after a long day of work, making dinner, and craving a decadent brownie, as a treat. At the time, their choices were between a high-sugar, processed option, and spending time to prep and bake after dinner—and knowing that choosing the former could turn into food guilt, spiraling into bad eating habits, and then, of course, affecting gut health.

That is where dalci was born. Our philosophy promotes holistic eating habits and enables a gut-healthy indulgence when the mood strikes: during an afternoon break at work; relaxing on the couch on the weekend; or after dinner when you need a sweet tooth fix.