“Nothing is more comforting than a tiramisu or a chocolate truffle,” laughs model and doctor – Aditi Govitrikar Lakdawala. Fondant follows close on her list. But like so many people today, Aditi makes it a point to buy sugar-free desserts in an effort to cut down calories.

“It’s all about making a healthier choice,” she starts.

“Mufazzal, my husband (who is an antiobesity doctor) tells me that people often have a meal with salads and healthy juices and then forget all about the extra calories of the dessert, which is the culprit, really.”

With India leading the global diabetes explosion, the number of type II or adult onset diabetes, which is the leading cause for renal failure, cardiovascular problems and Diabetic Foot leading to amputation, among other problems – in major metros, is steadily rising.

Jyoti Lalwani, consulting dietician affirms that there are so many diabetic people who want their fix of sweets, no matter what. “Unfortunately so many of them binge on the wrong desserts,” she rues.

“Refined sugar (like the one used for icing), is so polished that it reacts like a harmful chemical when it is ingested. Sugar-free sweets are an added advantage but as long as the composition of the dessert is low-fat as well, for example a low-fat sheera won’t make that much difference as it has ghee and other rich additives.”

One finds so many artificial sweeteners in the market that are often used as sugar substitutes.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that some people are sensitive to one or more artificial sweeteners, and report headaches and other side effects,” she says, adding, “Of these, Splenda or Sucralose are the preferred options.”

Most of the top of the line patisseries and mithai shops in the city cater to the rising demand for sugar-free desserts. Chef Sunny Cheuv, at Henry Tham, Colaba elaborates.

“Our Mango Cheesecake with curd and a very light Mascarpone cheese is very popular.We try to use a fresh fruit and yoghurt instead of other ingredients in a few desserts.”

The Banyan Tree at Worli makes a special mention of Tiramisu (containing decaffeinated coffee, skim milk, sugar-free cream) and Chocolate Mousse (using diet chocolate and sugar substitutes again) is the crowd favourite. Bombay Baking Company (BBC) at the Marriott also so has a special sugar-free dessert menu.

The subject is also the raison d’etre for Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s latest book -Cakes & Bakes.

“I thought it was high time we had recipes for those who love their meetha,” he smiles, adding, “But there’s a strategy to follow. One should have smaller portions, whether in food, or diabetic desserts. Also, one can easily make barfis using crushed dates with nuts, or crushed anjeer.

There is no need to add refined sugar or khoya or milk as dates and anjeer are good binders. Another good suggestion is Fruit Fools which use hung yogurt and any fresh fruit pulp. I like to use pineapple with hung yogurt and cinnamon, but you can improvise using other fruits,” he ends.

With so much on offer for the health-conscious, a little controlled indulgence is probably the right answer.