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Because I’m only human, I find it incredibly difficult to resist all the dangerous ‘food temptations’ that lurk at social functions – whether it’s calorific ‘feta’ starters at a restaurant, deep-fried canapés at a party, battered pub grub, caramel-topped ‘frappucino’ coffee with friends (and the list goes on…), when there are beautiful bowls of yummy nibbles laid out in front you, the willpower alone can crumble (yum, crumble!), especially when everyone else starts tucking in. Chips, crisps, popcorn, sweets, chocolate drinks… An indulgent evening out can quickly mount up to 1000 calories! This post is about a couple of suggestions for hosting your friends in a more healthy and nutritious way that won’t fill you with guilt or saturated fat!
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Because I’m only human, I find it incredibly difficult to resist all the dangerous ‘food temptations’ that lurk at social functions – whether it’s calorific ‘feta’ starters at a restaurant, deep-fried canapés at a party, battered pub grub, caramel-topped ‘frappucino’ coffee with friends (and the list goes on…), when there are beautiful bowls of yummy nibbles laid out in front you, the willpower alone can crumble (yum, crumble!), especially when everyone else starts tucking in. Chips, crisps, popcorn, sweets, chocolate drinks… An indulgent evening out can quickly mount up to 1000 calories! This post is about a couple of suggestions for hosting your friends in a more healthy and nutritious way that won’t fill you with guilt or saturated fat!
IDEA 1: FRUIT PLATTER
Instead of sweets, the sugar here is natural vs. refined, it’s hydrating, and has a host of anti-oxidant and vitamin benefits. If you’re struggling with sugar cravings and don’t want to cut out sugar instantly (resulting in cold turkey), then a tasty & healthy fruit salad can help make the transition. Arranging it in a bite-sized way, and serving with cocktail sticks, is a great alternative to greasy mini-pizzas!
IDEA 2: SWEET POTATO CHIPS
More sweet carbs you say? How about some home-made potato chips? (See my previous post for more info on sweet potato here). They are sweet yet have a surprisingly low Glycemic Index. Sweet potato is also high in fibre and the caloric energy is slow releasing, providing sustainable energy to carry you on for longer than a low-fiber simple carb, like a pack of Walkers. Plus you don’t need to go heavy on the salt because they’re already rich in flavour. So in all not too bad! And certainly healthier than sodium, fat-packed crisps.
For more on Ingredients and ‘How to’ click here:
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My Fruit Platter:
Apple – ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ – a rich source of antioxidant compounds which repairs cells and tissue, plenty of vitamin C, heaps of dietary fibre, and only c. 80 calories per apple (!).
Grapefruit – extremely rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre (pectin), with a remarkably low glycemic index to help the metabolism burn fat.
Blueberries – rich in essential dietary mineral Manganese, plus vitamin K (blood clotting and digestion), vitamin C, and dietary fibre. Also a very low glycemic load score.
Kiwi- great source vitamin C, each large kiwi fruit providing c. 154% of the daily intake, whilst the little black seeds are hidden sources of Omega-3 fatty acids to help lubricate the heart functions. It’s also packed full of the usual vitamin A, K, E, soluble dietary fibre etc.
Orange - very low in calories (c. 47 calories per 100g), they contain no cholesterol or saturated fat and are a good source of dietary fibre. Like most citrus fruit orange is also a great source of vitamin C (100grams provides c. 89% of your daily requirements).
Avocado - provides all 18 essential amino acids necessary for the body to form a complete protein, the perfect for everyday snack for veggies! It also contains healthy fats which boost levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, which can help to protect against damage from free radicals.
I’ve embellished it in the picture above with a Protein-shake cocktail Image may be NSFW.
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Sweet Potato chips
INGREDIENTS?
4 normal sized sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp olive or other vegetable oil
2 Tbsp of mixed herbs or any spice combination of your choice
How to?
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Scrub the outside of the sweet potato and remove any dirt. Cut each piece into wedges (in half lengthwise, if they are very long, in half crosswise) Or slice them into little into disks.
3. Put the sweet potatoes into a bowl, add the oil and mix with the herbs.
4. Finally place the wedges on a piece of foil on a baking tray centre of the oven.
5. Let them bake for ca 25 – 30 min turning them occassionally.
6. Cool of for serving
7. Enjoy!
Enjoy! Faya x
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