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| Getting your just desserts |
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| Concluding her series on healthy meals, independent dietitian Paula Mee proves that desserts dont always have to be a sinful pleasure. |
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| Healthy apple and berry crumble |
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Recipe 9
Just Cooking, Firies, Kerry
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Healthy desserts can also be delicious, and lets remember that not all carbohydrates are bad for us. Good carbohydrates are found in foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The not-so-good ones are in products made with sugar (sweets, snacks and sugary drinks) and refined grains (white bread, white pasta and white rice).
We can avoid taking a ride on the blood-sugar roller coaster and help avoid weight gain by eating more good carbohydrates in the form of these fruit-based desserts, rather than sugary, fatty, more refined treat foods. Good carbohydrates like fruit take longer to digest, so blood sugar and insulin rise more slowly and peak at lower levels.
Fruits also offer plenty of colour too. A variety of fruits with deep, vibrant colours like blueberries, strawberries, plums and red apples contain phytonutrients, which are powerful plant compounds that are important to good health.
Many of us also need more fibre in our diet. Fibre refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested and, therefore, provides no calories because fibre fills us up, not out. |
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| Healthy Apple And Berry Crumble |
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Ingredients for the filling
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp caster sugar
Pinch cinnamon
1 orange, zest grated
150g frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp finely grated, fresh ginge | | | Ingredients for the Topping
70g organic porridge oats
30g wholemeal flour
20g brown sugar
20g flaked almonds
40g unsalted butter, melted |
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Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 190C/gas mark 5/375F.
2. Place the apples in a saucepan with the water, cinnamon, orange zest, ginger and sugar.
3. Place on a medium heat and bring to a simmer.
4. Simmer for 3 minutes and then add the frozen berries.
5. Simmer for a further 2 minutes.
6. Place the mix into an oven-proof bowl.
7. Now make the topping. Place all of the dry ingredients into a bowl.
8. Stir through the melted butter and sprinkle over the filling.
9. Place in the oven and bake for approx 15-20 minutes until golden. |
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| Fresh Fruit Salad with Passion Fruit And Ginger |
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Serves 4
Ingredients
1 apple, finely sliced
½ pineapple, finely chopped
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
1 orange, peeled and segmented
(or you can use 2 satsumas)
1 punnet blueberries or strawberries
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
3 passion fruit, pulp and seeds
200ml fresh orange juice |
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Method
1. Place all the fruit in a bowl.
2. In the bowl, mix together the orange juice, passion fruit and ginger.
3. Pour over the salad and mix well.
You can use any fruit that you wish to in this fruit salad. When in season, fresh Irish strawberries are divine! |
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| Roasted pineapple with honey and lime yogurt |
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Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pineapple, cut into 8 wedges and core removed
35g light brown sugar
150g low-fat natural yoghurt
2 limes, finely zested
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp honey, warmed |
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| Tip: Try roasting plums or peaches in the same way. Cut them in 1/2, remove the stone and roast as the pineapple. |
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Method
1. Place pineapple in a roasting tray and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
2. Drizzle with a little brandy and roast in preheated oven 180C/350F/gas mark 4 for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
3. Mix yoghurt, lime zest and 1 tbsp of honey together.
4. Serve the pineapple warm with the natural yoghurt mix and spoon over a little warm honey. |
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