Easter is a time that families and friends come together around the table and indulge in hearty food and decadent treats. From chocolate eggs and carrot cake to hot cross buns and braai ‘vleis’. Bianca Tromp, a FUTURELIFE® dietician says that balancing healthy eating over the upcoming long weekend may be tough, but not impossible. “While it’s easy to go overboard, it’s all about balance.”
She adds that you shouldn’t have to deprive yourself of sweet treats, “Experimental studies suggest that short-term, selective food deprivation seems to increase cravings for the avoided foods (1).” So, Bianca suggests that instead of denying yourself of your Easter favourites, you should consider swopping them out with three Smart-choice alternatives that will help you maintain balance and keep your healthy eating plan intact.
1. Replace Chocolate Eggs with Smart Choice Hot Chocolate:
SMART CHOICE HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients:
1 x 40g FUTURELIFE® High Protein Lite SmartBar (chocolate crunch or peanut butter crunch flavour)
300 ml Milk
15ml (1tbsp) Peanut Butter
15ml (1 tbsp) FUTURELIFE® Crunch Smart food™
Method:
1. Place all ingredients (excluding Crunch) in a small pot and simmer until the bar is melted.
2. Sprinkle with FUTURELIFE® Crunch Smart Food™ and enjoy!
2. Replace Carrot Cake with Smart Choice Muffins:
SMART CHOICE MUFFINS:
Makes 12 muffins – Make a batch and freeze
Ingredients:
200ml (4/5 cup) FUTURELIFE® Smart food™ (original flavour)
250ml (1 cup) whole wheat flour
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) salt
20ml (4 tsp) baking powder
15ml (1 tbsp) sugar
1 egg
60ml (1/4 cup) margarine
250ml (1 cup) low-fat milk
½ cup grated carrot
½ cup grated apple
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
60ml (1/4 cup) Peanut butter (unsweetened)
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and grease a muffin tin.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Whisk egg. Add the margarine/, vanilla essence and milk to the beaten egg and whisk until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient and fold together until just combined, fold in carrot and apple.
5. Spoon equal amounts of batter into greased muffin tin. Spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter into each centre of the muffins.
6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
7. Freeze in an airtight bag or enjoy fresh.
* To defrost leave to thaw at room temperature.
3. Replace Hot Cross Buns with Smart Choice Crumpets
SMART CHOICE CRUMPETS:
The recipe makes ±5 crumpets with a diameter of 10cm
Ingredients:
150ml FUTURELIFE® Smart food™ (Chocolate or Original flavour)
75ml (1/3 cup) water
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder (is this amount correct?)
1 banana 5ml (1 tsp) oil
Optional: 1/3 cup cacao nibs
2.5ml (½ tsp) cinnamon
Method:
1. Blend all ingredients together, except oil, until smooth.
2. Grease a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat to medium.
3. Use a ladle to pour the mixture onto the frying pan.
4. When bubbles on the surface start to pop, turn the crumpet over using a spatula and cook the other side.
“Remember it’s important to view healthy eating as a journey. Making healthier choices should not feel like a punishment, but rather an important aspect in achieving your health goals,” Bianca concludes.
