THE season of feasting is here. Our resident foodie, JANE HUTTON, offers some healthy tweaks to our festive intake.
SO, the big C is here again. Christmas, not Covid, although hopefully we have avoided Covid-related disruption to our celebrations this year. The prospect of whether or not movable feasts should be planned for has been a frequent conversation, and illustrated what creatures of habit we are. As a rule, we don’t like change, or the unexpected, especially when it comes to festivals.
It used to be that the only consternation Christmas caused was the almost comfortable predictability of those double-edged holiday food swords – the traditional treats, and the traditional spare tyres that spark a thousand diet resolutions as the new year dawns!
Attitudes to health, and to food, have shifted in the wake of the pandemic, becoming polarised and polarising. Are you an advocate of preventative health, or of living in the moment and dealing with health issues as, and if, they arise? How much of your daily eating is geared towards overall nourishment, or do you eat for fuel and pop pills if your body protests? Are you a comfort eater or a fan of comforting food?
Many of us don’t actually reflect on our habits, choices or our relationship with food, but over the Christmas season, when food plays such a central role, we can see our healthy and unhealthy habits very clearly. More than any other holiday, the temptation to have a blowout is almost unavoidable. Try to stay virtuous and there can be a chorus of party pooper pressure, even if it’s just yourself who’s being restrained. Let’s face it, moderation is a great way of showing others up in a starkly greedy light over the buffet table!
How do we tread that fine line between delicious enjoyment and wild abandon over the festive season? Well, there’s nothing wrong with getting stuck into being festive, or getting stuck into festive food. A few judicious tweaks can save a lot of pain later, so try these tips:
* Nuts are healthy but calorific – have a couple, and a satsuma. We need vitamin C, to say nothing of the attractiveness of a pile of satsumas!
* Same goes for chocolates – satsumas all the way, though one choc isn’t the end of the world.
* Drink a spirit and tonic or soda instead of wine – less calories, but just as delicious – and drink less.
* Pile your plate with veg on Christmas Day, and have just a couple of roast potatoes.
* Don’t eat for the sake of it – leave space for selected favourite Christmas treats, and really enjoy them.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2022!
Clean Florentines
You will need:
100g almonds, roughly chopped (or other nuts of choice)
100g oats
40g dried apricots, chopped small
40g dried blueberries
40g dried cranberries
30g coconut oil (or butter)
50g coconut sugar (or brown/golden sugar)
1 1/2 tbsp honey
20g buckwheat flour (or wholemeal)
150 ml coconut milk
200g dark chocolate
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees, and line a tray with baking parchment. Mix the almonds and oats with the fruit, ensuring there are no clumps of fruit. Melt the oil with the sugar and honey gently until combined, then add the flour, whisking briskly until it thickens up. Quickly add the milk, whisking briskly again until you have a smooth, thick mixture.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fruit and oat mixture. Measure out spoonfuls of mixture, leaving a bit of spreading room, flattening slightly. Bake for around 15 minutes, turning the tray around half way through. Leave to cool.
To decorate, melt the chocolate in a bain marie, then spread melted chocolate over the flat bottom of the cookies. Leave to harden. You can also dip the cookies into the chocolate for half and half versions. The choice is yours!
Makes 20, depending on size.
Naturally Nourishing is written by nutritionist and “confirmed foodie” Jane Hutton. Visit her website, www.functionalfoodie.com, and sign up for programmes, recipes and advice. Contact jane@functional-foodie.com or 07841 344934.