Oat and quinoa chocolate crisps

Did your mum ever make chocolate cornflake crisps when you were little? They were all the rage in the 70s. Chocolate melted in a pan with Kellogg’s cornflakes stirred in, put into paper cases and left to set in the fridge. I particularly remember them as a special treat rustled up in my mum’s kitchen and packed in my lunch box for a school trip.

Well, these are just as quick and easy to make, albeit a little healthier than the 70s version. Plus the addition of toasted quinoa pulls them firmly into the new millennium. Don’t think we had that ingredient in our cupboard way back then.

These take minutes to make and your kids, if you have them, will love them. It’s a great way to sneak some nutritious grains into their diet, while they think they’re just eating sweeties. Alternatively, just eat them all yourself!

Mocha black bean brownies

I love chocolate, and I love brownies, so I was so relieved when I started out on my New Year’s healthy eating regime – the Trim Healthy Mama way – to find out that I wouldn’t have to give up either.

This recipe is my own variation of the Special Agent Brownie Cake recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama book. It’s a great (and easy recipe) as it stands, but me being me, I couldn’t help but tinker with it a bit to suit my own tastes.

The secret ingredient for this recipe is black beans, which add an interesting texture to the mix, instead of using rich melted chocolate. It makes the brownies moist, yet light at the same time.

Omega berry jam

I’ve always been more a consumer of honey than jam, so since being on the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan since the beginning of the year I’ve been looking to create an acceptable (sugar-free) substitute to spread on my pancakes or stir into my morning yoghurt.

Try as I might, I don’t think I can ever recreate something that rivals the natural deliciousness of honey – but with this latest recipe, I think I’ve come pretty close to creating a perfect sugar-free (and THM-friendly!) jam.

And it’s so simple – just some berries (as it’s the middle of winter, I used frozen) a sweetener of your choice (I used xylitol – you could probably also try Truvia or erythritol) and chia seeds.

Christmas pudding bites

Christmas is nearly upon us. Are you stressed, or are you one of those super-organised people who’s chosen, shopped and wrapped everything by mid-November and written out your 10-day Christmas and New Year food and party plan? I wish I was the latter, but sadly I’m not. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime, that’s all I can say!

I have to admit, I’m a little bit bah humbug when it comes to the frenzy that Christmas seems to stir in the retail sector. The Christmas jingles that start in November, the endless food ads on TV, and the tense, packed aisles of the supermarket drive me a little bit crazy!

Ours will be a small intimate Christmas with close family. Some indulgence, of course, but not too over the top. I’m so looking forward to seeing my little one enjoying the festivities. Last year he was just a babe in arms, this year he’s a toddler, and fascinated by the twinkling lights of our Christmas tree. He loves unwrapping presents too, especially if it involves a cardboard box. It can be totally empty – it’s fine with him!

Guilt-free banana squares

Healthy banana squares

These little treats are wheat-free, dairy free, sugar-free, and they can even be fat-free if you wish to leave out the avocado and the sunflower seeds (but you wouldn’t want to do that!).

With all these omissions, you might be thinking they must be tasteless, right? Wrong. They really taste pretty good, and the slow releasing carbs help mitigate the natural sugars from the bananas. Plus you can use any over-ripe bananas that may be loitering in your fruit bowl waiting to be thrown away.

These squares deliver a perfect cake-y hit (I need my cake-y hit) without any of the bad stuff. Don’t expect them to rise too much ­– they have a denser, more filling consistency.

I used a little stevia to add more sweetness (I use the NOW brand of stevia sachets, called Stevia Balance). In the UK, you can now buy Truvia from most large supermarkets. Stevia is calorie-free, derived from a plant, and doesn’t spike your blood sugar.

Choco-almond bon bons

These are sweet, satisfying, healthy little nutty balls that whizz up so easily in the food processor. Using dates, flax meal and ground almonds as a base, you can really experiment with the rest of the ingredients that you add. Sometimes I might throw some goji berries into the mix, some maca or lucuma powder (popular in raw food recipes), or a handful of crunchy pumpkin seeds or cacao nibs.

Really try to use medjool dates if you can – they’re the sweetest, most succulent dates you can buy, and to me they have a slight maple-syrup flavour.