Healthy comfort food with a clear conscience

In winter, when it’s cold and dark outside, we naturally feel hungrier and often crave sweet, fatty food.

Thankfully, there is a way you can satisfy your desires for comfort food without piling on the pounds; you just need to plan ahead. Here are a few delicious ideas to keep you going…

OATSO SIMPLE WITH AGAVE NECTAR

This is a warming, filling, sweet-tasting, yet low-GI snack, with just 183 calories per 27g sachet. It can be prepared in minutes in the microwave. Oats are rich in beta glucan, a form of soluble fibre that helps to keep blood-sugar levels steady and leaves you feeling full. Agave nectar (available from Tesco and Waitrose) is a low-GI honey-like syrup made from a cactus plant. Drizzle a little on the oats. LOW-FAT RICE PUDDING

Grab a 150g pot of Ambrosia low-fat rice pudding. You can heat it up or serve it straight from the pot. Either way, the creamy texture of this snack is comforting, while the small amount of sugar it contains is digested slowly because the milk contains protein which slows the absorbtion of carbs. Sprinkle with cinnamon for a touch of warming spice.

GRILLED BANANA WITH YOGHURT

Place a peeled banana on a piece of foil. Sprinkle over some vanilla essence and a teaspoon of granulated fructose. This fruit sugar has a much lower GI than sugar, and as it is a third sweeter too you need less of it. Grill for five minutes and serve with full-fat yoghurt. Add freshly crushed cardamom seeds before grilling, if you choose. The warmth of the spices and vanilla, with the slow-release energy from the bananas, make a comforting snack or pudding for only 150 calories.

WALKERS SUNBITES

If it is a savoury comfort snack you’re after, buy a packet of this relatively new snack. They hit the crisp-craving spot yet have only 118 calories per packet and 5.5g of fat (30 per cent less than standard crisps). Not only that, they contain whole grains and so give you a bit of fibre, too.

WARM WINTER FRUIT SALAD

Soak a selection of dried fruits overnight and then simmer with a cinnamon stick. Serve warm for breakfast or as a snack. The cinnamon is comforting and the dried fruits give you iron, a mineral which is vital for lifting and maintaining buoyant mood and energy; a lack of which sends you heading for sugary quick-energy-fix foods.

SLICE OF TOASTED FRUIT LOAF WITH A SPREAD OF RUNNY HONEY

Sounds naughty but fruit loaf is low GI and has just 113 calories per slice. Great mid-afternoon or when you get home from work and need a snack to keep you going until time for supper.

CASSEROLES AND STEWS

Stews are easy to make with lean meat, chicken or fish and lots of vegetables. Serve with mashed potatoes (mashed with milk rather than butter or cream). You can easily get away with just 300 calories per large, filling, comforting serving.

CHEESE ON TOAST

Toast a slice of granary bread and top with a handful of grated reduced-fat mature cheddar-type cheese. It takes you back to childhood and makes you feel cosy just thinking about it. Each slice gives you less than 200 calories and will keep you feeling satisfied both physically and emotionally for a good few hours.

BAKED APPLES

Cook them in the microwave in just minutes and serve with a few tablespoons of ready-to-eat custard. An excellent warming, low-GI snack or pudding which you can make in the office kitchen or at home. Apples are good for quercetin, an immune-boosting supernutrient plus pectin which keeps blood sugar levels steady.

HOT CHOCOLATE

Use a good quality hot chocolate powder such as Green & Blacks; make up using skimmed milk and sweeten with granulated fructose. Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food while hot milk helps to release feel-good chemicals in our brains which help us relax. Expect 110 calories per steaming 250ml mug, plus 20 calories per teaspoon of fructose.

AMANDA URSELL
www.amandaursell.com

View Source