Healthier cherry bakewell blondies

So this recipe is one I adapted from a previous recipe I did with similar ingredients and spices like turmeric or ginger depending on your tastes.

I adapted it to create this cherry Bakewell version full of healthy fats, lovely cherries plus lots of fiber and natural sweetness, this would make a great sub for your afternoon pick me up or a great way to sneak in veg at breakfast! Plus there’s so much nutrition there and sources of fiber for your gut so you should definitely try these at least once, you can always tweak them to suit your tastes.

Healthier cherry bakewell blondies Breakfast Grainfree snack

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Grain free, carrot cake banana bread

A healthier, grain free, sugar free but not taste free carrot cake banana bread!
Because this uses non grain based ingredients it’s also gluten free and can be made vegan too, see notes below.

Gut friendly carrot cake loaf

I used a single ripe banana in this recipe for natural sweetness and moisture plus it also means you don’t need any sugar but as usual you can adapt this to suit your own tastes. I’ve also included some optional additions that are great ingredients to add if you would like to increase gut health. For example, collagen is high in amino acids which are heavily involved in gut cell lining replication and baobab/tigernut flour are prebiotic foods, plus the more you diversify your diet the more diverse your gut will also be.

Grain free, carrot cake banana bread Breakfast Grainfree snack vegan

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Nut free, berry bliss balls

Nut free, grain free, suitable for allergies, naturally sweetened (no dates) and full of healthy fats. These bliss balls are different from the usual ones with lots of dates and nuts to suit allergies but it’s also good to mix it up sometimes. I like to use raw manuka honey here for antimicrobial goodness too.

Berry ball benefits

The hemp seeds here are really undervalued in my opinion, they’re a good source of plant based fats and fiber and the sunflower seeds are a good source of vitamin E which is beneficial for the skin, so not only will they nourish your cravings they’ll nourish your body too.

Nut free, berry bliss balls Desserts energy balls Grainfree snack vegan

You can adapt these with any other powders or blends you have in your kitchen to add extra goodness for example if you want to use these as a mid morning or afternoon energy boost then add a small 1/2 tsp of matcha powder or some collagen etc.

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Low carb, grain free light waffles

So the 25th March is national waffle day, hooray!!

I love a waffle and have really got very into them recently as they’re faster to make and don’t require flipping like pancakes which is always a plus.
I dabbled in some flourless/grain free recipes and came up with this one that also happens to be diet friendly and low carb, it can also be used for a savory theme with different toppings, so is very versatile.

Each waffle serving (no toppings) is roughly 141 calories with unsweetened almond milk and less than 5g carbs.

Low carb, grain free light waffles Breakfast Grainfree

Coconut flour types

I used a coconut flour (reduced fat kind) from Lidl which absorbs more than other flours and is different from regular coconut finely ground so make sure you’re using this brand or another one like Groovy foods from Tesco that binds well or else it won’t hold together. You’ll notice these brands have a fat content lower than 25g per 100g of product showing it’s the fat reduced kind.

Low carb, grain free light waffles Breakfast Grainfree

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Veggie meatball bean casserole

This recipe is so easy, 1 bowl/baking dish is all that’s required, it’s packed with veg (including the “meatballs”) and therefore also has lots of fiber plus colour too, after all, it’s important to eat a rainbow (no not those sweets you grew up on) but a variety of wholesome plants and foods.

This is becoming one of my favourite new recipes, I really like how easy it is, it’s full of flavour and you can adjust this recipe very easily to suit your own needs/tastes. It’s a great way to get those veggies into kids especially if you don’t tell them you used veggie based meatballs (could also try to sub in some falafel and hope they don’t notice!).

Veggie meatball bean casserole Dinner Grainfree Lunch vegan

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Vegan creamy curry mushroom pasta

This quick, comforting mushroom pasta dish is the perfect autumn/winter meal, full of spices and flavour with the creaminess coming from coconut yogurt.
Use any curry paste that you have in your fridge, they should all work just fine and to really increase your veg & fibre intake try using a legume based pasta such as chickpea, red lentil or green pea/lentil. I personally really like red lentil with this dish.

Vegan creamy curry mushroom pasta Dinner Grainfree Lunch vegan

Plant based yogurt
Plant based yogurts are really easy to get hold of these days in the big supermarkets, I’ve tried a number of them ranging from M&S to Asda, with a blend of fermented non GMO soy & coconut from Asda being the cheapest at £1, as it still has some coconut in it the flavour works fine and is still quite creamy which I really like, plus doesn’t have any sugar or a tonne of thickeners/starches etc in it.

Vegan creamy curry mushroom pasta Dinner Grainfree Lunch vegan

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