IN our last article, we talked about why reducing sugar is vital for a healthy diet.
A high sugar consumption in fact can cause obesity, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome, raising your risk for diseases like type two diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer.
Also, keep in mind that natural sugars found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables are perfectly fine — actually, these foods are very healthful and should be eaten daily as part of a balanced diet.
Instead, you should focus on cutting back on added sugars—the kind you would add to your coffee and tea, in sweets, candies, processed sauces and fizzy drinks. A great goal for most people is to reduce their daily intake of added sugars to less than 5-6 tablespoons per day.
If this goal sounds too difficult, you’ll be happy to hear that by making some changes to how you cook, you can find creative alternatives and make your own sweets using naturally sweet, nutritious ingredients.
Using ripe bananas is an excellent way to add creaminess and sweetness to your desserts without adding too much sugar or fat. It is also a great way to consume more fibre and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
My banana and cacao semifreddo is the perfect healthy treat for this hot weather. It is also quick and easy to make, so feel free to give it a try even if you aren’t very comfortable in the kitchen.
Banana and cacao semifreddo
Ingredients (two people):
Two small bananas or one big;
One third cup of unsweetened almond or soy milk;
One tbsp. of cacao nibs or pure cocoa powder; and
Two squares of dark chocolate with at least 70 per cent of cocoa
1. Blend all the ingredients together – except the dark chocolate – until smooth. Place the mixture in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours, until it becomes hard. It will freeze more quickly if you pour it into smaller moulds or shapes.
2. Melt the chocolate with a bit of milk and serve with the semifreddo.
Bonus: cacao nibs and pure cocoa powder are a very good source of magnesium, iron and antioxidants.
Melt the chocolate with a bit of milk and serve with the
semifreddo. Picture: GOOGLE
Cacao nibs and pure cocoa powder. Picture: HEALTHLINE
Instead, you should focus on cutting back on added sugars the kind you would add to your coffee and tea, in sweets, candies, processed sauces and fizzy drinks. Picture: HEALTHLINE
Keep in mind that natural sugars found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables are perfectly fine. Picture: KINETICPHYSICALTHERAPYGREENVILLENC
