Tag: healthy foods

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Low calorie or “normal” ice cream?

Dr Nancy P

Low calorie or “normal” ice cream?….. 🍦

Here are two ice cream options – one is a low calorie, currently very popular ice cream stick – a halo top strawberry cheesecake one. The other is an oldie but a goodie and just a “normal” ice cream – the humble strawberry split.

Now anyone who knows me knows I’m a massive fan of the low calorie Halo top ice cream – not just because they’re low calorie but because they taste good. But it’s very easy for people to discount the “normal” strawberry split. So whilst these are obviously not directly comparable in flavour and texture etc they are very similar and serve a similar purpose – as a dessert or snack. One is marketed as low calorie, one isn’t.

I think it’s safe to assume that many of use would presume the halo top ice cream is the “healthier” option as it’s marketed as low calorie, and certainly the lower calorie option. In reality it’s not – the strawberry split is actually considerably fewer calories. So if you were tracking calories and trying to lose weight/bodyfat then the strawberry split would be a better choice. It does however have a bit more sugar than the Halo top – so if weight loss isn’t a goal but you want to go for a less sugary option then the halo top might be the better choice.

Overall the differences are relatlively small. Neither is a “healthier” option – it’s ice cream. Ice cream isn’t consumed to provide us with nutrients – it’s consumed because we enjoy it – so choose the one you enjoy most! However, as always, be aware of those calories – you may find some of your favourite ice creams aren’t actually as bad as you thought they were!

Now go and enjoy an ice cream

🤗

Xx

Recipes

Almond Caramel N’ice Cream

Dr Nancy P

Perfect weather for n’ice cream! This is really scrummy and tastes delish. It doesn’t need any extra sugar as the bananas and date caramel give it tonnes of rich sweetness and creaminess. It’s also pretty quick to make. I usually make up a big batch of the date caramel so I can use it for other stuff (or just eat it by the spoonful!).

If you don’t have dates you can just add use caramel syrup with almond butter (the sugar free one for coffees works well) or any liquid sweetener or sauce! You can even buy date syrup if you wanted to use that 🤗

The caramelised almonds are yummy as a snack on their own too!


You will need:

8 – 10 Medjool dates (this will create extra caramel so reduce if you don’t want any spare)

1 tbsp Almond butter

1 tbsp hot Water

4 frozen bananas

Handful almonds

Drizzle of maple or date syrup or any liquid sweetener

It’s best if you peel and slice your bananas for freezing as it makes it easier for the blender to handle so make sure your bananas are well frozen first.

First caramelise the almonds. Pop the almonds into a dry frying pan, add a good drizzle of maple, coconut or date syrup and heat. You need to keep an eye on this – you want it to start to bubble and thicken but not burn. Keep stirring so they don’t catch. Once the syrup is reduced down and they’re well coated tip them out in to some baking paper and allow to cool. You can break them apart once cool.

  

Then make the almond caramel. Chop the dates and pop in to a high speed blender together with the almond butter. Depending on how dry your dates are you may not need all the water so start with half. Process well, adding the rest of the water if necessary, until you have a smooth caramel. Remove this from the blender (don’t worry about getting every last bit out and there’s no need to clean the blender).

Pop your frozen bananas in to the blender and pulse to blend the banana. Once it’s almost smooth add a tablespoon or so of the caramel back in to the blender with the bananas (add as much as you want – to taste). Blend well and then serve with the almonds sprinkled in top. If you want to serve it later freeze in small portions (plastic food bags or ice cube trays work best) and reblend briefly before serving to remove any large ice crystals.


Nutrition and Calorie Tips

OMG I’ve ruined my diet ?

Dr Nancy P

OMG I’ve ruined my diet ?….. 🍦🍪

We all know the feeling, it’s mid afternoon, we’re a bit peckish but we’re ‘being good’ so don’t want to reach for a biscuit. Instead we grab a couple of slices of toast – nothing wrong with that right? It means we’re still on track with our ‘diet’ and all’s well….

But some days you may not have that will power… sun’s out, so you grab a cornetto out the freezer.. then have just one Jaffa cake… which becomes 2, 3, .. or maybe just one more – so that’s 4 and perhaps a final one… so you finally stop at 5! Now you’re wracked with guilt! How could you be so stupid? You’ve totally ruined your ‘diet’! Why don’t I have any self control you say to yourself?!

Hold on just one second! Perception is a wonderful thing… and it can also be a terrible thing. That toast that seems ‘ok’ may not be that much better. Two slices of sourdough toast with butter is up to 424 cals. That cornetto and 5 Jaffa cakes… a mere 384 cals! So neither is a great choice if you’re trying to stick to a particular calorie goal, but in most cases you’ll view the cornetto/Jaffa cake saga as a total disaster on the diet front, whilst probably overlooking the toast completely.

It pays to be aware of the calories in what you’re eating. That way you can choose with knowledge rather than your preconceived or conditioned ideas about what’s ‘bad’ or ‘good’. Being aware of the calories in different foods empowers you to make that choice and can help remove the guilt. Knowledge is power!

🤗

Xx

Nutrition

Good snack?….

Dr Nancy P

Good snack?….. 🍫

I often hear people telling me they need to choose “better”snacks, or that they’ve swapped their usual chocolate for “good” snacks. So something like 30g cashew nuts is often perceived to be a “good” snack, whilst 30g of chocolate (Maltesers in this case) is considered to be a “bad” snack.

The key to being in control of your weight management is really understanding that there is no such thing as a “bad” or “good” snack – they’re just different. There are nutritional differences between the chocolate and the cashew nuts of course, but we don’t just choose food on the basis of it’s nutritional breakdown.

The cashew nuts are a great option for a snack. They provide healthy fats such (monounsaturated fatty acids) which help give healthy levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol). They also contain magnesium, iron, zinc and other micronutrients which support the immune system. They also provide some protein too so may keep you fuller for longer.

The chocolate provides you with energy, mainly in the form of sugar, and some fat. The chocolate also tastes good and for many people can give an emotional boost as well as an energy one.

Overall the calorie difference between the two is pretty marginal. So if you’re choosing the nuts in a effort to lose weight, then think again. If you’re choosing them because you like them then brilliant – keep having them. If you fancy some chocolate, then have that!

There are no good or bad foods – all foods can be accommodated within a balanced diet. Being aware of the calories in different foods empowers you to make that choice.

🤗

Xx

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Eating too much in Lockdown

Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Eating too much in Lockdown 😋

Home workouts and our allowed outdoor exercise are great but many of us are going to be far less active during lockdown and therefore worried about weight gain. This can lead to a cycle of feeling rubbish and eating rubbish etc. However with a few little tweaks you can make sure you come out the other side of lockdown feeling physically and emotionally better!

The most important thing is to eat to your current activity, not your ‘normal’ activity. But now is definitely NOT the time to try drastic fad diets, or to be cutting out food groups, so instead focus on these tips:

#1 Reduce portion size

This is the simplest thing to do. You don’t need to cut foods out, just eat smaller portions. Start by using a side plate instead of your usual dinner plate. Reducing portions will reduce cals without needing to think too much about it.

#2 Load up on veg and fruits

Fill your plate with vegetables. The higher amounts of fibre will help to keep you full, and of course the vitamins and minerals will help your immune system. Snack on fruit; a whole punnet of strawberries is only 100 cals or so, so load up! They’ll help quash any sweet cravings too – win win.

#3 Protein and fats

Make sure every meal contains protein and fats. Protein will help with muscle maintenance, and combined with fats will keep you fuller for longer. So half a plate of veg, and the remaining half split between protein (lean meat, fish or plant based proteins), fats and obviously some starchy carbs (pasta, rice etc).

#4 Water

Make sure you’re drinking enough. If you’re out of routine you may be drinking less than usual – double check you’re having 2-3 litres in a day.

#5 Think before you eat

This is the toughest one but try to ask yourself one question before you reach for that snack. Are you really hungry or just bored? If you’re used to dashing around and suddenly you’re not then you may be boredom snacking. Pop a post-it on your fridge posing that question, so you stop and think before you snack.

Hopefully these will help you stay on track.

Happy Tuesday 🤗

Xx