Tasty and healthy
It’s all about how we see treats. When we train our children to see fruit as a treat, they appreciate it all the more. They will like it better if it is fresh and in its prime, so all the better for being local and brimming with energy. We are coming to the end of the strawberry season, so don’t try to stretch it by eating them at their worst.
Move on instead to the excellent range of apples available. Plant an apple tree for the best value. Garden centres have plenty and Seedsavers have wonderful old varieties which grow well in Ireland and will post trees to you www.irishseedsavers.ie.
Think of other healthy foods as treats. Crabmeat is delicious at the moment as is fresh fish. If you must eat chocolates and cakes then limit the guilt by picking treats which are low in fat and sugar. Buy well and enjoy every bite.
Calories have become an old fashioned measurement of calculating intake, but it’s still a useful tool for comparison, so I am using it here.
See rozcrowley.com.
This is the liquid we find in a coconut when we crack it open and it is now available in cartons. Colourless, it has quite a nutty taste and is refreshing. This one from Cocofina 750ml 5.30 is in health food/wholefood stores. Madonna, Sienna Miller, Rihanna have been seen sipping it, perhaps because it is rich in potassium and has no additives. A light, refreshing treat.
Nakd Berry Cheeky 1.52 is a substantial chew with raw dates, fruits and nuts mixed together. Flahavan’s flapjacks with chocolate chips 2.89 for 6 have 193 calories each, but plenty of porridge oats. Rice cakes have about 50 calories, which is still good compared to other biscuits and with a dark chocolate topping from Bunalun are very tasty. Mrs Crumble’s apple flavoured ricecakes have a few less calories. Kelkin has produced gluten free Jaffa cakes 2.63 with 20 calories each. Like rice cakes, they are not as satisfying as wholefood treats.
The benefits of chocolate are well documented and I sought the best plain bars to minimise guilt. The Chocolate Shop in Cork’s English Market has the best selection in the country and my current favourite is a collection of Menakao bars, 3.95. Made from Madagascan cocoa beans they are flavoured with combava (kaffir lime) and pink pepper, another has cocoa nibs and sea salt and all have at least 63% cocoa and no fat-filled creamy fillings. Dark chocolate from Cocoa Bean in Ballinskelligs has 53% cocoa solids 3.95.
Crabmeat is a wonderful luxury and not a particularly expensive one. A good source selenium, which protects the heart and against cancer, it’s also high in protein and Omega 3s. 200g for about 6 is normal and the best source is good fishmongers. Use in a sandwich or salad with a little mayo and lemon or lime juice. For a hot treat cover with breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Crisp up under the grill. Other shellfish is good too, though sometimes not quite as good value. Buy mussels, oysters, scallops when you see them fresh and enjoy their high source of iron and vitamin A. Guilt-free treats for sure.
Ice-cream is quite a treat, but and even when we make it ourselves, is often laden with fat-heavy cream and sugar. Booja Booja Pompompous maple pecan ice-cream is dairy free with no added sugar, and the label notes it is cholesterol free and organic. The We often have to watch low-fat foods for high sugar and/or salt, but the 5 ingredients here are water, maple syrup, agave and pecans. 13.4% sugars come from the maple syrup and agave, but that’s relatively innocuous compared to chemical sugar substitutes. With 164 calories per 100g and 10.46 for 500ml it is an extravagance, and still in treat territory because of the maple syrup. I classify it as a potentially guilt-free treat as long as we restrain the quantity and don’t go over 100g at a sitting. boojabooja.com for stockists.
Use fruit to make moreish iced lollies. Cut into cubes and stab with cocktail sticks before freezing. Cubed melon is delicious frozen on a stick. Mango while not local is delicious thinly sliced and can be frozen in ice-cream too. Avocado is another non-local treat which can be made into delicious salsas and creamy dips. It does contain fats, but they are monounsaturated and also rich in potassium and vitamin E (good for the skin). Best of all at the moment are apples straight from the tree. Buy local as much as possible while in season to enjoy the full range of vitamins from having fresh, local fruit and vegetables in the diet.
I took a look at what treat might appeal to those without a sweet tooth and found an interesting, albeit not quite crisp, bagful of raw sprouted flax crackers from Natasha’s Living Foods. Irish made, 4.50, available in country markets mainly in Dublin www.natashaslivingfood.ie. Slimeline oatcakes from Clearspring, 2.35, come in 4 individually wrapped portions of 4 which saves on waste. In past surveys I have mentioned Irish made Dittys and The Baking Emporium in Bantry which have satisfying, crunchy, slightly salty treats.
I like a decent cup of leaf tea and Barry’s is hard to beat, but for an extravagant treat, a speciality tea from le Palais des Thés in Dublin works well. All teas and infusions can be tested before buying. In wholefood shops Pukka is a good brand, particularly their lemongrass and ginger, 2.49. It’s also available on line at evergreen.ie. If you want to impress, try a flowering tea such as jasmine, amaranth or osmanthus. It looks dried up at first and then opens up to become an amazingly beautiful flower. Ideally serve in a glass teapot, cup or glass to appreciate its beauty. Try a sample of two for £3 jingtea.com. Java Republic does high quality teas too in open weave bags. javarepublic.com for stockists and on-line sales.
