Carbohydrates
Try reducing Pasta, rice, potatoes and bread to twice a week in total as heavy high carbs can be stored as fat if you don’t burn it off and they increase your insulin levels.
- Pasta – Substitute with Courgette Pasta (use spiralizer), Sweet potato pasta (use spiralizer), quinoa, or vegetable pasta.
- Fries/Chips – Substitute regular potato chips/fries for sweet potato fries cooked in the oven in coconut oil, a great and healthy choice.
- Mash Potato – Ditch the unhealthy creamy potato for cauliflower mash make it creamy with almond milk and a small nob of butter and a pinch of salt.
- White Rice – Substitute white rice for Wholegrain Rice which is a great source of B vitamins and it helps to balance your blood sugars as part of a healthier life style, but eat no more than two helpings of carbs a week or substitute it for Cauliflower Rice.
Top Tip do not double up on carbs for example, don’t have rice and naan bread as your body can’t deal with all the sugar and it sit on your body as fat choose one or the other.
Fruit
- Fruit Juice – Fruit Juice is loaded with sugar so try substituting for Coconut Water a great source of electrolytes and potassium, or infuse water with fresh fruit.
- Fresh Fruit – Eat no more than 2 portions of fruit a day, fruit is great source of vitamins, potassium and fibre, but it is high in sugars, so eat more vegetables they have more vitamins and are lower in sugars.
Dairy Products
- Dairy products – Swap regular cheeses, milks and yogurts, for plant based products such as almond milk, rice milk, organic soya milk, oat milk or coconut milk, but be sure to go for unsweetened products, bear in mind a small amount of dairy will be fine so you can enjoy a little of your favourite cheese or yoghurt.
- High sugar snacks – Swap bought snacks for a small handful of red grapes and handful of mixed nuts, or make your own flapjacks.
Other Foods
- Take Away Foods – Scrap Takeaways they usually contain large amounts of sugars, salts and unhealthy fats instead opt for a home-made version packed full of goodness, there are lots of websites with recipes for you to make alternatives to your favourite take-away.
- Mayonnaise – Swop the unhealthy fats and sugars in mayonnaise and substitute with mashed avocado mixed with a little oil this is a brilliant way to add healthy fat to your meal or try different oils as salad dressing, try Avocado Oil or Walnut Oil for flavour.
Swap Recipes
Swap High sugar cereals for homemade muesli:
175g of porridge oat,
40g rye flakes,
40g whole unbalanced almonds roughly chopped,
40g dried fruit i.e. cranberries or sultanas,
6 tbsp. of mixed seeds (or 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds, 2 tbsp. linseeds)
2 crisp eating apples,
400ml apple juice
Method
- Place the oats, rye flakes, almonds, dried fruit, and seeds in a large bowl and stir well.
- Core and roughly grate the apples, then stir thoroughly into the dry ingredients.
- Stir in the apple juice, cover and leave the muesli to soak for about an hour, or refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, spoon the mixture into six serving bowls. Enjoy with any unsweetened plant based milk such as Soya, Coconut, or Almond.
Swap Potato Crisps and Snacks for Apple Crisps
1 litre of water,
1 tbsp of salt,
3 dessert apples such as Braeburn or Gala
pinch of ground cinnamon.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 110c/225f/ Gas Mark ¼ put the water and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until the salt has dissolved.
- Very thinly slice the apples with a sharp knife or mandolin, leaving the skin on and the core still in place, but removing any pips. Add each apple to the water when you finish slicing it. Turn the slices to coat in the salt water, which will help prevent the apple slices discolouring during baking.
- Drain the apple slices in a colander and then lightly pat dry with a clean tea towel. Arrange in a single layer on a wire cooling rack or roasting rack. Place this in the oven so that the heat can circulate under the slices as well as over the top.
- Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the apples slices are dry and crisp. Loosen with palette knife, and then sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Leave to cool completely, then pack into plastic container, seal with lid and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
Swap High sugar store bought cakes for Home-made Sweet Potato brownies:
150ml rapeseed oil/olive oil, plus extra to grease
175g sweet potatoes, peeled and then grated,
100g stevia or xylitol,
35g cocoa powder,
½ tsp baking powder,
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda,
50g ground almonds,
2 eggs, beaten,
20g walnuts, roughly chopped.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180c/350f Gas Mark 4. Lightly oil a shallow 7 ½ inch cake tin, then line the base and sides with a large square of baking paper.
- Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until well risen and the centre is only just set.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Lift out of the tin using the baking paper, then carefully remove the paper. Cut into 12 portions.