Hands up if it’s a nightly ritual for you or a loved one to be raiding the cupboard post dinner looking for a sweet treat? This is not unexpected, considering so many of us have, the mindset that dinner must be ‘finished’ with something sweet.
In fact, the need for something sweet after dinner is a common complaint I hear from so many looking to lose weight, stop overeating or just feel happier overall with their diet and relationship with food. I am here to tell you, after dinner treats need not be the enemy and can be incorporated into your nightly routine in a balanced way. Here are some ideas to help maintain your healthy routine and also satisfy your cravings:
- Favourite cup of herbal tea and 1-2 squares dark chocolate
- Handful of fresh berries with a dollop of thick greek yoghurt or toasted coconut
- Small bowl of fruit salad sprinkled with chia seeds, fresh coconut and lime juice
- Homemade hot chocolate using coconut milk, cacao and honey
- For a savoury alternative try a small wedge of cheese and 1 fresh date
- Small mix or raw nuts, pumpkin seeds and goji berries
If you have a little more time on your hands, here is one of my family friendly after dinner treats, sure to please:
Mini Apple and Coconut Crumbles with Coconut Yoghurt
Tip: for a gluten-free version use brown rice or quinoa flakes and apples can be replaced with pears.
Serves: 8
Pre: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients:
4 apples, cored and cut in half
2 tbsp. butter or coconut oil, melted + extra for brushing
2 tsp. cinnamon, ground
1 cup oats
? cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup fresh dates, chopped
1 orange, cut in half (for squeezing)
2 tsp. orange zest
150g coconut yoghurt (or regular natural yoghurt)
Method:
Preheat oven to between 180 – 200C degrees.
Mix oats, coconut, cinnamon, dates, vanilla extract, orange zest, butter or coconut oil in a bowl and roll into balls.
Rub each apple half with 1 tsp butter/coconut oil (melted) and top with 1-2 tbsp of oat ball topping, press down to secure the topping.
Place apple halves in a lined baking dish and squeeze orange juice over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden, making sure not to burn.
Serve with an optional dollop of coconut yoghurt with a good squeeze of orange juice mixed in with it.
