Healthier Holidays

NUTRITION

HEALTHIER Holidays

As far as we at STRONG Australia are concerned, festivities shouldn’t be about deprivation – you want to eat chocolate pudding for breakfast? We say go for it. But for those who want to minimise the loss of their hard-earned 2019 gains, there’s some easy ways to keep your calories and sugar intake to a minimum, and macros partly in-check. From trifle and peppermint cookies to mocha brownie cheesecake, here are some healthier Christmas recipes that taste as good as the real deal.

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH KY

MOCHA PUDDING BALLS Makes 30 balls 91 calories | 3.4g protein | 10.9 carbs | 3.8g fat per ball

Ball ingredients: • 250g dates, soaked in hot water for an hour and then drained • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained • 100g coconut cream, chilled, white part only • 5ml hot water and 3 to 4 tbsp BYS Coffee • 20g cocoa powder • 50g bRaw Chocolate Protein Powder • 180g coconut flour • 50g cacao nibs

Icing ingredients: • 160g coconut cream, chilled, white part only • 30g smooth cashew butter (or other nut butter) • 10g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder Macro and calorie splits are a guide only, and may vary depending on brand of product used.

Method 1. To make the balls, blend the dates, chickpeas, coconut cream, hot water and coffee until smooth. 2. Add the remaining ball ingredients and incorporate until a dough forms. 3. Roll the dough into 30 balls and freeze while you make the icing.

4. To make the icing, combine all icing ingredients in a bowl until smooth. 5. Spread the icing on top of the balls and return to the freezer for 15 minutes or until icing is solid. 6. To store, keep in an air tight container in the fridge.

NO-BAKE MOCHA BROWNIE CHEESECAKE Makes 16 to 18 slices 158 calories | 6.5g protein | 11.5g carbs | 9.5g fat per serve

Base ingredients: • 30g hot water and 2 tbsp BYS Coffee • 250g dates, soaked in hot water for 1 hour and then drained • 80g coconut cream, chilled, white part only • 30g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder • 130g coconut flour • 25g cocoa powder • 30g shredded coconut

Cheesecake layer ingredients: • 40ml hot water and 1.5 tbsp BYS Coffee and 2 tsp gelatine powder • 500g light cream cheese • 40g coconut cream, chilled, white part only • 100g vanilla Greek yoghurt • 30g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder • 50g rice malt syrup • 2 tsp lemon juice • 15g cocoa powder

Method 1. To make the base, dissolve the BYS Coffee in the hot water. Blend the dates, coconut cream and coffee mixture until a smooth paste forms. 2. Add the remaining base ingredients and mix until a dough forms. 3. Press the dough firmly into a lined loaf tin and refrigerate. 4. To make the cheesecake layer, in a separate bowl, mix the hot water, coffee and gelatine until well dissolved. 5. In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese, coconut cream and yoghurt until smooth. 6. Add the gelatine mixture to the cream cheese mixture, along with the protein powder, rice malt syrup and lemon juice, and mix until smooth. 7. Divide the batter into two portions. To make the chocolate cheesecake layer, add the cocoa powder into one half of the batter and mix well until smooth. 8. Spread the plain cheesecake layer on top of the refrigerated base, before topping with the chocolate layer. 9. Freeze for one to two hours. Remove from the tin and remove the baking paper. 10. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

PEPPERMINT COOKIES Makes 25 cookies 106 calories | 3.5g protein | 8g carbs | 5g fat per cookie

Cookie ingredients: • 170g chickpea flour • 20g cocoa powder • 25g bRaw Chocolate Protein Powder • 90g granulated low calorie sugar • 100g light butter • 2 flax eggs (10g flax seeds + 40g water) • 20g rice malt syrup • 5g peppermint extract • ½ tsp baking powder

Cream ingredients: • 120g coconut cream, chilled, white part only • 15g coconut flour • 1 tbsp mint extract • 20g rice malt syrup • 5g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder

Chocolate coating ingredients: • 330g sugar-free chocolate, melted • 5g coconut oil • 10g bRaw Chocolate Protein Powder

Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. 2. To make the biscuit base, combine all the biscuit ingredients in a bowl until a dough forms. 3. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 4. Roll the dough out on a floured surface using a rolling pin, and cut into circles. You can use the rim of a glass as a guide or a cookie cutter. 5. Place the circles onto a lined baking tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 6. Allow the biscuits to cool completely. 7. To make the cream, combine all the cream ingredients in a bowl until smooth. 8. Place one to two teaspoons of the cream onto each cookie and freeze for 30 minutes. 9. To make the chocolate coating, combine all the chocolate coating ingredients in a bowl until smooth. 10.Dip the biscuits into the chocolate (optional: sprinkle with crushed candy canes) and freeze for 15 minutes.

Festive treats

CHRISTMAS TRIFLE Makes four trifles 276 calories | 19.4g protein | 26.7g carbs | 9.3g fat per trifle

Ingredients: • 2 packets Aeroplane Jelly Lite

Sponge cake ingredients: • 3 eggs, room temperature • 80g granulated low calorie sweetener • 60g self-raising flour • 10g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder • 5g corn flour • 3g (½ tsp) baking powder

Chocolate protein crème ingredients: • 200g vanilla Greek yoghurt • 20g cacao powder • 20g bRaw Chocolate Protein Powder • 20g almond milk

Vanilla protein crème ingredients: • 200g vanilla Greek yoghurt • 10g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder • 20g almond milk

Method 1. Make the jelly as per instructions on the packaging and divide into four glasses. Refrigerate for at least two hours. 2. To make the sponge cake, preheat your oven to 170°C. 3. Beat the eggs and sugar using a stand mixer on high, until batter triples in volume (approximately 20 to 30 minutes). 4. Gently sieve the remaining sponge cake ingredients into the egg batter. Only sieve and fold 1/4 of the dry ingredients at a time – over-whipping will reduce the air in the mixture and will result into a flat sponge cake. 5. Line a baking tin with baking paper before greasing with oil. 6. Pour batter into the tin and bake for 25 minutes. The cake should come out of the oven very soft and a skewer speared through the middle of the cake should appear slightly wet. 7. Allow the cake to cool completely. 8. To make the vanilla and chocolate protein crème, combine the respective ingredients together in separate bowls until smooth. 9. To assemble, cut the sponge cake into cubes and place on top of the jelly. Spoon the protein crème on top of the sponge cake and top with raspberries.

CHRISTMAS BERRY TARTLETS Makes five tartlets 258 calories | 12.2g protein | 30.6g carbs | 9.6g fat per tartlet

Pastry ingredients: • 150g chickpea flour • 20g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder • 60g granulated low calorie sweetener • 1 tsp cinnamon • 60g light butter • 30g cold water • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ½ tsp baking powder • ½ tsp salt

Berry jam ingredients: • 300g frozen raspberries, defrosted • 10g chia seeds • 30g granulated low calorie sweetener • 5g lemon juice • 10g bRaw Vanilla Protein Powder

Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. 2. To make the pastry, combine all the pastry ingredients in a bowl until a dough forms. Flatten dough into a disc and wrap in cling wrap before refrigerating for 30 minutes. 3. Lightly grease a cupcake tin. 4. Once firm, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Mould the dough around five cupcake moulds (keep a portion of dough to create the star). 5. Place the cupcake tin in the freezer while making the jam. 6. To make the jam, combine all the jam ingredients in a bowl until smooth. 7. Remove the cupcake tin from the freezer and spoon the jam evenly between the five moulds. 8. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out five stars to place on top of the jam. 9. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 10.Allow the tartlets to cool for five minutes before gently removing them from the tin. S