The silly season is well and truly in full swing! It is a time where we catch up with friends and family and a time where we tend to eat and drink more than we usually would. Our expert dieticians have provided us with some Christmas classics that leave out the nasties but are full in flavour!
High Fiber Rum balls
Ingredients
🎄 1 can black beans, rinsed.
🎄 1/4 cup natural peanut butter.
🎄 2 tbsp cocoa (additional for dusting optional).
🎄 4 tbsp rum.
🎄 1 tsp vanilla essence.
🎄 6 dates.
🎄 2 tbsp maple syrup.
🎄 2 tbsp flour.
🎄 2 tbsp almond meal.
🎄 Desiccated coconut for dusting (optional).
Method
1. Soak dates in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain fluid.
2. Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Roll dough into small balls and coat in coconut, extra cocoa, or as is.
4. Refrigerate for 20minutes before serving.
Healthy Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
⛄ 1 tin butter beans, rinsed, and purées.
⛄ 6 eggs.
⛄ 1/2 cup sugar (or sweetener).
⛄ 1 tsp vanilla essence.
⛄ 1/3 cup flour.
⛄ 1 scoop vanilla protein powder.
⛄ 1/3 cup butter (or coconut oil).
⛄ 2 tbsp Greek yogurt.
⛄ 1 tsp baking soda.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Beat the eggs, bean purée, sugar, yogurt, and vanilla essence until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking Sosa, protein powder. Add butter and combine.
4. Combine the dry mixture with the egg mixture until smooth.
5. Spoon into cupcake paper and bake for 15-20minutes using a fan-forced oven until lightly browned.
6. Transfer to a cooling tray.
7. Ice with preferred topping (we used buttercream) once fully cooled. Swirl icing to represent a tree and sprinkle.
Christmas Pavlova
Ingredients
🍰 150ml egg whites (approximately 4 eggs)
🍰 1 cup caster sugar
🍰 1 teaspoon white vinegar
🍰 400g reduced-fat Greek yogurt
🍰 300g strawberries, diced
🍰 300g blueberries
Method
1. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting 30 seconds between each tablespoon. Whisk for 6 minutes or until stiff and glossy.
2. Scrape the sides of the electric mixer, add the vinegar and whisk for 2 minutes or until glossy and combined.
3. Spoon 6 rounds onto the baking tray. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and bake for 30 minutes or until crisp to touch.
4. Cool in the oven for 1 hour.
5. Top meringues with yogurt and fresh berries.
Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
🎅1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour (or GF flour, or buckwheat flour for low fodmap) plus 1/4 cup extra
🎅 1/4 cup maple syrup
🎅 2 tsp ground ginger
🎅 2 tsp ground cinnamon
🎅 1/4 tsp ground cloves
🎅1/4 tsp bicarb soda
🎅 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
🎅 2 tbsp milk (any type)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 150C.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the 1 1/2 cups flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and bicarb soda.
3. Form a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the oil, maple syrup, and milk. Mix to combine.
4. If the mixture is sticky, add the extra 1/4 cup of flour. Or just sprinkle some on the bench.
5. With a rolling pin, roll the dough flat. Roughly 0.5cm thick.
6. Cut the dough out with cookie cutters and lay the biscuits on a lined baking tray.
7. Form a ball with the left-over dough and repeat steps 4-5 for the remaining dough.
8. Bake for 10-13 minutes until golden and then decorate however you wish!
Makes 18 biscuits: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Low fodmap, Vegan
Nutritional information per biscuit: Cal: 86 Fat: 3.5g Carbs: 11.6g Protein: 1.8g
Thank you to our amazing dieticians for providing these amazing recipes! Sports and Spinal have an amazing team of dieticians located across all of our clinics.
From the entire Sports and Spinal team, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember to check out your closest clinics’ Christmas opening hours, as each clinic will vary over the holiday period.