Are you sick of depriving yourself of the foods you enjoy most?

Check out our latest Raw Cherry Ripe Slice recipe thats guilt free and delicious. Being healthy and nourishing your body doesn’t have to be boring. On my journey to trying to create a healthier lifestyle and nourish my body rather than neglect it, I realised you can turn just about any of your favourite treats into healthy alternatives.

Along this journey I have had friends and family turn their nose up at my “alternate” food choices. That’s when I thought what if I turned their favourite treats into healthy, guilt free options and rather than try and preach the health benefits let them taste the benefits of eating real food vs processed crap.

This has become a family favourite and honestly does taste better than a cherry ripe you buy in the supermarket.

So many of us turn to deprivation to try and lose weight. We feel that in order to lose weight fast we have to make drastic changes to our diet. Cut out all sugars, cut out carbs, drink soup 6 times a day. You name we have tried it…me included. But it’s just not true and often eventually leads to more weight gain as every time you go on one of these drastic diets you are doing damage to your metabolism which over time can make it much harder for you to lose weight.

If you focus on eating whole healthy foods you will lose weight, maybe not as fast as some of the crazy diets on the market but the difference is you will keep it off. Bio-individuality means we are all different and require different nutrition to nourish our bodies and feel our best. We don’t all have the same shape body or characteristics so why do we continue to think that one diet will work for everyone?

Many of the “treat” recipes out on the market, even the paleo based recipes can be very nutrient dense and often high in sugars albeit natural ones. I will always spell out for you which of my recipes to enjoy in moderation and this is one of them…why?

Because these recipes have nuts, coconut oil and sweeteners such as honey, all amazingly beneficial for our wellbeing in moderation. If you are on a fat loss journey please be mindful to always enjoy any treat in moderation. Just because something is healthy and nutritious it doesn’t mean you can have 5 slices in a day… sorry (fun police) but it’s true, I’m not going to lie to you.

RAW CHERRY RIPE SLICE

INGREDIENTS:

BASE

1 1/2 cups of raw almonds

8 pitted medjool dates

1 tbs of cacao

1 tsp of vanilla bean (optional)

FILLING

1 cup fresh cherries (stalks and pits removed) if fresh are out of season opt for cherries in a jar

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

3 tbs rice malt syrup

2 tbs coconut cream (full fat)

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

3 medjool dates



TOPPING

2 tbs of rice malt syrup (or honey)

3 tbs of cacao powder

4 tbs of coconut oil

1 pinch himalayan salt

1 tsp cinnamon

*Always use organic ingredients where possible, all of the ingredients above are available from your local health food store. Soaking the nuts is optional but activating your nuts will enable better digestion. Rice malt syrup can be substituted for raw honey if you would like it to be sweeter and are transitioning from refined sugar. Taste each layer before setting it and add more sweetener as desired.



METHOD:

I use a rectangle bread tin and line it with baking paper to start. Blend all base ingredients in a food processor (I use my thermomix on 8 for around 20-30 seconds or until blended). Consistency should be crumbly and stick together when you press between your fingers. If you need more moisture add small amounts of coconut oil until you reach this consistency. Press base mixture into pan ensuring you have 1/2 centimetre thickness thats evenly covering the pan, I smooth surface with the back of a spoon or my hands. Place in freezer to set whilst making the filling. Blend all filling ingredients in food processor again on low speed for around 15-30 seconds, (you want the coconut to still be visible and chunky but the cherries to have mixed into a pink consistency). Take base from freezer and layer over filling to create the second layer, this is usually 2-3 times the thickness of your base dependent on your preference. Smooth filling (do not press down as this layer is quite wet just smooth over to get your second layer level and pop back in the freezer. Combine all topping ingredients in food processor until it resembles a smooth chocolate consistency (try not to pre-melt the coconut oil as it will become too runny for you to spoon onto your slice and get an even layer). Once combined and your consistency is spreadable (can add small amounts of water to get consistency correct) take your slice from the freezer, at this point gently press down your second layer with your hands to create a smooth base to pour over the top chocolate layer of your slice and either smooth with a spoon or shake pan to create an even top layer. Put back in the freezer and allow to set completely (you can decorate the top with cacao nibs or coconut, I have used cacao nibs as pictured), usually 30 minutes is plenty of time. Remove cut into squares and you can keep in the fridge or freezer for at least a week although usually it will never last longer than a few days. Enjoy xx

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Tell me below what your favourite unhealthy foods are and I will post some healthy recipes based on your suggestions!