I absolutely love banana cake and I was excited when I saw a healthy version on Instagram with no sugar! It was so easy to throw together and makes a perfect snack or breakfast topped with nut butter 🙂 A great ‘cake’ to put in the kids lunch boxes too to sneak in some extra nutrition.

I played around with the recipe a bit; the original version had walnuts which I swapped for ground almonds, gluten free flour which I swapped for coconut flour and then I added an extra banana and some more coconut oil to make it extra moist!

Thanks to Frazanah at Inside Out Nutrition for the original recipe inspiration 🙂

You will need:

• 1 cup of ground almonds
• 1 cup of ground oats
• 1/4 cup of coconut flour
• 2 eggs
• 4 small bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 heaped tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of melted coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients together and place in to a loaf tin lined with baking parchment.  Cook at 190c for 30-35 minutes 🙂

These burgers are quick and easy to make and are bursting with goodness.  Beetroots are packed full of nutrients including vitamins A, C and B6 plus iron and magnesium and are thought to be beneficial for the liver and the heart including helping to lower blood pressure.  The ingredients also include lots of spices and garlic which are fantastic for the digestive system and boosting immunity.

You will need:

• 1 large beetroot
• 1 large carrot
• Half a large onion
• 100g oats
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 100g of tinned chickpeas
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1tsp of turmeric
• 1tsp of cumin
• 2tsp of tamari or soy sauce
• 1tsp of coconut oil

Hands up if you love chocolate? But wouldn’t it be good if it was good for you? I have some news….it is, if you eat the right type 🙂 Music to your ears right?

The tip is to go for dark chocolate, rich in cacao as this is where the goodness lies but the higher the percentage of cacao, the better.  Not only does this mean it will have a higher content of antioxidants and magnesium, it will also contain less sugar.  If you are used to eating milk chocolate you may want to start off with 50% cacao and work your way up but once you have got used to that bitter taste you’ll find you can go darker, and you may even find you’ll be able to tolerate 100% pure cacao like I used in this recipe 🙂

I love chocolate but strawberries dipped in chocolate is even more dreamy! Plus you get double the health benefits from the strawberries too which are a great source of vitamin C which helps to boost the immune system and promote healthy skin.  They make a great ‘guilt free’ snack when craving something sweet and take less than 5 minutes to prepare.

• All you need to do is break up a bar of dark chocolate in to a glass bowl and place it over a saucepan of water.
• Bring to the boil until the chocolate melts.
• Dip the strawberries in to the chocolate and place in the fridge to set for a few hours.  You can even sprinkle some desiccated coconut or crushed almonds on to the chocolate too if you fancy it 🙂

There are so many good brands of dark chocolate but my favourites for this type of recipe include Conscious Chocolate, Seed and Bean, Raw Halo or Madecasse which I used for this recipe.

Anyone else waiting impatiently for the warmer weather and longer days? It’s the little things such as these crocuses coming up in my garden that tell me Spring is on it’s way, they even matched my blueberry smoothie I made 🙂

This smoothie contains two of the most powerful superfoods brought to us by nature – Blueberries and Bee pollen.

Blueberries are bursting with antioxidants that help protect us from disease.  They are high in fibre and contain anti-inflammatory properties so are great for conditions such as arthritis, asthma and eczema.

Bee pollen is one of nature’s most nourishing foods and its vast array of health benefits are often overlooked.  It is rich in protein and many vitamins and minerals including B vitamins and folic acid.  It helps strengthen the immune system, increase energy and fight allergies such as hay fever.

The tofu in this smoothie gives it a nice creamy texture and some added protein along with the chia seeds which are also bursting in good fats, vital for normal brain function.

You will need:

• 1 banana
• Handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2-3 tbsp. of silken tofu (I use Clearspring)
• 1 tsp of chia seeds
• 1 tsp of bee pollen
• Coconut or almond milk

Put all the ingredients in to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Sprinkle some bee pollen on top for extra benefits 🙂

When I first saw a juice recipe with fennel in, I won’t lie, I thought it would taste awful but it surprised me how refreshing it was. If you’re not very daring at juicing vegetables then try adding lemon and ginger as it makes them a lot more palatable.

Fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C which helps boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and promote healthy skin. It is rich in fibre, folate and potassium which all help promote a healthy heart and prevent high cholesterol.

Try this refreshing juice for a boost of vitamins and minerals.

You will need:

• Half a fennel bulb
• Inch piece of ginger
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 stalks of celery
• Half a courgette
• One apple

Fennel is also amazing for digestion and has been used for years to help reduce flatulence and stomach cramps due to its calming effects. Drinking a cup of fennel tea can also be a good way of relieving gas and is a traditional remedy for colic and can be used on infants.