We have good news, and we have bad news.
The bad news: The average person consumes two to three times the daily recommended limit of added sugar.
The good news: Training yourself to prefer less-sugary foods doesn’t require a tasteless, restrictive diet.
The goal here isn’t to make your life less sweet, but to indulge in sweetness from natural sources. We’ve created six delicious dishes that will help you do just that. None of the dishes have added sugar, yet they are all still bursting with flavour from fruits and vegetables. Go ahead and eat up—healthy eating never tasted so sweet.
(Want to pick up some healthier habits? Sign up for FREE to get healthy living tips, weight loss inspiration, slimming recipes and more delivered straight to your inbox!)
No-Syrup Pancakes
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: APPLES
The apples baked into these pancakes offer natural sweetness, plus pectin, a soluble fibre that may help lower cholesterol.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES
1 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ c skim milk
½ c unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 lg egg
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1. WHISK flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
2. WHISK milk, applesauce, butter and egg in large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined (batter should be slightly lumpy).
3. LIGHTLY COAT large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Spoon 1/4-cup scoops of batter into skillet and lightly push an apple slice into each scoop of batter.
4. COOK until bubbles appear at sides of pancakes, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and apple slices.
NUTRITION (per serving) 1,029kJ (246 cal), 7 g pro, 36 g carb, 2 g fibre, 10 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 9 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 67 mg chol, 633 mg sodium
Oat-Cinnamon Muffins
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: BANANAS
As bananas become overripe, their starch breaks down into simple sugars, resulting in a sweeter taste. Adding them to muffins provides potent flavour and a healthy dose of potassium.
MAKES 12
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES
½ c buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 lg overripe bananas, mashed
1 ¼ c rolled oats + more for topping (optional)
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
1. HEAT oven to 190°C with rack in middle. Grease 12-cup muffin pan.
2. WHISK buttermilk, oil, vanilla, eggs, and bananas in medium bowl. Stir in oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full. Sprinkle extra oats over muffins, if desired.
3. BAKE until set and golden, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to rack.
NUTRITION (per muffin) 380kJ (91 cal), 3 g pro, 11 g carb, 1 g fibre, 4 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 4 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 31 mg chol, 124 mg sodium
Turkey Burgers With Tomato Jam
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: ROASTED TOMATOES AND CARAMELIsED ONIONS
Cooking tomatoes and onions brings out their natural sweetness and lets you skip ketchup, a sneaky source of added sugar.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES
2 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic
1 lg sweet onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 lb ground turkey
4 leaves lettuce
1. HEAT oven to 200°C. Toss tomatoes, 1 Tbsp of the oil, thyme, garlic, onion, and 1/4 tsp each of the salt and pepper on large sheet pan. Roast, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are broken down, 35 minutes.
2. SEASON turkey with remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Form into 4 patties. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium and cook burgers, flipping once, until cooked through, 10 minutes. Top each lettuce leaf with a burger.
3. REMOVE vegetables from oven. With fork, mash garlic cloves. Toss vegetables to coat, lightly mashing mixture. Spoon 2 Tbsp tomato jam over each burger to serve.
NUTRITION (per serving) 933kJ (223 cal), 23 g pro, 4 g carb, 1 g fibre, 2 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 13 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 78 mg chol, 370 mg sodium
Savoury Tomato Soup
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: CARROTS
Many store-bought tomato soups are packed with added sugar for flavour. In this easy homemade version, cooked carrots boost vitamin A and flavour in lieu of commonly used high fructose corn syrup.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lg carrot, grated
½ sm onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes with basil
2 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
¼ c plain whole-milk yogurt (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)
1. HEAT oil in large saucepan over medium-high. Add carrot and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 5 minutes.
2. ADD tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes (with juice) and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender and soup is thick, 25 minutes.
3. POUR soup into blender carefully and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with basil to serve, if desired.
NUTRITION (per serving) 543kJ (130 cal), 4 g pro, 20 g carb, 4 g fibre, 11 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 3 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 725 mg sodium
Tropical Chicken Stir-Fry
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: PINEAPPLE
Juicy pineapple, an excellent source of skin-protective vitamin C and manganese, replaces sugary stir-fry sauce.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES
1 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp less-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
⅛ tsp red-pepper flakes
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 c chopped fresh pineapple
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red capsicum, chopped into 1" pieces
1 sm onion, chopped
2 c cooked brown rice
1. WHISK broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil and red-pepper flakes.
2. HEAT 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and cook through, 7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
3. ADD remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan. Add pineapple, garlic, capsicum and onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 5 minutes.
4. STIR soy sauce mixture into pan and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve over rice.
NUTRITION (per serving) 1,694kJ (405 cal), 28 g pro, 37 g carb, 3 g fibre, 6 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 16 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 73 mg chol, 420 mg sodium
Fruit & Nut Skillet Crisp
INSTEAD OF SUGAR: FROZEN BERRIES, CHERRIES, AND PEACHES
These antioxidant-packed fruits are simple to bake into a healthy dessert. Thaw extra and use to sweeten yogurt or iced tea, too.
SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES
½ c almond flour
½ c shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
¼ c unsweetened shredded coconut
½ tsp cinnamon Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 c frozen mixed berries
2 c frozen peach slices
2 c frozen pitted cherries
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1. HEAT oven to 175°C. Combine flour, pistachios, coconut, cinnamon and salt. Using fingers, work in butter until mixture resembles wet sand.
2. COMBINE fruit in medium ovenproof skillet with cornstarch, tossing to coat. Top with flour mixture and bake, uncovered, until bubbling, 35 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
NUTRITION (per serving) 745kJ (179 cal), 4 g pro, 19 g carb, 4 g fibre, 12 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 11 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 8 mg chol, 26 mg sodium
Newsletter
