Comforting crumbles

At HFG we love finding ways to make our favourite dishes healthier. From satisfying pies to decadent desserts, we believe that with a bit of nutritional tinkering most culinary treats can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

In our November issue, we put the spotlight on fruit crumbles and our chefs surpassed themselves when experimenting with healthier fillings and toppings. In fact, they managed to concoct so many delicious variations there wasn’t enough room for all of them in the magazine. But we didn’t want you to miss out, so we thought we’d share the leftovers with you here. A serving of either crumble contains one of your 5-a-day and is low in saturates and salt.

Apple and raspberry

Serves: 6

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 20 min

400g tin sliced apples

200g frozen raspberries

60g caster sugar, plus 1tbsp extra

60g self-raising flour

40g rolled oats

30g low-fat spread

1tsp vanilla extract

6 small scoops low-fat ice cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Combine the tinned apples, frozen raspberries and the 1tbsp caster sugar in a 1.25 litre baking dish.

2 Put the flour and oats into a mixing bowl, then rub in the spread with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the remaining 60g sugar.

3 Sprinkle the vanilla extract over the fruit, then add the crumble topping. Bake for 20 min or until golden. Serve with the ice cream.       

Per serving: 238kcal, 3.7g protein, 4.9g fat, 2.4g saturates, 35.1g sugar, 3.9g fibre

Strawberry and almond

Serves 6

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

125g reduced-calorie strawberry jam

500g strawberries, halved

25g toasted flaked almonds

60g caster sugar, plus 1tbsp extra

60g self-raising flour

40g rolled oats

30g low-fat spread

1tsp vanilla extract

6 small scoops low-fat ice cream, to serve

1Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Warm the jam in a saucepan, then add the strawberries and stir to combine. Transfer to a 1.25 litre baking dish.

2Put the flour and oats into a mixing bowl. Rub in the spread until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar and almonds. Sprinkle over the strawberry mixture, then bake for 20 min or until golden. Serve with the low-fat ice-cream.

Per serving: 258kcal, 4.8g protein, 7.2g fat, 2.6g saturates, 34g sugar, 3.1g fibre

Pick up the November issue of Healthy Food Guide magazine for eight more variations including a classic apple and sultana and an exotic pineapple, rum and raisin.

Take a stand against extreme diets

By Melanie Leyshon

 

As you'd imagine, being the editor of Healthy Food Guide magazine, I check the daily newspapers for health breakthroughs. And there's no shortage of stories – some based on reliable scientific evidence, others rely on more flimsy statistics. 

Putting aside the well-researched advances in overcoming cancer, finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, etc, at this time of year, when the beach beckons, many health sections become obsessed with diets – and extreme diets. Yet, despite the growth of the dieting genre – juicing, fasting, no carbs, feeding tubes – we continue to upsize as a nation.

When we read about a diet that promises you'll lose 7lb in a week, it can be tempting to give it a go. 

I’ve taken shortcuts myself. There was the miserable, stinky week of the Cabbage Soup Diet (dire daily doses of soup, fruit and a hellish day of 5 bananas that left me too weak to think), then there was the anxiety-inducing South Beach Diet (I was so shaky after day 6, I made straight for the sandwich shop for a cheese bap).

Now I eat in moderation or semi-moderation and factor in exercise to offset the excess. I’m no Jessica Ennis, but even I’ve found a mix of running, cycling and yoga works. It's helped me maintain a healthy weight and BMI, which my recent NHS Health Check confirmed.

Health professionals, such as British Dietetic Association (BDA) registered dietitians, know it’s not necessary to go to such extremes to lose weight. Doing so can mess with your metabolism and compromise your health, as you may miss out on vital nutrients. What’s more it’s almost impossible to stick to restrictive diets that cut out food groups, or expect you to exist on under 1,400 calories a day - so any weight loss achieved is short lived.

That’s why at Healthy Food Guide magazine we decided to launch our mission to Fight the Fads: Make Every Meal Healthier, which has gained the backing of the BDA, Diabetes UK and the British Nutrition Foundation.

Our aim is to encourage both women and men to eat healthily every day instead of resorting to extreme, yo-yo dieting. Healthy Food Guide magazine is the only dedicated food magazine with a panel of health and diet professionals (qualified dietitians, not self-styled nutrition therapists), registered fitness experts and fully-trained recipe consultants. They bring their expert know-how to our fully referenced features – we don’t print facts that can’t be substantiated.

In our September issue (which comes out tomorrow), our nutrition consultant, registered dietitian Juliette Kellow, has put together a visual guide to portion sizes (no scales required) that will help you reduce your calorie intake without missing out on any of your favourite foods. We also have 46 taste-tested and nutritionist approved recipes, including slimmed down versions of your favourites, such as steak and chips and chicken kiev – that are full of flavour, but easy on your waistline. Plus, we’ve investigated the claims surrounding cancer and diet, to bring you the latest scientifically supported advice about what to eat to help reduce your risk. 

Pick up your copy of Healthy Food Guide magazine in larger supermarkets, Boots, WH Smiths or M&S; download a digital edition or purchase a subscription.