My husband and I are a just over a week in to a 100 day sugar free challenge. He's been challenged by his dad, and gets monetary gain to spur him on. I'm motivated by the promise of a robotic vacuum cleaner at the end of it... :)
Going well so far. I've even been to a birthday party, and stood fast while everyone else hoed into a delicious looking blueberry and white chocolate cake.
Then last night, while everyone else was tucking into pieces of chocolate cake, I realised I was imagining eating that sugar laden packet cake and actually cringing. I didn't want it.
I've been hunting for sugar free recipes, but I didn't just want to replace added sugar with just as much of another sweetener. Even though it might be healthier to use stevia instead of refined sugar, if everything else in the recipe is the same and it still tastes just as sweet then I'm not really retraining myself. I'll still crave sugar and sweetness. Especially if it's made with white flour.
What I really want to do is retrain my taste buds so I no longer need things to be as sweet. And so I no longer want to eat sickly, sugary, refined foods. Who wants to rely on their will power all the time? Mine fails me more often that it helps me. It's a fickle companion at best. But when has anyone ever needed will power to NOT eat brussel sprouts. I mean, that one comes naturally. If you don't like it, it's pretty easy to not want to eat it.
I believe it can be the same with healthy eating. We can train ourselves to like less sugar, less refined, processed food. We have to learn not to cringe at words like 'wholemeal' and 'sugar free', and stop only thinking of health foods as yucky, bland vegetables. The truth is even brussel sprouts can taste amazing if done right. We just have to know how.
So I was thrilled when I came across The Healthy Chef.
I haven't actually tried any of the recipes yet since it's 9pm, but I want to get right on it tomorrow. And I'm hoping they turn out well and satisfy the desire for yummy snacks and baked goods without the sickly sweetness.
A lot of the recipes are already wheat free, or have variations or adaptations to make it gluten free, or suitable for paleo diet etc.
Easter is coming up - I wonder if these wholemeal, gluten free, no sugar Hot Cross Buns will hit the spot?
I'll keep you posted on my experiments.
Happy healthy baking, and if you have tried any of these recipes, or any other sugar free recipes that have turned out well, please share!!
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