Summer is the perfect season to relax with friends, neighbours and family. The best thing about this time of the year is that everyone is freer to reclaim some time, without the worry of waking up early for school, ongoing homework, constant logistics and clock-watching for school pick-ups and drops offs.
So with this extra time, comes the opportunity to put that bit more effort into not just preparing our food, but also our summer treats.
We've teamed up with Healthy Ireland, a Government-led initiative which aims to create a society where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health, and where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society to bring you four healthy treats you can enjoy during the hot weather.
So the next time you're in need of a treat, avoid the freezer aisle, grab some fresh ingredients and try out one of these summer cheat recipes with those closest to you.
Come on! Feel good TOGETHER.
1. Brown bread ice cream
Image Source: Delicious.com.au
This ice-cream is a novel way of including wholegrain into your kid’s diet and giving them a treat too!
Ingredients - Serves 10
- 110g / 4 oz. of wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 110g / 4 oz. of dark brown sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 290ml / ½ pint of double cream
- 150ml / 5½ fl oz. of single cream
- 2 drops of vanilla essence
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas mark 6
- Leave the breadcrumbs to dry out in the oven for around 15 minutes or so
- Mix the sugar in with the breadcrumbs and bring back to the oven for another 15 minutes
- Remove from the oven, allow the mix to cool
- Crush the sweetened crumbs together with the back of a spoon
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites
- Beat the yolks and mix in with the cream, vanilla essence and the crumb mix
- Whisk the egg whites until they are slightly stiff
- Fold the whites into the mix and freeze in an airtight plastic container
2. Strawberry Smoothie
Image Source: Safefood.eu
We love this novel way of getting your little ones to eat fruit!
Ingredients - Serves 2
- 250g Strawberries
- 250mls Greek-style yoghurt
- 1-2 teasp. Honey
- 125ml crushed ice
To Cook
Wash and hull the strawberries, then blend in a food processor with the yoghurt and honey. Divide the crushed ice between two glasses and pour in the smoothie mixture.
Serving Suggestions
3. Fruity Rice Pudding
Image Source: Genius Kitchen
A tasty dessert recipe that is suitable for the whole family and also those with a dairy intolerance.
Ingredients - Serves 2
- 60g of raisins or sultanas
- 15g of dairy-free margarine
- 120ml of water
- 2 teaspoons of honey, optional
Method
- Pour 120 ml of water into a saucepan and add the rice
- Bring the water to the boil
- Allow tosimmer for 20 minutes
- Heat the dairy-free margarine in a saucepan and add the raisins or sultanas
- Cook until the raisins or sultanas have softened and has turned a lighter colour
- Stir in the rice and honey, mix well and serve
4. Honey Banana Cups
Image Source: Cloudfront.net
Easy to prepare, this is one dessert that won’t leave you feeling too full. The combination of honey and banana is a great source of energy.
Ingredients - Serves 2
- 200g / 7 oz. of low-fat, natural yoghurt
- 1 large banana
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 1 kiwi fruit
Method
- Serve the yoghurt evenly into two cups
- Pour in the honey, stirring with a spoon so it mixes with the creamy yogurt
- Peel and slice the banana and share evenly between the two cups
- Peel and slice the kiwi fruit and place on top of the cups
But there's more YOU can do...
We love these recipes, but if you want to want to pack even more fruit into your diet, check out Safefood.eu's 10 top tips on sharing fruit this summer:
- Slice some banana for your morning breakfast cereal before work for a sweet start to your day. And once that’s done, you can make like a banana and split.
- Pour everyone in the house a small glass of unsweetened fruit juice. That’s the easy one! The low-hanging fruit of our top ten list.
- Chop up some fruit and keep it in a container in your fridge. Easy-to-reach, ready-to-eat. How do you like them apples?
- Bring some pre-cut fruit to work which you can have yourself or share with colleagues. Turns a healthy choice into an easy choice. You’ll be the top banana.
- It might upset the apple-cart but extra fruit adds a real flavour kick to recipes, like mandarin orange pieces in a summer salad or pineapple on a pizza.
- Having fruit for dessert is a delicious change from all those heavy puddings but a bit unfashionable. The time is ripe to bring it back again.
- Fruit is the ORIGINAL fast food. Apples, oranges and bananas all travel well and can be eaten on the go. And their packaging is kind to the environment. Win Win.
- Want to share more fruit with your kids? Let them choose some in the supermarket. Just keep your eyes peeled for any treats they try to sneak in there.
- It might sound all cut and dried but tinned fruit is a really practical way to share more fruit. And being tinned, it won’t go out of date so quickly.
- Fruit on the BBQ. Trust us. That might sound like it’s gone all pear-shaped but chopped peaches, pineapple and banana, all wrapped in tinfoil and slow-cooked on your BBQ are awesome.
To find out about the changes you can make, and to find resources, tips and ways to get involved follow #healthyIreland and #feelgoodtogether on Insta, Twitter or Facebook - or tap this link.
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