CLEAN BAKERY

Love it or loathe it, the food and hospitality industry’s focus on healthier, more nutrient-dense food shows no signs of waning. (As is highly calorific “dude food”, but that’s another story.) If the very idea that certain foods are cleaner-than-thou sets your teeth a-grinding, consider this: diabetes is set to cost us $1 billion a year in healthcare costs if current rates of diagnosis continue. The more common Type II form is linked to obesity – so it makes sense to see how we can modify our diets to ensure a healthier dotage.

Carine Claudpierre is all too aware of this condition; diagnosed with prediabetes when pregnant with her first child, she eventually cut out all refined sugar, carbs such as bread, potatoes and rice, and lactose. This book, based on her Sweet as Honey blog, details her attempts to replace the foods that were making her unwell with healthier options while still satisfying her sweet tooth.

It includes a useful – and at times wincingly expensive – list of pantry ingredients. (I’ve said it before: coconut sugar doesn’t come cheap.) There are also well-researched lists of various sweeteners and their glycaemic index – essential info for those with diabetes.

If you’ve ever had to gum your way through a nut-filled bliss ball, never fear; the recipes are fabulous. I’m keen to try her no-bake lime curd pie; snow eggs (made with canned chickpea water!) and rye bagels. The textures might take some getting used to, but you’re likely to feel lighter as a result.

CR