TINY TWEAKS FOR FAMILY FAVOURITES

WiTH some foods on the nutritional ‘naughty list, a few smart hacks can allow you to enjoy them in a healthier way …

SPICE UP Y0UR PRE-DRINK SNACKS

WHILE nuts such as walnuts and almonds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which cuts inflammation, shop-bought varieties can be high in salt, which is linked with high blood pressure and heart disease.

Make your own healthier version by buying natural nuts, sprinkling them with turmeric and chilli, then roasting them at 180c for 10-15 minutes in the oven.

Turmeric has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce cancer risk. The active part of t he plant i s curcumin; countries where they eat a lot of curcumin-containing foods, such as curry, have lower incidences of certain types of cancer.

And chilli peppers and dried chilli spices such as cayenne pepper contain compounds called capsaicinoids that are also anti-inflammatory.

For a pre-drinks nibble, I also like to roast Brussels sprouts in a little coconut oil — it has a higher smoke point than olive oil (the smoke point is the temperature at which the oil starts to break down, which can produce toxic compounds) — and sprinkle them with sea salt.

Or tear kale leaves into pieces, removing the stalks, rub with olive oil, some sea salt and cayenne pepper, and roast at 110c for 30 minutes to make healthy crisps.

SAUSAGE ROLLS

IT’S best to avoid ‘ brown foods’ on the buffet table — sausage rolls,

Scotch eggs, anything fried — and opt for raw veg canapes and protein-rich dips such as hummus or smoked mackerel pate instead. If you really can’t resist, make sure you add two healthy options to your plate for each sausage roll or similar. If you’re making your own, even from bought sausage meat and prepared pastry, you can add extra ingredients to increase the health value. Opt for premium sausage meat and add grated carrot or diced mushrooms for extra fibre and vitamins; choose all- butter pastry rather than that made with margarine. You could even cut out a lattice or shapes which will reduce the amount of pastry you eat overall.

PIGS IN BLANKETS

SWAP sausages wrapped in bacon for devils on horseback — prunes rolled in bacon. Or better still, roll the prunes in proscuitto or Parma ham, which is lower in fat than the traditional streaky bacon.

Using prunes will add fibre and vitamins and reduce the fat content.

MINCE PIES

IT’S the combination of pastry and dried fruit filling that makes mince pies so calorific and high in sugar. Reduce the impact by baking them ‘topless’, so there’s less pastry (if you’re eating shop bought mince pies, j ust remove the pastry lid). If you’re making your own mincemeat, add nuts and seeds to the mix, as the protein will help slow down the release of sugar into the body. And, finally, serve your mince pies with silky Greek yoghurt, rather than cream, as it’s rich in protein and probiotics , which will to help aid digestion.