(Cookbook author) Megan Davies - How to Be Sugar-Free and Keep Your Friends

Table of Contents Introduction Trying to remove such a widely and heavily used group of ingredients from your diet and having a life can be a real challenge, theres no doubt. There is, however, a generally very simple fix when it comes to cooking at home without refined sugars, with some simple habits to develop when it comes to shopping.There is a plethora of delicious and flavoursome food out there that doesnt have (or simply doesnt need) the inclusion of refined sugars. The recipes in this book will help you ditchthem, using instead some of the many natural sugars and sweeteners available that act as brilliant swap-ins and substitutes, leaving you just as satisfied, less bouncing off the wall then crashing and certainly better health-wise too.Too much refined sugar can increase your chance of developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and encourages weight gain and acne to name a few. We all know its bad for our teeth, and that too much refined sugar (and therefore a bad diet, with lots of processed food) can cause havoc with energy levels and mental health.One thing to note, though, is that sugar is sugar (whether it is refined or unrefined); itll all get absorbed straight into the bloodstream once consumed, raise your blood sugar (though at varying speeds and durations depending on its glycemic index), and while its great to treat yourself and enjoy sweet foods, balance, like everything in life, is key to a healthy lifestyle.This book focuses on meals that would usually include refined sugar, but the amount of sugar or sweetness has been reduced as much as possible and, most relevantly, the types of sugar have been converted to non-refined sugars, all of which are natural.A big part of reducing refined sugars in your diet is just focusing on eating unprocessed, unrefined foods as a whole. Easier said than done, but hey, youve got to start somewhere.Xylitol, though it sounds pretty chemical, is a natural sweetener made from a variety of tree barks (and some veg too). Its the ingredient that looks, tastes and works most like caster (superfine) or granulated white sugar.

This has been used in some of the dessert recipes to achieve as much of a similar outcome as one would have when using refined sugar. Ive also used lots of coconut sugar. It looks and tastes more like a muscovado sugar, but make sure you pass it through a sieve as some hardy boulders can appear, which you want to avoid when addingto a cake mix, for example. Elsewhere, youll see natural syrups like maple, agave or date syrup, all of which are brilliant unrefined ingredients. Honey is a great option, and is also used.A lot of the sweetness throughout the recipes has been extracted from cooking with fruit and sweet vegetables, taking advantage of their natural flavour and fructose, while also giving you vitamins and nutrients! Make sure the fruit you use is at its ripest, so that you benefit from the ingredient at its sweetest stage (and therefore from its moisture too, particularly in baking).In terms of cacao and chocolate (and with all-natural sweeteners), make sure you read the ingredients on the packet to ensure they are all natural: raw cacao with no refined sugar added! There are some great products out there. Youll be able to find some brand advice throughout the recipes. Bircher Muesli SERVES 4 20g / 1 tbsp runny honey 2 apples, roughly chopped 2 tbsp water 200g / 2 cups porridge oats 100ml / 7 tbsp apple juice 60g / 2oz dried fruit, anything larger than raisins chopped 200ml / cup full-fat milk, plus extra to serve (cows or plant-based, your choice) 1 cinnamon stick 1 pear fresh fruit, seeds and (optional), to serve Add the honey and apples to a small saucepan with the water.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, so the apples turn into a half-stewed state: softened but their structure still intact. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm. Add the oats, apple juice, dried fruit, milk and cinnamon stick to a bowl and mix to combine. Add the lukewarm apple, mixing well to cool down further. Cover, transfer to the fridge and leave to soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Once youre ready to eat, remove the cinnamon stick and grate in the pear.

Mix well and serve with a generous extra splash of milk, fresh fruit, seeds and Fruit Compote, if you like.

Spiced Granola MAKES 1012 PORTIONS 250g / 2 cups porridge oats 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 4 tbsp honey tsp vanilla extract 80g / 3oz mixed seeds 80g / 3oz mixed nuts, roughly chopped tsp ground cinnamon tsp ground allspice tsp nutmeg, grated 80g / 3oz dried fruit (your choice, or a mix) 60g / 1 cups coconut flakes Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F / gas mark 3. Add all the ingredients apart from the dried fruit and coconut flakes to a large mixing bowl and mix very well to combine. Spread onto a large baking tray (pan) or 2 if its too crowded. Bake for 40 minutes, tossing the mixture every 10 or so minutes. Add the dried fruit and coconut flakes, toss to combine and bake for another 10 minutes.

Once the granola is done, let it cool completely on the tray(s) without touching it, as youll loosen any clumps; mix up once cool. Store in an airtight container for up for 2 weeks.

To help reduce refined sugar intake day-to-day, try using unrefined substitutes in things like tea, coffee, porridge or other savoury recipes where you might add a spoonful of sugar. Its amazing how you can gradually cut out most (if not all) refined sugar from your diet without really realizing, once you have the unrefined alternatives at your fingertips. Orange, Pear & Pecan Porridge SERVES 4 2 oranges 2 pears 1 tbsp olive oil pinch of sea salt, plus extra to serve 30g / cup pecans 200g / 2 cups porridge oats 1.4l / 6 cups full-fat milk (or water if you like) date syrup (optional), to serve Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F / gas mark 7. Using a sharp knife, segment the oranges over a bowl to catch the juice and place the segments in the bowl.

Squeeze the remaining pith of the segmented oranges over the segments in order to extract every bit of juice. Slice the pears into discs and add to a small baking tray (pan). Drizzle with half the saved orange juice from the bowl, the oil and salt, then bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes. Add the pecans to the tray and bake for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the oats and milk to a saucepan and gently bring to a boil, then let simmer for 1015 minutes, stirring constantly until cooked. Transfer to bowls and top with the baked pears and pecans, orange segments and the remaining orange juice.

Finish with an extra pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of date syrup, if you need some more natural sweetness.

Peanut Butter & Jam on Toast SERVES 4 250g / 9oz frozen mixed berries (best to avoid too many blackberries or itll be super-tart) 3 tbsp water 1 tsp pomegranate molasses 1 tsp date syrup tsp sea salt 4 slices of bread 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter Add the frozen berries and water to a small saucepan on a low heat and let defrost and break down for 5 minutes, stirring often. Once they are soft and bubbling, stir in the pomegranate molasses, date syrup and salt, and increase the heat slightly to a stronger bubble for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Toast the bread slices. Spread the peanut butter onto the toast, followed by the jam.