Luke Hines - Guilt-free Snacks: Sweet & savoury bites to power you through the day

G U I L T - F R E E

We ad vise that the info rmation contained in this book does not negat e personal responsibility on th e part of the read er f or th eir o wn health and saf ety. I t is recommended t hat individually tailored advice is sought from your healthcare or medical prof essional. Th e publishers and their resp ective emplo yees, a gents and authors are no t liable for injuries o r damag e occasioned to any p erson as a result of rea ding or f ollowing the info rmation contained in this book. This book is dedicat ed to tho se who strive to thrive. Th ose who wake up every day and make the conscious choice to ea t better , f eel better , t hink better a nd do better not only for t hemselves, b ut for th ose around t hem and for the planet.

SWEET & SA VO URY BITES TO POWER YOU THROUGH THE DA Y

Introduc tion

INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Hi, Im Luke and Im a snackaholic. Th ats ri ght, I said it, I own it and I love it! I love making snacks and I love eating snacks. An d if you dont alrea dy, you will too after getting stuck into all the delicious re cipes I hav e jam-pack ed into this bigger than bite-sized cookbook. Those of you whove f ollowed my cooking journey so far on telev ision and social media and in books know I love creating snacks. An d not just any type of snack: real-deal, n utrient-dense, a ctually go od-for-y ou healthy snacks. B ut with one cav eat: they must neve r be boring or bland. I ve alwa ys be lieved that if you re going to eat better and look after your health, i t should be absolutely , categorically morei sh and delicious, a nd that s where this book comes in. By de ni tion, a snack is something small you eat between larger meals. But snacking itself often gets a bad rap because people associat e snacks with processed and re ne d conveni ence foods t hat can hav e a negati ve effe ct on your h ealth. When you snack smart, s nacks can actually support yo ur health and wellness journey , i mprove your wellbeing and ke ep you on track. Ive written Guilt-free Snacks to give you guys the ultima te companion to sweet and sav oury s nacks for any occasion. Yo u can enjoy these snacks between meals or as meal replacements when youre short on time and big on hunger . I ve got you covere d for any ti me of day , w ith hungrythirsty quenching smoothies, j uices and shots tha t are as quick to make as they are delicious. You ll be on a roll with my massive arra y of bliss-ball bites tha t pack just as much a vour as they do health bene ts . Work outs will ne ver b e the same once you try my pre- and post-e xerci se trea ts, tried and tested by me for optimal performance and re covery . Yo ull be the t alk of the town the next time you host drinks and nibbles because Ive dedicated an ent ire chapter to chips, crisps and dips. An d your kitche n will smell like an absolute delight when you whip up the warm and toasty r ecipes fro m the baking chapte r. I m famous fo r my healthy version s of well-known t reats and favou rite take aways and fast foods, a nd this book doesnt disappoint on r ecipes t hat are just like the rea l thing. Plus, comfort f ood has nev er lo oked or tasted so good, w ith an entire chapter d edicated to indulgent tr eats and mouth-waterin g midnight snacks. Continued ov erleaf >>

INTRODUCTION

As with all my cookbooks, I ve got all yo ur aller gens cov ered wi th a handy referenc e guide and key for e ach recipe so you know exa ctly what your e getting and what simple swaps you can make to adapt it to suit yo ur die t or lifestyle. As a starting point, you ll nd all my recipes are gluten and re ne d- sugar fr ee, with minimal dairy that can b e easily sw apped out if needed. From plant-based v egan to low-carb keto, there is something here f or ev eryone. Remember: ther e is no one-size- ts -all approach to what you can or cant eat, just listen to your body and do wha t works f or you . Guilt-free Snacks is all about pro ving you can have your cake and ea t it too. And by that, I mean you can still snack your little heart out without thro wing any health, d iet or lifestyle g oals out the windo w. In fact, I wrote t his book to enhance yo ur health j ourney , w ith each and eve ry bite. Th is book is simple: really good, honest recipes loaded with r eal-fo od ingredients that act ually taste great an d are genuinely good f or you . Get in the kitc hen, get cooking and, most of all, ha v e fun. Luke xx INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION WHY SNACK? Did I mention I love snacking? Its lik e a mini oppo rtunity f or me to enjoy the spoils of good food be tween larger meals. I m both a mentally and phy sically active perso n and, i f Im no t fasting, I nd snacking is a really grea t way to stay energised and focu sed throu ghout the day . F or me , there is n othing more distracting t han feeling ra venou sly hungry . W hen I get overly hungry , I cant concentrate, b ecome agitated and bot h my physical and mental performance decline until I sat isfy my cravin gs. But the key is how I refuel. An d that s where Guilt-free Snacks comes in handy . These are optimal r ecipes t hat will re fuel yo ur body , i ncrease phy sical energy , improve mental focus and s atiate y our a ppetite, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. Wh en you ll up on wholesome, n utrient-dense ingre dients, th eres no room for in am matory , p rocessed and re ne d foods t hat can be detrimen tal to your health. Ther es onl y so much we can eat in a da y, so every meal choice, and importantly every snack we enjoy , i s an opportunity to ll your da ys f uel tank with all t hings good. Wh en you r car has run out of petrol, you don t ll half the tank w ith petrol and half with w ater in an attempt to save time or money your c ar woul d break down and y oud h ave s erious engine issues. We are the same. Yo u shouldnt ll half your tank wit h health food and half with junk, because ve ry soon you will look, f eel and perf orm poorly , and begin to have long-term digestiv e, weight or in am matory issues. Every m outhful you take e ach day is a chance to better your health. And that s why snacking smart is so important. LESS ROOM FOR CRAP Being prepare d by having a stash of healthy snacks on hand will help pre vent you from re aching for , c raving or needing snacks tha t aren t good for you. Th e more you ll up on good, th e less room you have for bad. YOU ARE HUNGRY Its oka y to be hungry betw een meals. Yo u wont alwa ys fe el satis ed hunger- wise or nut ritionally fr om you r larg er main meals, s o dont be afr aid to ll in these gaps with nutrient-dense snacks. YOU REQUIRE MORE NUTRIENTS Everyth ing from incre ased exe rcise, m ental stimulat ion or inci dental activity to hormonal changes, b reastfe eding or medi cal conditions can result in us needing to snack. Sometimes y our b ody just needs mor e food, m ore often .