It isn’t always easy to eat healthily or stick to a diet. But there are a few things that can make life a little easier. Firstly set your own goals and keep them realistic. If you set yourself too much of a challenge, you are less likely to succeed and will just end up feeling demotivated. I would suggest allowing yourself a couple of ‘treat days’. These will be individual to you but they might be days when you allow yourself a piece of cake or a packet of crisps, for example. It might be a weekend day or even your busiest day at work.
Next, make it easier for yourself to eat well. This means being organised! It’s a good idea to do a big shop once a week and have plenty of ingredients for meals that you know you can prepare easily. It is impossible to eat more vegetables if there aren’t any in the house! Planning the meals for the week can really help. Some things can even be done in advance. For example salad or vegetables can be prepared and stored in tubs in the fridge for a couple of days.
To help you resist temptation further, try not to keep too many ‘treats’ in the house. Buy them as and when you plan to have them. Sometimes when you know you have something tempting in the cupboard, it’s very hard not to eat it! If you sometimes fancy something sweet, perhaps after a meal or with a cup of tea in the afternoon, why not try these Bliss Balls? They are a lot more nutritious than a chocolate bar as they contain many vitamins and minerals including Vitamins B5 & 6, magnesium and potassium. There are natural sugars in dates but the fibre, fat and protein from the nuts slow down the effects on your blood sugar levels. Remember, however, just to enjoy them now and again as a ‘treat’.
Coconut and Cashew Bliss Balls
- 150g Medjool dates
- 100g cashews
- 50g desiccated coconut, plus extra for rolling in.
- pinch of crushed seasalt
- Blend all the ingredients in a food processor. This seems to take ages but eventually it all comes together into a loose sticky ‘dough’.
- Scoop some mixture onto a teaspoon and roll into small balls. Then roll each ball in some coconut and store in the fridge.
They keep for several days. Makes approx. 10 balls.