Heart-healthy berry ‘n-ice-cream’
I recently did a session in a local school teaching the children about the importance of looking after our heart. We discussed the important role it plays in pumping our blood - full of nutrients - around our body, giving us energy and removing waste and toxins.
Cardiovascular disease remains the biggest cause of illness amongst adults in the developed world and I emphasized the importance of ensuring we exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and get a good amount of sleep whatever our age.
Limiting ultra-processed foods and refined sugars in takeaways, fizzy drinks, sweets and ice creams is also advisable, but often easier said than done when our body seems to crave these and persuasive advertising is seemingly omnipresent.
I introduced the children to a healthier version of ice-cream made with frozen Greek yoghurt instead and packed with berries, which are especially good to support a healthy heart. The omega-3 goodness from adding in a small handful of nuts and seeds or the polyphenol benefits of a small drizzle of natural honey will further boost your heart health too.
Not only that but this recipe can be served a fab three ways…. chilled fresh from the fridge, frozen to create scoops of healthy ice cream or spread onto a baking tray to form delicious yoghurt bark like an icy white chocolate bar with added goodness!
Ingredients:
Good quality Greek Yoghurt ( - with no added sugar or preservatives)
Honey or maple syrup
Assorted nuts and seeds of your choice
Fresh or frozen assorted berries such as blueberries and raspberries
Method:
Mix your desired quantity of Greek yoghurt with a little honey or maple syrup
Fill small jars with the mixture and add in your choice of fruit, nuts and seeds for flavouring and sweetness
Freeze for an hour and eat as 'n-ice cream' or leave to chill in the fridge overnight for a healthy breakfast option
Alternatively: spread the yoghurt and honey mix onto a sheet of baking
paper on a tray; scatter berries, nuts and seeds on top and leave to set in the
freezer to create frozen yoghurt bark to snack on guilt-free!
Why not use leftover glass ramekins from a well-known decadent dessert, complete with stylish bamboo lids from @puddingpotlids - see my earlier post for more details…
