No added sugar treats

Sometimes the amount of sugar in the diet needs to be reduced.

Does it mean we need to forsake any treat? No, there are some options free from added sugar.

Sugar free sweet treats

We all crave for something sweet sometimes. Unhappily sugar is out of the picture for some. Trying to eliminate altogether sugar in our daily diet is a difficult task. We can do this by switching to foods containing natural sweetness, such as fresh fruit -there are no processed sugary foods as juicy and satisfying as a ripe pear, watermelon, or orange. In addition, we have to make a point of checking food labels and choosing brands with no added sugar. And when we want something more. We have to cook from scratch.

Easy sweet pudding

Apple sauce and cottage cheese is a combination most children love.

1/3 to 1/2 cups no added sugar apple sauce or apple compote
1/3 cup cottage cheese or farmer’s cheese
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon (optional, sugar or allowed sweetener)

In a bowl, put the apple sauce at the bottom, the cheese over the sauce, as if it was cream, and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Apple sauce is sweet enough on its own and it would not need any sugar or sweetener, but some children like the extra touch.

Marmalade

2 oranges (or 1 orange and 1 lemon)
1 1/4 cups dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup water

Wash the oranges well and squeeze the juice. Put the juice in a pan with the apricot pieces. Bring juice and apricots to the boil, cover and simmer until the apricots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add a little water if necessary to prevent the mixture from becoming too dry. Once they are cooked, use food processor or a blender and process the apricots and the juice until they form a soft, smooth pure.

Cut the peel from the oranges into matchstick-size pieces and place it into a pan along the 2/3 cup water. Bring it to the boil and simmer until the peel is soft, about 10 minutes.

Mix together the apricot puree, orange peel and any juices from the pan. Add a little more liquid if the mixture is too stiff.

Allow to cool. Place the marmalade into two jars or containers. Keep one in the fridge for daily use –it will keep for about two weeks- and freeze the other for later.

Fruit Spreads

They can be prepared in a similar way to the marmalade above, stewing and pureeing fresh or dried fruit. Don’t include the cooking liquid, it will make them too runny; reserve it in case you need to thicken the spread. If the spread is still too soft, thicken mixing a little arrowroot with cold water and some cooking liquid, add to the spread, bring it to the boil and simmer for until it thickens –it will take less than 2 minutes. Gelatin, gelozone (vegetarian gelatin) or agar-agar can also do the trick.