Sweet or Savoury?
25 May

Sweet or Savoury?

Are you a sweet tooth or a savoury tooth? Did you know that SOMETIMES these cravings can actually be our bodies sending us a message that we are lacking important vitamins and minerals. Now that doesn’t mean the next time you have a craving for salt ‘n’ vinegar chips and a block of chocolate that your body needs them …

Processed foods don’t have all of the important nutrients our bodies need but we have been pre-wired to ‘crave’ them, thanks to the addictive nature and ingredients that these very foods contain. Processed foods are usually packed with either sodium or sugar, or both. Sodium aka ‘salt’ and these type of cravings are generally habitual rather than a need basis. Sugar or Sweet foods on the other hand, release serotonin to the brain, you know that feel good chemical that makes us happy? Yep … that one.

So how do we satisfy these crazy cravings?

The trick to curbing cravings is to prevent them in the first place!

We need to be giving our body what it REALLY needs on a regular basis. A diet rich in dark leafy greens, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, seeds and grains that will help to stabilize our blood sugar levels and provide us with nutrient dense foods that nourish and support our bodily functions. This will help to reduce the opportunity for the crave monster to rear it’s ugly head.

Occasionally you just really have that persistent craving that just won’t budge and it needs to be satisfied. So here are some healthy ideas and alternatives to get you through the crave wave and out the other side.

Sweet

If you have a strong sweet tooth that can’t be ignored it could be your body telling you that you are a little depleted in magnesium, chromium or Vitamin B.

The key to riding the sweet tooth wave is to avoid sugar spikes and blood sugar crashes which will continue the vicious cycle. Try snacking on Low GI fruits that contain fibre and water as well as beneficial vitamins and minerals.

If you heart desires something more and chocolate is in the forefront of your mind, try cacao. Now this is not to be confused with coco, they are pretty different. Cacao is actually considered a superfood and is full of beneficial vitamins and minerals for your bod like magnesium and zinc. There are so many of our raw dessert recipes that use cacao so here is one of our favourites that will help to help satisfy your sweet tooth and pump those happy endorphins into the atmosphere.

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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup medjool dates (pitted)
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1/3 cup cacao power
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 pinch Himalayan sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp chia gel (mix 2 tsp chia seeds with 2 Tbsp water to form a gel)

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
  2. Turn your variable speed dial to 10 and pulse the machine on and off 5 times for 3 seconds each time.
  3. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase the speed to 10, then override to High.
  4. Use the tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades whilst processing.
  5. Blend for 45-60 seconds or until you have a nice dough consistency.
  6. Roll the balls in any extra shredded coconut to coat and place on a plate lined with grease proof paper.
  7. Set the truffles in the freezer for about an hour and take out just before serving.

Notes

The bliss balls will last for about a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Savoury/Salt

A craving for savoury goodness is something I cannot ignore. It hits me like a hot chili (which I also love by the way) and i won’t rest until it’s satisfied. So why do we get them? It is unusual that we would be low in sodium – it’s so inclusive in our daily eating rituals, however it could mean that you are dehydrated? So make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Usually a craving like this is our body telling us it wants RICH and flavoursome foods.

Omit the canned goods and packets of pretzels and I’m sorry to tell you that the cheese board with processed meats is off the list too.

Try garlic and chili edamame, raw soups, mushrooms, veggie chips and veggie burgers.

One of my favourite satisfying savoury snacks are our homemade raw falafels. Make up a whole batch and keep them in an air-tight container for when those cravings sneak in.

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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cup carrots (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup dry sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup flax seeds (ground)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley (well chopped)
  • 3 Tbsp onion (diced)
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds (to be added after blending)

Method

  1. Chop your carrots in your Vitamix 2L Wet Container until they are nearly a paste. Make sure to use high speed and use your tamper if needed.
  2. Add in your sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, garlic, spices and blend on High speed using your tamper really well to push all the ingredients down to the blade.
  3. Turn your machine off and add in the onion and parsley and blend on High speed using your tamper really well to push all the ingredients down to the blade. It doesn’t matter if there are still some large chunks of parsley or onion.
  4. Pour into a bowl your sesame seeds, add the Falafel mixture and combine the sesame seeds and Falafel mixture by hand.
  5. Roll 1 Tbsp at a time into Falafel balls, then place directly onto the dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 2-12 hours depending on how moist you prefer them on the inside. The longer you dehydrate, the more crisp they will be on the outside.

Whether you are a sweetie pie or a savoury monster we have a HUGE selection of Recipes that are not only good for you but will help satisfy your cravings!

What’s your flavour? Share with us what your favourite healthy go-to recipe is to help curb those cravings?

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