Jenna Zoe's recipe book has finally solved the dilemma of healthy snacks that actually taste good enough to eat, writes Katie Robertson
After suffering with problems such as candida and chronic hormonal imbalances, former fashionista Jenna Zoe took it upon herself to craft a new way of snacking that would allow her to enjoy guilt-free treats - and luckily for us girls she has gone and put it all into a handy cookbook for us to follow (religiously!).
Snacking has become the culinary enemy for most of us - the problem being that when reaching for a quick bite we are often only presented with two snacking options; either the quick calorie fix that’s usually smothered in chocolate and sees us over the mid morning slump or the health conscious choice which while low in calories actually offers no nutritional value to your diet. Cue Jenna Zoe, who has tackled this culinary quandary head on and devised a range of recipes that pack in the nutrition without compromising on the taste.
Zoe’s book is clear and concise when explaining the methods behind her madness. It goes like this; essentially a whopping 30% of our body energy is devoted to our digestive process so when we consume overly processed calorific foods we are often left feeling sluggish, with low energy levels and poor mood control due to so much of our energy being devoted to flushing out these toxins.
Jenna’s solution? Reduce and replace these food groups with healthy, body-friendly options. So we see Jenna replace refined sugar with natural sweeteners such as agave syrup and maple syrup; wheat flour with wheat-free alternatives; and dairy and soy with nut milks and health-giving oils alongside a plethora of fruit, vegetables and superfoods that give long-term health-enhancing vitamins and minerals.
The book is divided into six sections including party snacks with hummus tartlets, breakfasts of popcorn parfaits and, our personal favourite, sweet bites with mouth watering options of frozen cookie dough balls and Jenna’s take on peanut butter cups.
Yes, this book may be championing the healthier lifestyle but by no means do the recipes skimp on the treats and indulgences that we all need. The result: we can continue to feast on our favourites without carrying the ten tonne guilt trip or the nasty toxins; definitely a win-win situation that gets a massive two thumbs up.
Jenna herself has said that when writing this book she had three main criteria; the food had to be whole and minimally processed, it had to taste great and it had to really suit her system so that she felt not just OK, but amazing. We think she’s nailed it.
Super Healthy Snacks and Treats by Jenna Zoe (Ryland Peters & Small) is available from Amazon priced at £14.99