I often get asked about snacks you can have for those moments when you really fancy something sweet. Well it can be quite hard to find snacks in the shops that are anything less than half made of sugar… so it really pays off to make your own.
You’ll know exactly what’s gone into them, and it’s all good.
Get the summer glow…
This tasty gluten free snack nourishes your skin from the inside. Velvety golden apricots are full of beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy skin.
Almonds are one of the world’s best sources of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects your cells from damage. They also come loaded with mono-unsaturated fats (of which a healthy dose of skin loving omega 3s).
Oats are very soothing for your digestive system, a pre-requisite of healthy glowing outer skin. Not to mention that all of these plant-based ingredients are high in fibre, giving your body’s detoxification system a great helping hand.
Sweet but just enough…
As a sweet snack goes, these flapjacks compare very favourably with most in terms of sugar content (5g per portion, whereas shop bought flapjacks tend to be 15-20g) and they also provide a decent amount of protein (again, 5g per portion) and fibre (3.5g per flapjack). What this all means: it won’t raise your blood sugars crazy high and will keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.
Makes 10 portions
Ingredients
- 200g whole oats
- 50g flaked almonds
- 320g fresh apricots
- Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp coconut nectar (or honey)
Preparation
- Cut the apricots in half and remove the stones.
- Lay them out on a baking tray and grill them on both sides until they become soft and slightly caramelised in places (it will smell gorgeous!)
- Remove to cool and set the oven to 180degrees
- Lightly dry fry the flaked almonds until they begin to go darker. This will bring out their flavour.
- Place the coconut oil and coconut nectar in a pan over a low heat until melted
- Use coconut oil to grease an oven dish
- Break down the apricots roughly with a fork and place them with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well together
- Place in the oven dish and press down well to a thickness of 2cm
- Cook in the oven for 10 minutes or until the surface begins to brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a while before slicing and enjoying.
Remember to save some of these healthy snacks to take with you to work!
