Grainne at Cakes, Weights and Protein Shakes believes that baking with healthy, tasty alternatives is the key to combating cravings and sustaining long-term diet plans. Here are her top tips and recipes.

Changing the eating habits of a lifetime does not happen overnight

A huge reason why we fail at dieting over and over again is that diets are not sustainable and leave us craving everything that we have cut out.

That’s why I believe the key to long-term success is creating healthy alternatives rather than cutting things out entirely.

I try to ‘eat clean’ (natural whole foods) 80-90% of the time, but my top tip for battling food cravings is to never deny yourself anything (shock-horror, I know).

Even ‘cheat meals’ get healthier

When I first began dieting, I ate absolutely anything for my ‘cheat meal’. As the months wore on that cheat meal tamed and my taste buds changed.

Nowadays I crave carb-heavy cheat meals like a huge bowl of bolognaise with heaps of cheese, garlic bread and a large glass of red wine.

Drink up!

I also recommend drinking at least 2L of water per day. It’s not going to stop you craving a chocolate muffin, but you will end the day feeling fuller.

Get creative for healthier baking

Try these tasty substitutes to make your recipes healthier:

• Swap plain flour for coconut flour, brown rice flour or ground almonds
• Swap butter for coconut oil, natural peanut butter or almond butter
• Swap sugar for sweeteners like agave
• Swap cocoa powder and chocolate for cacao powder

3 tasty low-calorie treats and recipes

Chocolate raspberry brownies

What you need for 9 slices (55 calories each)

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 80g of applesauce
• 60g of cacao
• 40g of pea protein powder
• 30g of raspberries
• 20-30 drops of raspberry flavouring
• 10g of Truvia (you may not need this if your protein powder is flavoured)

How to bake

1. Line your brownie tin and preheat the oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4)
2. Blend the bananas, applesauce, cacao, protein, Truvia and flavouring (expect a thick mix)
3. Chop the raspberries into small pieces and gently add into your stiff brownie mix
4. Pour the mix into the tin and bake for 20 mins
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool (refrigerate for that real fudge texture!)

Post-workout banana loaf

What you need for 8 slices (174 calories each)

• 2 medium bananas
• 50g of vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 2 large egg whites
• 10g of Truvia
• 1 heaped tablespoon of cinnamon
• 100ml of unsweetened almond milk
• Pinch of salt
• 10g of flaked almonds
• 20g of dark chocolate chips
• 100g of blended oats
• 1 tablespoon of coconut flour

How to bake

1. Line a loaf tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4)
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork
3. Mix with the protein and baking powder, Truvia, cinnamon and salt
4. Mix in the egg whites, almond milk, oats and flour
5. Add the flaked almonds and dark chocolate chips
6. Pour into your tin and bake for around 40 mins or until a knife comes out clean
7. Leave to cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with almonds

Clean eating chocolate fudge

What you need for 20 slices (112 calories each)

• 100g of coconut oil
• 15g of cocoa powder
• 200g of peanut butter (natural with no added sugar)
• 30g of chocolate sauce
• 10g of agave
• 10g of almond flakes

How to make (no baking required)

1. Line a small tin with foil (to set your fudge in the fridge later)
2. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan
3. Once melted, remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder. Stir out the lumps
4. Thoroughly mix in the peanut butter
5. Mix in the chocolate sauce and agave until smooth
6. Pour the mixture into the tin and sprinkle with flaked almonds
7. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set. Cut into slices and keep chilled

Grainne has added Slendertone Connect to her training programme

Watch this space for the full review. Here are more Slendertone success stories to inspire your goals.

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