My name is Michelle and I’m a chocoholic, and I’m not afraid to admit it. Unfortunately for me I am also a breastfeeding mother desparately desiring my pre-baby size. I spent a lot of time in the lead up to my pregnancy trying to lose weight and get in shape, I was going really well when I fell pregnant so it would be a crying shame to let all of that work go to waste.
So now I’m a chocoholic with a new baby and it’s winter. As you can imagine my pre-baby size is not my friend right now, I started off reasonably well but am doing a little backsliding as time passes.
That’s where this fabulous Guilt-Free Chocolate Treats and Baking Cookbook comes in.
I have always loved the idea of eating healthy and clean eating but when it boils right down to it I just love chocolate so when I heard about a Guilt-Free Chocolate cookbook I could not resist.
We have all heard how breastfeeding mums need extra calories in order to nurture their young and I was guilty of consuming them in chocolate, and way more than were needed.
Baking is often an activity that mums enjoy sharing with their children, and it can be a great way to fill a winter afternoon when the dreary weather is making everyone antsy. I love to bake with my children, when they can focus and share.
Rhian and The Healthy Mummy team have put together a book filled with delicious recipes for you and the family that won’t ruin weight-loss goals as long as you remember portion control – though that can be a little difficult. These recipes are much lower in sugar, fat and calories than standard recipes which makes them much healthier.
The recipes contained in this book are quite simple to make and I managed to find the ingredients I needed in my regular supermarket. They utilise a range of different sweeteners, none of which are traditional processed white sugar. Instead they use a combination of sugar alternatives including honey, coconut sugar and low-calorie natural sweeteners like Natvia.
I was very new to these sweeteners having been brought up with artificial sweeteners and always preferring the real thing but the natural sweeteners I used in the recipes I have tried over the last week have been fabulous.
Cakes, slices, desserts, drinks – there is something for everyone here. I will admit I was a little sceptical going in and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to sell the family on healthy alternatives to our usual desserts and chocolate treats but both of the recipes I have tried thus far have been a raging success.
The book is well set out with gorgeous glossy photos, helpful hints, nutrition tips and a whole section devoted to delicious ways to drink The Healthy Mummy smoothies.
This is a must buy book for chocoholics trying to get a little healthier and it’s a fantastic way to let the kids indulge in chocolate. Mine love chocolate almost as much as I do and they too were won over by these treats. Definitely one I will keep handy to try out new things, I am eyeing off two more delicious looking treats as I write this.
I have made the Chocolate Fudge Bites and Chocolate Carrot Cake and loved them. I plan to try the Chocolate and Coffee Slice and Banana and Coconut Squares and the more I look the more I find to test.
For more great ideas and weight-loss support head over to The Healthy Mummy at: www.healthymummy.com,
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