Staying healthy over the festive season

Most people don’t want to give up their favourite foods during the Christmas season. But there are things you can do to avoid gaining weight.  

Set realistic goals

If you’ve been on a mission to lose weight prior to the festive season, plan to simply focus on maintaining your new weight. That will be challenging enough, and it’s achievable. If your weight has been stable but your experience tells you that unrestricted holiday eating will result in weight gain, take action this year. Here are some tips to enjoy yourself while paying attention to your lifestyle.  

Six tips to survive

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Nutty caramel squares

Raw cacao powder is full of flavonoids, which act as antioxidants protecting the body from ageing. 

Preparation time: 40 min (+ 2 hrs) | Freezing: 30 min | Cooking time: 2 min | Serves: 36

Note: this recipe is made in stages.  

Ingredients

Base layer:

Second layer (caramel):

Chocolate topping:

Method

Tips: Oil the tin prior to lining with freezer film to help hold the film in place. Use almonds or cashews instead of peanuts. Add some pepitas, sunflower or sesame seeds on top of second layer for a variation.  

PER SERVE: Energy 673 kJ (161 cal). Protein 3 g. Fat 12 g. Saturated fat 6 g. Cholesterol 0 mg. Carbohydrate 10 g. Fibre 2 g. Calcium 26 mg. Iron 0.8 mg. Sodium 2 mg.