Sugar-Free Meals – Let’s Start with Pizza

Sugar-free meals need not mean taste-free. This guide is packed with scientific research and nutritional advice to help you understand sugar and carb addiction.

Sugar Free by Karen Thomson and Kerry Hammerton (Sunbird Publishers) has dietician-approved, weekly meal plans and recipes with options for vegetarians. There are also journal exercises to help you break the mental, physical and emotional traps of old eating patterns. Sugar-free meals don’t have to be taste free or inconvenient. You can even eat pizza, if you have the right ingredients.

Sugar-free vegetarian thin-crust cheese pizza
serves 8

ingredient for the base

• 3 eggs
• 225g grated mozzarella cheese
• 112g grated cheddar cheese
• ground crystals or flaked salt and ground black pepper
• 1 crushed garlic clove (optional)
• 1 tsp mixed herbs

toppings

• tomato paste or purée
• raw toppings of your choice, e.g. mushrooms, feta cheese, olives, buffalo mozzarella, basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Non-vegetarian options include ham and anchovies.

method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a medium-sized baking tray with butter.
2. Make the base by beating the eggs together. Mix with all the cheese, seasoning, garlic and herbs.
3. Evenly spread the egg and cheese mixture on the baking tray, almost to the edges, making it as thin as possible.
4. Bake for 15–25 minutes or until the base is golden brown.
5. Remove the pizza base from the oven and while warm, spread with a thin layer of tomato paste or purée.
6. Add the raw toppings and put the pizza under the oven grill for approximately 4–5 minutes, or until the toppings are cooked.

Sugar-free nutty muffins

Note: Do not eat more than one serving a day because nuts and seeds are quite high in carbohydrates.
makes 12

ingredients

• 200g mixed seeds
• 400g nuts of your choice, such as almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts
• 3 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• pinch of ground crystals or flaked salt
• cup coconut oil, melted

method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Grind all the seeds and half the nuts in a food processor until flour-like in texture. Chop the remaining nuts roughly.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and egg whites together.
4. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
5. Grease 12 muffin tins and pour in the mixture. Bake for 50–60 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to seven days.
7. They’re great served with sardines, avocado and tomato slices, or with a soft cream cheese or goat’s cheese.

Sugar-free vegetarian Thai green curry
This meal serves 2

ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

for the vegetables

• ½ diced onion
• 1 diced courgette
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• ½ cup cabbage
• 1 cup tinned peas
• 1 cup broccoli, spinach and mushrooms or a light veg combination

for the sauce

• 2 small red onions
• 1 tsp green curry paste
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• ½ cup torn basil leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon

method

1. In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil. Sauté the onion, courgette and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Set the vegetables aside.
2. Make the sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients in a food processor. Blend the mixture until smooth.
3. Transfer the sauce to the saucepan of cooked veggies. Simmer on low.
4. Add the cabbage, tinned peas and any green veggies of your choice. Heat through.
5. Serve the warm curry with fresh coriander leaves. It’s delicious on a cup of steamed cauli-rice (optional). Refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container for up to three days.

Sugar-free nutty flapjacks

Note: If you’re eating flapjacks with whipped cream and berries, remember to add additional fat and fruit portions to your meal.
makes 6

ingredients

• 1 tsp butter (or 1 tsp coconut oil) batter
• 3 eggs cup (100g)
• nut flour (or substitute coconut flour)
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp milk, coconut milk or almond milk
• scraped seeds of 1 vanilla pod (optional but delicious)

method

1. Make the flapjack mixture by whisking the eggs together. Gradually stir the egg liquid into the dry ingredients. Once the egg and flour are combined, add the milk with vanilla, and mix through. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a small frying pan and melt the butter or coconut oil.
3. Add a ladleful of flapjack mixture. Cook for a few minutes at medium heat. Wait for air bubbles to appear on top before flipping the flapjacks with a spatula and cooking the other side.
4. Remove flapjacks from the pan and keep warm. Serve with whipped cream and fresh or stewed berries.

Tip: Make your own nut flour by blending nuts such as almonds, walnuts or macadamias in a food processor until they resemble coarse flour. Don’t overdo it or your nut flour will turn into nut butter.

About the book

Sugar Free by Karen Thomson and Kerry Hammerton (Sunbird Publishers) is packed with scientific research and nutritional advice to help you understand sugar and carb addiction. The book also has dietician-approved weekly meal plans and recipes, including options for vegetarians, along with journal exercises, to help you break the mental, physical and emotional traps of old eating patterns. Sugar Free is available from all good bookstores for R250.

Karen Thomson and Kerry Hammerton