Frozen fruits may not be the first thing on our minds when we think of great recipes. Here are 6 fun recipes that will change that.
As you all must know by now, we eat out a lot. So when we are at home, we love finding quick and easy healthy recipes for snacks that we can easily munch on. Recently, thanks to Whatsinstore, we had the opportunity to get our hands on different variations of Asiago frozen fruits. We decided to try our favourite healthy snack recipes using different frozen fruit.
The packs comprised of frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, Frutti di Bosco (currents, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries), avocado and mango. There are several benefits of using frozen fruit as an alternative to fresh fruit. With time, fresh fruits lose their nutrient value and go bad. When you freeze fruit though, you preserve the fruit’s nutritional value. The recommended storage of frozen fruits in the freezer is 6 to 9 months.
They are still edible after this period of time, the fruit might not retain the nutritional value or quality after that. What is very interesting is that frozen fruits (which are usually frozen on the day of harvesting) are often healthier and have more nutritional value than fruit in the supermarket which may have been harvested a few days before.
So, with all that information in mind, let’s head over to a description of what we created!
Homemade Raspberry Breakfast bars
These delicious raspberry breakfast bars make for a perfect snack at any time of the day, not just for breakfast. Raspberries are a great source of vitamin C and do a great job in helping our immune systems. Raspberries are also full of nutrients that support healthy brain function and research suggests that these nutrients do a lot in reducing cancer spread. They are also low in fructose and calories, so definitely one of the go-to fruits when trying to lose weight.
Unfortunately fresh raspberries are often expensive and usually those sold are not sold on the day of harvest. This is why we opted for frozen fruit. When it comes to these raspberry breakfast bars, frozen raspberries work perfectly well.
The recipe is my personal favourite of the list. Very easy to make, low calorie, highly nutritious and very enjoyable to eat. Head over to the full text here.
Cherry Ripe chocolate squares
Based on one of the most popular chocolate bars in Australia (Cadbury’s ‘Cherry Ripe’), this recipe is gluten free and packed with nutritious cherries and raspberries. This chocolate covered dessert makes for a healthy alternative to many other chocolate desserts. This Gluten Free Cherry Ripe dessert is actually Jonathan’s favourite from the list.
Cherries are packed with Vitamin C, B Vitamins, potassium, manganese, copper, magnesium and Vitamin K. Vitamin C does wonders for our immune system and skin. Cherries are also rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests that cherries are great for heart health. An interesting benefit of cherries is that in a case study, cherries helped improve sleep quality.
Now that you know it is healthy for you, head over to the recipe here.
Avocado toast
Avocados have definitely gained a lot of popularity in recent years. You might find it hard to believe that this very popular brunch fruit was not so well-known or popular just a few decades back. Previously this misunderstood fruit was avoided due to its high fat content. Little was it known that this fruit contains a lot of healthy monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are known from research to help protect against heart disease and lower blood pressure. Avocados are also a great source of Vitamin B6, C, E and K.
Avocado toast is very versatile with plenty of options to add different flavours and colours to make these delicious and aesthetically pleasing. In our avocado toast we use an avocado paste we prepare using frozen avocados. Here in this recipe you can find 6 different topping options but do feel free to get creative and try your own.
Mango Coconut Balls
Mangoes are amongst the sweetest of fruits. This delicious fruit is packed with nutrients. Mango has vitamin C, copper, folate, Vitamins A, B5, B6, E and K, Potassium, Magnesium and plenty of other nutrients. There has been research which suggests that mango can help to boost immune system health, helps heart health, helps the digestive health, protects the eyes and can even help maintain healthy hair and skin.
There is also some research which suggests that mango may be responsible for lowering the risk of some cancers. With mango among the frozen fruits we had at hand, we made great use of our Asiago frozen mango pieces to make mango and coconut energy balls. These balls are made of natural ingredients, there is no added sugar, and also are vegan and gluten free. Have a look at the recipe here.
Frozen Yoghurt Bark squares
Frozen Yoghurt Bark is basically a slate of frozen yoghurt broken up into pieces. Adding frozen fruit to this makes it evermore so cheerful and nutritious. These frozen yoghurt barks are great for everyone, kids and adults alike. For our yoghurt bark, we used frozen blueberries and strawberries.
Blueberries are nature’s superfood due to them being high in antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium and vitamin C. These blueberries help in increasing immune system health, lowering risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Blueberries also play a part in boosting mental health and preventing pre-aging. It is recommended to eat 150 grams of blueberries daily to reap this superfood’s benefits.
Strawberries are popular for their bright colour and sweet taste. Strawberries are packed with nutrients such as Vitamin B9 and C, potassium and manganese. We love strawberries for their benefits such as reducing inflammation, lowering LDL cholesterol and maintaining proper vascular function. The beautiful bright red appearance and the nutritional value make strawberries a great addition to our healthy yoghurt bark.
The combination of yoghurt and honey combined perfectly. The topping with frozen fruits provided the final touch to a lovely healthy treat. Here is the recipe.
Gluten Free Berry Muffins
The Asiago Frutti di Bosco pack is one of a variety of frozen fruits available and contains a selection of mixed berry variants. If you are using Asiago’s Mixed Berries, you will find a selection of currents, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. We’ve already described the benefits of blueberries and raspberries, but we should not ignore the benefits of currants and blackberries.
Blackberries are high sources of Vitamin C and K. They are also high in manganese. Blackberries have been known for centuries (since the Ancient Greeks) to be beneficial for treating gout problems. Apart from these impressive benefits, blackberries are great for maintaining high levels of mental health and also great for oral health.
Currants are also very beneficial to the human body. These fruits are packed with great nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, calcium, phosphorus and anthocyanins. Vitamin C is great for the immune system. Iron helps prevent anemia and calcium protects bone health. Anthocyanins act like an antioxidant and are very beneficial.
Gluten Free Mixed Berry Muffins are a great healthy snack which makes good use of mixed berries, almond flour and shredded coconuts. Only 20-25 minutes in the oven can make you 12 muffins. These are great for when you’re craving a bit of sugar but want to snack on something healthier.
If you’re anxious about the light brown sugar in this recipe, you can easily omit it completely.
View the full recipe here.
Original article by OMGFoodMalta.