The Lose Baby Weight team get a lot of requests from mums for sweet treat alternatives to desserts that are healthy and can be enjoyed on a healthy eating plan when you are losing pregnancy weight.
So you will hopefully love this healthy snack idea – fresh cherries, rock melon and yummy yoghurt.
Here are some of the nutritional benefits of this snack, and how to enjoy it.
Health benefits of cherries
Cherries are perhaps one of the healthiest fruits available, especially if you opt for the dark red varieties as they contain more nutrients than the lighter varieties.
Cherries will boost oxygen radical absorbance capacity, too, which reduces oxidative stress on cells. Cherries also contain anthocyanins, which have been shown to prevent damage to the blood vessels and brain.
These anthocyanins are also thought to prevent plaque formation, which can protect against degenerative diseases such as dementia and some cancers. Cherries, and cherry juice, can also reduce inflammation – and both have been used for a number of years to reduce inflammation from arthritis and gout.
Recent research has also shown that cherries could act as a natural painkiller, inhibiting two enzymes within the brain – and research has shown that the inhibitory action of cherries is comparable to the same concentration of ibuprofen and naproxen. They’re also low in fat and calories – one whole cup of pitted cherries contains 91 calories and 0.3g fat.
Health benefits of rock melon
Rock melon is a sweet, watery fruit that is perfect for rehydrating you when you’re feeling a bit under the weather, or after a particularly tough workout.
Recent research has shown that rock melon is packed with beta-carotenes – and in fact, it contains about 100 times the beta-carotene content of fresh oranges.
When eaten as part of a regular, every day diet, rock melon contributes a large portion of polyphenols, which are known to boost health and support the immune system. Rock melon contains a lower concentration of vitamins than most other fruits, but because we eat it in larger quantities, as it is lower in calories, it benefits us just as much nutritionally as other fruits.
It also contains a number of flavonoids, which are known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as a wide range of vitamins and nutrients. It’s low in calories and fat, too, containing 35 calories for 1 prepared cup – and absolutely no fat.
Health benefits of yoghurt
We all know that yoghurt is good for us – but why? It’s packed with protein which can build lean muscle mass and improve the length of time that we can exercise, as well as plenty of calcium to improve and support the health of bones and teeth.
It can also help you to slim down when eaten as part of a diet. Recent research showed that those who ate 18 oz of low fat yoghurt each day, in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet, lost 22% more weight and a whopping 81% more belly fat than those dieters who didn’t eat yoghurt.
Yoghurt also helped the dieters retain 1/3 more lean muscle mass – helping to improve calorie burn. Yoghurt is also a form of low fat calcium, and research has shown that weight loss can be boosted by including 2 portions of low fat calcium in your everyday diet. Yoghurt is also low in fat and calories – 115g yoghurt contains around 80 calories and 1.4g of fat, depending on brand.
Enjoying your snack
We recommend eating half a cup of cherries, one whole cup of rock melon and 115g of low fat yoghurt – it will contain around 160 calories. You can choose whichever yoghurt flavour you like – just make sure that it’s low in fat or fat free.
We recommend vanilla yoghurt, as it goes brilliantly well with everything. For breakfast, enjoy this snack with a handful of cereal or granola, or with a sprinkle of nuts and some runny honey.
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