Our weight loss and healthy eating habits can sometimes be sabotaged by the shorter days and cold nights.
Cool temperatures make our bodies crave nourishing, warm foods. These types of foods range across the dietary pyramid but for some reason, carbs and sweet things are often the top pick for many women.
This is probably due to the sugar and starch content of these foods and the effect that is has on our hormones and our tummies, helping us feel full and comforted, hence the label ‘comfort food’.
While these foods may ‘comfort’ us in the short term, some of them aren’t exactly the best for weight loss.
So what to do? When your body is craving something rich and warm, a cup of tea just isn’t going to cut it. Enter the healthy hot chocolate (yes, there is such a thing!).
While commercially bought or prepared hot chocolate powders and/or syrups are packed full of sugar and additives due to the manufacturing process, the original product, the cocoa itself, is virtually sugar free!
This hot choccie drink combines warm milk, cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon for a sweet, tasty treat.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 250 ml low fat milk (you can use dairy, soy or nut milks)
- 2 tsp cocoa
- 1 x tbsp Healthy Mummy Chocolate smoothie mix (great to add to keep you full and full of energy)
- Half a vanilla pod OR 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla essence
- 1 cinnamon stick OR 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
- Pour milk into a small saucepan and place on the stove up over low heat
- When milk is warm, add cocoa and Healthy Mummy Mix and stir well to combine
- When cocoa is fully dissolved, add cinnamon and vanilla
- Allow milk to simmer for around 5 minutes so that the flavours can infuse
- Remove from heat. If using vanilla pod/cinnamon stick, remove and discard
- Pour into a mug and drink ASAP
Makes 1 serving – Cal per serve – 190
