Amelia Freer is a well-known nutritionist and a respected food writer, with three excellent cookbooks based on a healthy, balanced diet. She eschews refined sugars and processed foods, instead looking for healthy alternatives that genuinely feed your body and well-being. During lockdown she has sent her subscribers regular updates, and this recipe was in her newsletter.
It definitely piqued my interest, because it used ground chia seeds (I do struggle with most frog’s spawn recipes), but also it used oat cream, which I’d not used before.
Oatily oat cream contains substantially less fat than cream (9.7g /100g versus 19.1g/100g), and more protein than natural yoghurt (5g/100g versus 1g/100g). Both mean that it’s a lot more friendly for those following a carb or fat restricted diet. It is also lactose and soya free, though it does contain some organic palm oil. A vegan friendly dairy alternative then, with less calories than the yoghurt or cream. When added to a healthy dose of chia seeds (approximately 37g per portion), we can add a further 11.5g of fibre into the mix, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and Omega 3.
Even the inclusion of blackberries is an inspired choice – blackberries and raspberries have twice the fibre of blueberries and strawberries, which helps slow down the release of sugar. Better still, if you’re having this for breakfast, you can prepare this the night before, and have it ready to hand in the morning. I’m a big fan of the insulated Swell bowls, which would let you take this with you for a pick-me-up after a workout too.
Ingredients:
250ml carton oat cream – I used organic Oatily
1 lemon – zested and juiced
100g blackberries
5 tbsp chia seeds
2-3 level tbsp. sweetener of your choice – I used date syrup
Method:
Keeping a couple of berries back to garnish, blend all the remaining ingredients together using a smoothie maker or hand blender until well mixed.
Pour the mixture into two serving bowls or glasses and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Once chilled, top with the reserved blackberries and serve.