5 Gut Friendly Festive Treats That You Can Enjoy Guilt-Free

Festivals are all about celebrating and eating our heart out. No matter what diet we follow, it is hard to resist delectable sweets and treats that are prepared especially during the festivals. Diwali being the most lively Indian festival is celebrated with zeal and fervour. However, we regret indulging in sweet treats owing to stomach woes that arise afterwards. But this time, ace nutritionist Dr. Rohini Patil has got your covered. She has curated five gut-friendly festive recipes to satiate your taste buds without upsetting your stomach.

FRUIT & NUTS LADOO

Ingredients

• 85gms chia seeds
• 200gms seedless dates
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Method

• Put all the ingredients into a blender.
• Blend it for 1 minute
• Take a small portion of mixture onto your hand and make 1-1.5 inch balls
• You can coat the balls in seasame seeds or dry roasted coconut(grated)

ALMOND MILK CUSTARD

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• ¼ cup low-fat coconut milk
• 2 tsp rice syrup
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

• Add arrowroot powder in a medium saucepan and add coconut milk, mix them well until smooth.
• Now add almond milk, syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice in the saucepan, whisk it well and place over medium heat.
• Bring it to boil with continous stirring , then turn it to low heat and continue to stir until the mixture starts to thicken and turns into a cream like texture.
• You can serve warm or keep it in a food container in the refrigerator to cool.
• It can be stored for upto 3-4 days into the fridge.

SOURDOUGH BREAD WITH AVOCADO SPREAD

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• Few slices of goats cheese/ cheddar cheese
• 4 slices of sourdough bread
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Few lettuce leaves
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• Black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

• Take sourdough bread and toast them in the toaster
• Wash and cut avocados, using the fork take out the flesh and place it into a bowl.
• Mash the avocado flesh with fork until you get a paste, to this add chia seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and mix everything well.
• Now place the toasted sourdough bread onto a plate and sprad the avocado mix over it. 
• Top it with lettuce leaves and few slices of cheddar or goat’s cheese
• Add a splash of olive oil and some black pepper.
• Serve as delicious snack

OATS & COCONUT LADDOO

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup jaggery
• ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 cup grated coconut 
• 1 tsp ghee
• 1-2 tbsp water
• Ghee roosted nuts and raisins

Methods

• Heat a heavy bottom pan and on it dry roast till they smell good
• Cool the oats completely and dry blend it coarse or fine according to your texture preference and keep aside.
• Add jaggery, coconut and water to the same saucepan. Cook and stir until the jaggery and sugar melts off.
• Now add green cardamom powder and cook stirring constantly till you spot strings in the mixture.
• To this add the powdered oats, stir well and turn the stove off.
• Stir and mix in the nuts, ghee and raisins.
• After the temperature comes down, grease your palms with a bit of oil/ ghee and roll small portions to balls.
• These laddoos are great for health.

BUCKWHEAT BANANA KEBABS

Ingredients

• ¼ cup buckwheat/ kuttu atta
• 250 gm raw bananas (diced & peeled)
• 1 black cardamom seed (badi elaichi)
• 2tsp powdered coriander seeds (roasted)
• 2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• ½ chilli powder
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coriander chopped

Method

• Take a steam pot and steam the bananas, ginger and elaichi, till the bananas are cooked but bite like.
• Make sure there is no water left behind
• Cool the steamed bananas.
• Mash the steamed bananas.
• Add all the ingredients to this and mix well to form dough like consistency.
• Take small portions of the mixture and shape It into cylindrical rods and dust it well with buckwheat/kuttu ka atta.
• Take a non stick pan and heat.
• Add 1 tbsp ghee to this pan and fry the kebabs over medium flame until golden brown on both the sides
• Enjoy the kebabs with green chutney.

Conclusion

If you are someone whose stomach gets upset very easily especially after eating festive treats, you must try these recipes. These are gut-friendly and won’t hamper your stomach health if you consume them. However, binging is not suggested!

Images credits- freepik