I have a love/hate relationship with Disney. I love the quiet that falls over the house when we put on a movie and curl up. I love that they are producing more storylines where girls become their own heroes. I love the music and the hilarity, the wonder and the joy, but I don’t love that the dolls are so skinny and I don’t love conversations that go like this:

Belle: Can I borrow your lip gloss?

Me: Not right now baby

Belle: I CAN’T LIVE LIKE THIS!!!!!

Thank you, Frozen. And because I responded with hysterical laughter (parenting fail), Belle is now reacting to every small drama with the same one liner. Lost doggy? “I can’t live like this!”, No bubbles in the bath? “I CAN’T live like this!”, no snack before dinner? “I CAN’T LIVE LIKE THIS!” And, breathe….

After a hard day of parenting (or during, to be honest) it’s difficult not to reach for a glass of wine or sugary treat. So many of us comfort eat and junky processed food is a convenient, available and affordable fix. The problem is, it makes us feel worse. Worse in the short term because the sugar high is always followed by a sugar low, and worse in the long term because of the inevitable weight gain or hormonal sabotage.

So wouldn’t it be nice to sit down with a cup of tea and a piece of cake knowing that it was actually good for you? I came up with this recipe last week when I was determined to make a wholefood treat with low-sugar and decent protein. The base recipe is free of any processed sugars and is just sweetened by very ripe bananas. You can also add one-half tsp (or more) of pure stevia powder if you want to bump it up a little. Instead of flour, I’ve used quinoa and the Linwoods mix (high in omega 3) so this is naturally gluten free. I added some bittersweet chocolate chips (Sunsipre 65 percent cacao from Supermart) for a feel-good dose of antioxidants — this is the only source of real sugar and it’s minimal!

Ultimately this is a cake-like snack that isn’t very sweet, but it’s really tasty and a great mid-morning or afternoon fix. It’s packed full of superfoods: quinoa, ground seeds/goji berries, coconut oil and cacao. It’s probably more suitable for grown-ups, although if your kids are used to healthy recipes then it might just get the green light. Let me know what you think!

Chocolate Chip Supercake

Ingredients:

2 cups soaked/rinsed/cooked quinoa

1/3 cup milk (any — dairy or alternative)

3 eggs

¾ cup refined coconut oil, melted

1 tsp real vanilla extract

2 very ripe bananas, sliced

3/4 cup Linwoods mix (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and goji)

1 ½ tsps baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp stevia leaf powder (optional)

½ cup Sunspire bittersweet chocolate chips (65 percent cacao)

Method: (Preheat the oven to 350F.)

1. Soak the quinoa for at least an hour, but preferably a few to help remove the bitter saponins from the outside of the seed. Rinse well and then cook until tender. Drain and cool.

2. Add the quinoa, milk, eggs, oil, vanilla and banana to a food processor. Blend well until the mixture is mostly or completely smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the Linwoods mix, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and stevia (optional). Make sure these are well mixed.

4. Gently combine the two mixtures with a large whisk.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased, rectangular baking pan. Fill the pan half to three quarters full. If you have extra mixture, fill a few cupcake liners!

7. Bake in the oven at 350F for 40 minutes, until golden on top and firm but still bouncy! If you have done some cupcakes too, remove them after 20 mins or so.

8. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda