Christmas fruit & nut...

Christmas fruit and nut eh? Describes me perfectly!! I adore Christmas... the build up, the music, the movies, socialising with friends, the atmosphere & the smell of Christmas...

You know the smell of Christmas right? My house smells like that right now...

The only part of Christmas that's tough going is the food.. I admit I look at certain Christmas foods and think... "just one won't hurt".. BUT then I think about what's in the mince pie and how damaging it could potentially be to my health, and wonder is it worth it.... Thankfully, I recognise it's not..

If you're following me on Facebook, then you'll have seen my post about how unhealthy store bought fruit and nut mixes can be. You need to read the ingredient list, and make sure you know exactly what you're buying. Dried fruits are often preserved using sulphur dioxide, sugar & vegetable oil with nuts being salted & roasted in palm oil...It'd be a terrible pity to stall your progress just because you didn't realise what you're eating...

So... in keeping with this week's theme of healthy snacks, I've come up with a Christmassy themed fruit & nut mix with no added sugar or oils.. snacks like these will help keep you on track & prevent you feeling like you're missing out on anything...

• 100g nuts (I used almonds & walnuts) 
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• dried cranberries (make your own.. I'll tell you how below)
• 30g raw flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 150d. 

Meanwhile whisk egg white and vanilla until foamy. Toss nuts in the egg mixture. 

Using a draining spoon, drain the excess egg white from the nuts. 

Add spices to a freezer bag and add the nuts. Shake until coated. 

Place on baking tray and bake for 10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Allow to cool, add dried cranberries, coconut flakes and any seeds you like...

Dried cranberries

Ok so we're not buying dried cranberries in the shop anymore. They're full of nasty ingredients, and it turns out that they don't taste as good as the ones you can make at home.. 

• 100g fresh cranberries... (see isn't that a natural ingredient list?) 
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Start by boiling the cranberries in water for 10 minutes, until they have all popped open. 

Remove from the heat & drain the water using a colander. Pat dry with some kitchen paper to remove the excess moisture. 

Spread cranberries on a baking tray, and place in the oven for 30 mins at 150d. 

Toss occasionally to ensure they're drying out evenly.