Our recipes
Seasonal sweetness
A treat for any time! As a starter or dessert:
Melon and watermelon salad
Ingredients: pink melon (brodé type), white melon (blanco type). yellow melon (Galia type), watermelon
Recipe:
As a starter:
Olive oil (1 tbsp. per person) and pepper
Mint
Lemon, yellow or lime
As a dessert:
Mint herbal tea 1.5 dl
Vanilla pod
1 sheet of gelatine or agar agar
Equipment: large deep dish, ice cream scoop, small scoop cutter, pastry brush
Preparation:
Appetiser:
Cut the melons and watermelon in half and remove the seeds.
In a bowl, add the oil, pepper and lemon juice, then mix well.
Make balls of different sizes and colors and place them in the deep dish.
Using a pastry brush, brush the balls with a little sauce and add more balls on top.
Arrange the colorful balls of different sizes into a dome shape.
Sprinkle with chopped mint and leaves, chill for 2 hours and enjoy cold as an appetiser!
Dessert:
For a dessert version, replace the olive oil and pepper with hot mint tea infused with a split vanilla pod, with the seeds removed. Add a sheet of gelatine or agar agar, melt in the hot herbal tea and leave to cool. Gently pour the warm herbal tea over the dome of melon balls.
Decorate with mint leaves, chill for 4 hours and enjoy cold as a dessert!
Enjoy!
Recipe suggested by Irène Rolfo, nutrition manager and dietician HES-SO at Novae, for a refreshing and tasty summer.
Sweet recipes with no added sugar
A little sweetness with no added sugar?
Vegan Cake
Ingredients: 150g soy milk, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 250g T55 flour, 250g fruit compote, 1 sachet of baking powder, 120g olive oil, 1 pinch salt, 100g raisins, ½ vanilla pod.
Recipe: 1) Combine soy milk and cider vinegar. 2) Add compote, raisins and seeds from half a vanilla pod. 3) Sift the flour and baking powder, then add to the mixture without overworking the mixture. 4) Add olive oil and salt 5) Pour the batter into a baking tin and bake for 45 min at gas mark 6.
Store at room temperature
Enjoy!
Recipe by Valerian Gérondal, Chef at Novae Restauration
Snacks with no added sugar?
Energy balls
Ingredients: 320g dates, 100g almonds, 145g shredded coconut, 3 tablespoons bitter cocoa.
Recipe: 1) Blend the pitted dates with the crushed almonds and 90g of shredded coconut. 2) While blending, add the bitter cocoa. 3) Shape the mixture into 2 cm-diameter balls using your hands. 4) Roll the balls in the remaining shredded coconut to coat.
Keeps up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator
Enjoy!
Recipe by Valerian Gérondal, Chef at Novae Restauration
Cereal bars with little added sugar
These homemade cereal bars contain a total of 30 grams of added sugar (honey), or 3 grams per bar if you make 10.
Ingredients:
200g rolled oats
50g flax seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g slivered almonds
50g shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 heaped teaspoons of honey
The steps :
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- In a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds and shredded coconut.
- Melt the coconut oil and honey in a saucepan over low heat.
- Pour this liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to a rectangular mold lined with parchment paper, and press firmly to form an even layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
These homemade cereal bars are an excellent alternative to industrial bars full of added sugar. You can personalise the recipe by adding other ingredients such as dried fruit or cinnamon.
It’s aperitif season!
It’s apéro Thursday!
How about an aperitif with little or no sugar?
Step one: drinks! That’s right, that’s where a lot of the added sugars are lurking.
Here are a few easy and fun ideas:
Drinks
- Infused water: add a sprig of fresh mint to your bottle of water (or a squeeze of lemon juice, chopped fruit, slices of cucumber – let your imagination run wild).
- At the bistro, take a look at the menu! More and more places are offering homemade lemonades and cold teas with less sugar.
- For a version with alcohol : wine and beer generally contain little or no added sugar (which doesn’t mean there aren’t any empty calories and that you should overindulge). And for a less sweet cocktail, why not try lemon juice with sparkling water instead of soda or fruit juice?
Food
- Goat’s cheese and fresh fruit toast : spread a layer of goat’s cheese on slices of toasted wholemeal bread, then add your seasonal fruit. Finish with a pinch of ground black pepper.
- Vegetable sticks with Greek yoghurt dip: mix Greek yoghurt with lemon juice, minced garlic and fresh herbs such as parsley or mint.
- Homemade vegetable chips: cut vegetables such as beet, carrots or zucchinis into thin slices. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until crisp.
Fruit yogurt
My tasty fresh fruit yogurt
Instead of buying sugar-laden fruit yogurt, why not make a tasty instant version with little or no added sugar?
Simply take a plain yogurt and add a spoonful of fruit compote with no added sugar, or simply chopped pieces of fresh fruit. And for an extra delicious touch, sprinkle with a little ground hazelnut, for example. A delicious treat for every occasion: breakfast, dessert, snack…
Ingredients
- Plain yogurt
- Fruit compote (optional)
- Fresh fruit
Strawberry, pistachio and mint stirred yoghurt
Preparation
Stir the yogurt with a whisk, adding a tablespoon of milk if necessary. Chill in a cool place.
Rinse the strawberries gently and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside 4 small strawberries with their stems. Carefully remove the stems from the remaining strawberries and cut into quarters. Place in a bowl.
Squeeze 1/2 orange and pour over the strawberries.
Wash the mint, setting aside a few nice leaves for decoration. and slice the rest.
Finely chop the pistachios or pulse them in a food processor. Add half to the strawberry mixture along with the sliced mint. Chill for 2 hours.
Assembly
Place a heaping tablespoon of stirred yogurt mixture in the bottom of the glasses, then alternate with a layer of strawberry mixture and finish with a layer of stirred yogurt.
Sprinkle each glass with a pinch of chopped pistachios, a strawberry and a mint leaf.
Enjoy well chilled.
Can also be made with other seasonal fruits, walnuts or crushed almonds.
Plain yogurt can be flavoured with lavender (place in a tea ball) or a stick of vanilla, chopped lengthwise. In this case, leave the mint out of the strawberries, to avoid mixing too many different flavours. Let the yogurt infuse for 4 hours in the fridge, stirring regularly.
Ingredients for 2 people
- 250 g of strawberries
- 300 g plain yogurt
- 30 g of pistachios, whole or already crushed (available in supermarkets).
- 3 sprigs of mint
- 1/2 orange
Strawberry tart recipe
Ingredients: For the shortcrust pastry: 200 g of flour, 100 g of butter, ½ tsp of salt, approx. 1.5 dl of water (or already rolled-out shortcrust pastry), 1 jar of baking beads or 500 g of dried beans (for baking the pastry), 750 g of strawberries.
Prepare the dough : 1) Mix the flour and salt. Add butter, work until sandy, then form a well. 2) Pour in water, gather into a ball without kneading. 3) Spread between two sheets of parchment paper, flatten slightly, roll out with a rolling pin to fit the size of the baking sheet.
Plan B: use pre-rolled shortcrust pastry
Prepare the tart base: Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Roll out the pastry on the baking sheet, trim any excess paper and pastry with scissors, prick the base with a fork and add baking beads or beans on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, empty out the baking beads or beans and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the tart base is golden brown.
Prepare the strawberry tart: wash the strawberries, hull them and cut into pieces. Select the ripest and least presentable ones (approx. 200 g) and gently cook in a saucepan with 1 dl water, then blend. Spread the strawberries over the pastry and top with the strawberry coulis.
Your homemade lemon iced tea with less added sugar
- Boil the water, add the tea bags and leave to infuse for 5 minutes before removing them.
- Add lemon juice.
- (Optional: Add a spoonful of honey if desired).
- Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 litre of water
- 2 black tea bags
- 1 lemon
- Optional: ice cubes
- 1 spoonful of sugar or honey
Simple, practical meals
The trick to quick weekday meals: MEAL PREP!
The quick and easy “homemade” way to reduce my intake of added sugars.
How does it work?
For example, I prepare a “base”, such as quinoa, millet or buckwheat, different toppings such as grilled or shredded vegetables, and pair it with a protein such as chicken or lentils. I store everything in separate containers and assemble them for lunch or dinner.
Quinoa salad: Cook a large quantity of quinoa and prepare various toppings such as roasted vegetables, nuts, dried fruit and herbs. Store in separate containers and assemble your salad for lunch, dinner or in a container to take with you.
Lentil curry: Cook a large quantity of lentils and prepare a sauce based on tomatoes, coconut milk and spices. Store in separate containers and reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan.
Mason jar salads: Place your salad ingredients (e.g. beet salad, quinoa, salad seed mix, cooked zucchini, depending on what’s in your fridge) in a layered Mason jar and seal. You can prepare several jars for the coming week. A Mason jar is a jar with a closure that prevents the liquid from spilling out. Since it’s made of glass, you can see the layers and it’s pretty! But a regular container can also do the trick.
Vegetable curry: Prepare couscous according to the recipe on the packet. Chop seasonal vegetables with curry powder and sauté in a little oil, adding cooked chickpeas towards the end of cooking. Store in the fridge and use in individual portions for weekly meals.
Wraps and sandwiches: Prepare ingredients for wraps or sandwiches, such as chopped vegetables, cheeses, cold meats and condiments. Then simply assemble them for the meal.
Recipes developed by the GHOL kitchen and students from the Geneva School of Health, Nutrition and Dietetics Department.
Tips
The trick to eating less sugar
It’s good for morale, especially if it’s local!
An Australian study shows that foods that are “non-essential” to our diet (such as sweets and soft drinks), or ultra-processed foods, are the least good for our environment.
Why is this? Because of the cardboard and plastic packaging they come in, because these products are sometimes imported from far away, and because they are industrially manufactured and consume a lot of energy.
The solution? Cooking at home, with fresh, local, seasonal produce. If I don’t have time to cook, I can also buy Swiss products to reduce transport impact.
I can cook simple and very quick dishes and pastries using local ingredients, so I can enjoy myself and do something good for the planet while knowing how much sugar is on my plate.
Find out more information and advice on healthy eating on the Planète santé website
The trick to limiting snacking
What can I do about nibbling?
Snacking acts as a buffer between us and our feelings. Ironically, when we are faced with a stress factor, the body often shuts down the sensation of appetite. However, if stress persists, eating triggers can begin to appear.
The first thing to do is to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. To do this, I can take the time to understand my emotions and the times when I eat without being hungry.
What to do in the moment:
The first step is to reduce stress. Exercise, meditation and activity are all excellent ways of doing this. For example, I can go out for a while, get some fresh air and go for a walk.
Other anti-snacking tips :
- Eat a balanced diet to cover your body’s needs and ensure a healthy microbiota. This reduces sweet cravings and hunger signals.
- Give importance to sleep.
- Make time for relaxation breaks (learn to relax without eating).
Dietician Marie Marchand helps us better understand our habits and find simple, affordable tools to change them: taking the time to eat and enjoy what we eat.
The trick to a low-sugar breakfast
A bowl of cereal and you’re all set!
However, you might want to opt for savoury foods at breakfast. Sweet foods can cause a rapid spike in your sugar levels, followed by a quick drop, which may leave you craving sugar throughout the day.
Here are some ideas on how to reduce the amount of added sugar in your first meal of the day:
- Limit processed foods
- Gradually reduce the sugar in your tea/coffee
- Make a healthy muesli with rolled oats and mixed seeds
- Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice
- Choose wholemeal bread over white
The advantages of continuing my efforts:
What can encourage me to maintain my good habits?
- It’s more effective than any diet!!! It’s a proven fact that diets don’t help you control your weight. But eating less sugar does!
- A radiant smile: I preserve my teeth and avoid the dreaded dentist chair!
- It’s better than any pseudo detox treatment: my liver thanks me!
- I reduce my risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases
How can I choose foods with less sugar when shopping?
First and foremost, I use the calculator to identify the main sources of my added sugar intake. My little trick of the day: I prepare my shopping list and think about alternatives that would still be enjoyable: fruit, a bag of mixed nuts for my 4 o’clock snack, fruit tea bags to make myself a flavourful drink.
My practical, realistic goal?
See more testimonials on YouTube
A good goal should be practical and realistic for me, so that I can feel the satisfaction of achieving it. It’s important that my goal makes sense to me and is achievable, which means it must be very clear and practical. For example: I can decide to replace my usual midday soda with a bottle of water twice this week, on Tuesday and Thursday. I can also write down my goal, as a commitment to myself.
Q&A
What are the immediate benefits of reducing sugar consumption?
The immediate benefits of cutting back on sugar include improved mood, better focus, fewer cravings and better tasting food.
Other beneficial effects of reducing sugar consumption can be found here
Which age group consumes the most added sugar?
The 18-29 age group consumes the most added sugars.
What contributes most to our consumption of added sugars?
See more testimonials on YouTube
It’s the sugary drinks!
They alone account for 38% of the sugar consumed in Switzerland (the largest sugar intake after sweets, which account for 48%). In comparison, pre-cooked meals account for 1%. On the other hand, their nutritional value is often low, so it’s better to cook at home when I have the time. As for fruit, it’s not counted as added sugar, as it naturally contains sugar and fibre.
Which products contain added sugars?
In both of the first two products. Both contain sugar, but also added sugars in other forms (e.g. concentrated fruit juice, invert sugar syrup).
Find out more about reading labels on the Health Promotion Switzerland factsheet.
Install MAYbe Less Sugar on your home screen for easier access?
To access the MAYbe Less Sugar site and calculator more easily on a daily basis, I can install it as a shortcut on my device’s home screen, just like an app. Just go to the MAYbe Less Sugar site and :
IPHONE: tap the share icon (little arrow pointing upwards), then scroll up to see all the options, select “on home screen”. And that’s it!
ANDROID: tap the share icon (three dots), once the various options have appeared click on “add to page” and finally: home screen. Your shortcut is now installed!
How can you tell which foods contain the most added sugars?
Once I’ve logged in to my profile and selected the foods I’ve eaten on the calculator, I can view my consumption by clicking on the “conso” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
On this page I can find all the selected foods and the amount of sugar they contain. For more details, I can take a look at the Product list and search results at the top of the food list on the calculator.