Curbing the Crunch Craving

Sometimes we crave a cookie or cracker and aren’t satisfied until we get that crunch. We try and substitute with cucumber and celery but it just isn’t the same. Instead of sabotaging your diet or being unsatisfied we have some Dukan friendly recipes that you can grab guilt-free when the craving strikes.

#1 Rhubarb Bars – These bars are super easy and a great substitute for your favorite granola bar.

Ingredients: Baking powder 1 tsp; Cinnamon 1/2 tsp (optional); Eggs 2; Oat bran 1/2 cup; Rhubarb 3 cups (chopped into 1cm chunks); Splenda 1 cup; Vanilla extract 1 tsp;

Heat your oven to 350F.

Chop the rhubarb into even 1cm chunks. Beat eggs, Splenda and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth and creamy in consistency.

Add the oatbran, baking powder, and cinnamon (if using) and fold together ensuring all dry ingredients have been well incorporated, and moistened.

Fold in the chopped rhubarb and mix gently until evenly distributed.

Line a slice tin with baking paper, and spray it lightly with oil. Add the rhubarb mixture and gently spread the mixture out to the edges of the tin. Push the rhubarb down with a spatula to ensure there is only one layer of pieces (otherwise it will not cook evenly).

Cook for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out of the middle of the slice clean.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the tin and leave to continue cooling – slice into bars when completely cool.

#2 Meat Crisps – Say goodbye to fattening potato chips and hello to protein.

Chicken breasts 5 slices; Ham (lean) 5 slices; Turkey breast 5 slices;

Preheat the oven to 395F.

Take some low fat ham, turkey breast & chicken breast slices (less than 5 percent fat) and lay out on a grill. You can experiment with different flavors.

Once the oven is hot put the grill inside and let it cook for about 7 minutes.

When the time is up turn the slices to over and put back into the oven.

When properly crisp you can break them into smaller pieces and munch on instead of regular crisps!

#3 Crispy Almond Biscuits – Never underestimate the superfood power of almonds. They can be used to satisfy all your cravings and are an amazing source of nutrition

Almond 7, chopped; Almond flavoring to taste; Cornstarch 14 teaspoons; Egg yolks 10, hard boiled; Eggs 3; Oat bran 21 table spoons; Paraffin Oil 50ml; Sweetener 10 tablespoons; Wheat Bran 7 tablespoons;

Mix all the bran, cornstarch and sweetener in a bowl.

Grate the hardboiled egg yolks over the contents of the bowl.

Add the whole eggs and mix in the paraffin oil and almond flavoring.

Spread baking paper on a tray. Lay out the dough in tea spoon sized balls.

Once done flatten each piece into a biscuit shape.

Optionally crunch the almonds into small pieces and sprinkle over the biscuits for decoration.

Heat the oven to 395F and bake until nice and golden.

Once done separate into daily portions (daily oat bran limit).