Thrive92017

THRIVE 43

C h o c o l a t e S e m o l i n a P o r r i

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The Healing Nature of

Edible Flowers and the Easy

Switch to Natural Sweeteners

berLiN. katja meier

health nut and trained dietitian with

a passion for plant-based nutrition

instagRam: @healthnut_berlin

something

New To Try

It’s definitely edible flowers. They are not only a beautiful
decoration, they are healthy too. Most of them contain
Vitamin C, and some flowers also contain Vitamin D, like
pumpkin flowers, or even Vitamin E, like rose petals, and
lavender contains Vitamin A. They also contain minerals, like
potassium, iron and even calcium. But the most exciting
compounds in flowers are phytochemicals like flavonoids,
which are responsible for the vibrant color and antioxidants.
These compounds are able to fight cancer and to prolong
our lives. If you want to use flowers, make sure they are
really edible (for example, primula obconica is noxious,
whereas primula vulgaris is edible) and buy organic
plants or use flowers that you grow in your garden.
Usually I don’t eat whole blossoms, but only petals.
Whenever I use whole blooms for decorating,
I dry them off afterwards and use the
dried petals as an ingredient.

Underused

Ingredients

We should tRy

Try natural food colorings and natural sweeteners.

They’re an affordable way to make our food more

appetizing and healthier. When preparing porridge,

I often use baked sweet potato (orange and purple

ones) or baked beet to bring in some color. They are

already sweet, so it’s not necessary to add any

additional sweetener. I also use mashed banana

or shredded apples as a natural sweetener

both in porridge and overnight oats. Soaking

overnight oats in rice milk saves sugar too,

because rice milk is sweet by nature.

ingRedients

1 cup plant-based milk

1 tsp coconut cream (optional)

1 heaping tsp low fat cocoa powder

1 dash cinnamon

3 tbsp semolina

1 tsp raw cane sugar

1 tsp maple syrup

Edible flowers

method

In a small saucepan, mix plant-based

milk, coconut cream, raw cane sugar,

maple syrup and cinnamon, and

whisk in cocoa. Bring to a boil and

whisk in semolina. Simmer on low

heat, stirring constantly, until all the

plant-based milk is absorbed. Transfer

to a bowl and top with your favorite

toppings. I love to eat semolina

porridge with fresh or frozen berries,

oranges, banana slices and Cape

gooseberries. Decorate with edible

flowers, like primula vulgaris.