Vegan Comfort Foods

With many long, chilly nights ahead of us, it can be tempting to tuck into high-carbohydrate comfort foods to ease the mid-year doldrums. While these cozy eats may please our taste buds, they can be less than kind to our bodies, causing weight gain, blood sugar spikes and reduced energy. The glycaemic index (GI) scale measures foods on a level of 1 to 100 in terms of how quickly they raise blood glucose levels. Slow-digesting carbohydrates, such as beans, vegetables and whole grains, are low-glycaemic (low-GI), creating stabilised blood sugar for optimal energy. Eating a predominately low-GI diet is paramount for diabetics or those with blood sugar instability issues. Furthermore, a low-GI diet has been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels for a healthy heart. With a few simple ingredient switches, traditionally high-GI comfort foods are made meatless, nutrient-rich and low-GI, while still delivering the flavours and textures you crave. Whip up these hearty, healthy, energising vegan meals, and blow away those winter blues.