This is part of a four-week series on the Metabolic Quartet, the four things I check first in every Root Cause appointment. They tend to move together, so this month we’re taking them one at a time. First up: blood sugar.

A frozen sharing tray built from whole foods: mashed banana, Greek yoghurt, strawberries and dark chocolate. A perfect bite of sweetness for after a meal and ideal on hot summer days. Eat straight from the freezer, like a fruit ice lolly with a chocolate shell.

Method

  1. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Mash the bananas well with a fork, then spread them evenly over the tray in a layer about 1cm thick.
  3. Freeze for 10 minutes, until just firm to the touch. This stops the next layer sinking in.
  4. Mix the Greek yoghurt with the vanilla extract and spread evenly over the cold banana layer.
  5. Arrange the sliced strawberries over the yoghurt layer.
  6. Melt the dark chocolate and spread it over the strawberries, right to the edges.
  7. Scatter over your chosen toppings while the chocolate is still wet, so they stick.
  8. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until completely solid, before breaking or slicing into pieces.

Keeps in the freezer for up to 6 weeks in an airtight container or bag. Let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

Why this works

This keeps fruit to a small portion and adds in protein and fat to help minimise any blood sugar spike. For some women, having a small bite such as this after dinner helps them close their eating window for the day, stopping eating earlier and reducing snacking on processed foods.

Approx. per piece (cut into 20, toppings not included): 68kcal, 1.0g protein, 3.6g fat, 8.1g carbs, 1.1g fibre. Figures calculated using McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID); values are approximate and will vary with exact ingredient quantities and brands used.

It’s still a sweet treat. Contains dairy, and peanuts if using that topping. Swap the Greek yoghurt for a dairy-free alternative, or leave the peanuts off, as needed.

Illustration of a woman in her kitchen at the start of the day, from the interactive symptom guide
Explore next · Free See where it shows up A day in perimenopause: morning fog, the 3pm crash, the 3am waking, and what's driving each. Explore the symptom guide →

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Next week: visceral fat, the second driver in the Metabolic Quartet, and what it reveals beyond the number on the scales.