A healthy indulgence

Posted on 22 November, 2018

Once upon a time, the dream dessert was one smothered in peanut butter, filled with Nutella, and—ideally—topped with some variety of baked good.

Decadence was the name of the game, and any concerns for our health were placed on the back burner while we searched for something that provided maximum pleasure to our taste buds, eyes, and Instagram feeds.

Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way. Many of us “quit sugar”, gave up gluten or dairy, and have become much more in tune with what makes our bodies feel good – or perhaps more importantly, not so good.

Since opening late last year, Bitten Goodfoods have cemented their status as a healthy foodie favourite in Canberra. Part supermarket, part café, they specialise in organic, functional food that tastes as good as it will make you feel. They’ve recently refreshed their menu, including a range of healthy desserts that allow people to treat themselves to desserts without the side effects that some experience from potentially inflammatory ingredients including processed sugar, dairy, and gluten.

“I asked myself, ‘how can I create desserts that are going to cause the least disruption to my body’s ability to function at its prime?’” says Alex Howes, co-owner and founder of Bitten.

In addition to being made from nutrient-dense ingredients where possible, the flavours are so intense that you don’t need a huge serving to feel satisfied.

“I think it’s about reducing the toll on your body as much as possible while still indulging—and portion size is part of that. There’s also no dairy, there’s no gluten in any of them, they’re all vegan, and all paleo save for the Hemp Forest.”

Alex adds that too often, eating in a way that’s reflective of health concerns can be a socially isolating experience.

“If people are vegan, dairy free, gluten free, or whatever the case may be, they might feel like they’re limited in where they can eat with their friends.”

For Alex, food has always been an experience to share with loved ones. Her and John’s shared love of food formed the basis of the menu, particularly the desserts.

“We have quite different tastes, so I designed what I thought he would want on his birthday if I made him dessert, and what I would want given to me on my birthday.”

Alex says her favourite dessert is the Cold-pressed coffee ice cream biscuit. As with all desserts on the menu, the flavours are inspired by memories from her childhood, as well as experiences from her travels.

“I wanted to make a healthier, coffee version of a Gaytime, which was one of my go-to treats growing up” says Alex. “We take Knox and Aya cold pressed Arabica ice cream and roll in in our house made coconut caramel, and then we roll that in our house made golden cookie crumbs.”

The golden cookie features heavily in the dessert menu, and for good reason. They practically fly off the display shelves, and having sampled them first-hand I can testify to their deliciousness.

For John, Alex created the Hemp Forest: a hemp brownie with vanilla coconut ice cream, sour cherries, maca crumble, and chocolate sauce.

“It’s a cheeky name, but it’s a nod to a traditional Black Forest cake. I wanted to play on that with hemp, which makes it earthier and a little less sweet.”

The hemp brownie is a mix of hemp seeds and hemp protein, combined with a brownie mix by local brand Love Life and Gluten Free.

“They do an activated buckwheat brownie mix which is delicious—I don’t even like brownies, and I like Angie’s” laughs Alex.

As with every dessert on the menu, the dish is created from products sold in-store.

“We wanted to inspire people to get creative with the products, and showcase the products that we stock.”

Other treats include the Lemonworld, featuring lemon coconut cookie dough, vanilla coconut ice-cream, mixed berries, macadamias and golden cookie crumbs, or the Salted caramel cookie sandwich, which sees salted caramel ice cream smooshed between two golden cookies and topped with caramel sauce and black salt.

Bitten have also incorporated a range of healthy affogatos to satisfy your sweet tooth.

“The Black Magic Woman is my favourite,” says Alex, “with blood orange and ginger.  Ginger is one of my all-time favourite foods, with heaps of health benefits: it’s anti-inflammatory, good for the gut, good for digestion, and it’s delicious. The Cherry pie is amazing too, it’s a cherry beetroot hot chocolate, so the sweetness if coming from both a fruit and a vegetable, balanced with the dark chocolate.”

Bitten Goodfoods is open until 8pm Monday to Friday, 6pm Saturday and 5pm Sunday, so it’s the perfect spot to grab a sweet treat of an evening or on the weekend.

“In the summer months, people can sit outside in the afternoons on the weekend, or on a summer’s night on their way home from work or a dinner date” says Alex.

To celebrate their first birthday, Bitten Goodfoods are inviting you to join them for freebies, events and good times – check out their event page for the full line up and details. 

the essentials

What: Bitten Goodfoods
Where: Unit G17, Palko Building, 27 Lonsdale Street, Braddon
When: Open Monday – Friday from 7am – 8pm, Saturday 8am – 6pm, and Sunday 9am – 5pm.
Website: bittengoodfoods.com

Photography by Lean Timms, styling by Alex Howes.