Does it feel like your children are constantly asking for snacks and treats? I know mine often do… so I like to have some quick healthy options the kids can help me make… without giving them loads of sugar or refined ingredients. These yummy treats are fun and easy to make… plus packed with the good stuff!
I’m really passionate about getting our kids into the kitchen and teaching them all about food, where it comes from and why some foods are fab and some… not so much!
I honestly believe that if we educate our children earlier about food and teach them how to cook for themselves, then we’ll be getting creating a healthier, happier next generation, less reliant on processed or ‘fast’ food and less susceptible to long-term, diet related health complications like Type Two Diabetes.
But enough of the rant… and onto the fun stuff!
I’ve yet to find a child who doesn’t love making treats with their parents or grandparents, so in this blog I’m sharing recipes that keep everyone happy! Your children will love helping you to create these sweet treats. And of course, they are all secretly healthy, so mum and dad can be happy too!
Here are three of my favourite school holiday treats to make with my children and best of all, none of them require cooking, so not a potential heat hazard in sight!
CocoBerry Cheesecake Pots
My kids absolutely love these… and always want more! They’re packed with goodness, antioxidants and no refined sugar. These will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so you can prep in advance.
The top of these delicious treats won’t set – which is why I put it into ramekin dishes. Put some grated dark chocolate or extra berries on top to serve!
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 3 tablespoons of ground almonds
- 4 plain oatcakes (I used Nairns organic rough oatcakes)
- 3 dried apricots or dates
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
For the topping:
- 1 tin of coconut cream (or the thick part from a tin of coconut milk – just scoop it out)
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- 1 handful of frozen mixed berries or blueberries
- 100ml of frozen acai (if you can’t get Acai, just use more berries)
Method
Bash up the oatcakes, and mix with the ground almonds, maple syrup and coconut oil. Finely chop the dried fruit and mix in. Or you can throw it all into a blender or Nutribullet and mix well.
Press the mixture into the bottom of 4 small ramekin dishes.
Put the coconut cream, coconut oil and frozen fruit into a blender or Nutri bullet. Blend well. Spoon on top of the cheesecake base.
Put in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving.
Home-made Strawberry Ice Cream
Possibly every child’s favourite treat. It’s certainly a hit in my home!
Ingredients
- A handful of frozen strawberries
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- A dash of almond milk or coconut milk, or some plain yoghurt or silken tofu for extra creaminess.
Method
Put the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until you get ice-cream consistency – it may jump around a bit initially, but keep going – eventually it will go creamy. It may help to add a little more liquid, and give it a scrape down the sides.
Serve!
Fancy a different flavour? Try frozen raspberries, blueberries or even a frozen banana!
Chocolate Banana Milkshake
This makes great mid-morning or afternoon treat and is a great after school snack too! There’s peanut butter for extra protein and cocoa for iron and magnesium.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 2 x peeled bananas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 dessert spoons of organic peanut butter
- 2 tbsp oats
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1 tsp (up to 1 tbsp depending on how chocolatey you want it) of dark or raw cocoa
- Coconut milk (or normal dairy milk if you prefer)
Method
Simply add all the ingredients to a blender and process!
Like these? Why don’t you check out my Online Children’s Nutrition Programme… 