I'm really trying to switch the fam. to healthy eating. We try hard not to buy anything with bleached/white flour or sugar, hydrogenated oils, margarine & try not to use a lot of butter, nor buy/use anything with artificial flavors, colors or preservatives in it, & the list goes on... Were also trying very hard to eat organic or at least all natural. Well fruit is great for snack, but we're a major sweet tooth family, & like our ice cream, cakes, cookies ect.. & fruit when were craving a sugary treat just doesn't cut it. LoL But, try to find a yummy not stiff as a bored or nasty healthy snack/dessert from the store is very hard, & not only that but I love baking/creating with the kids. So that leads me to my question of, does anybody have any yummy but healthy recipes for snacks/desserts? I tried recently replacing one of my fave. cookie recipes that calls for white flour & sugar with whole wheat flour, & organic unbleached sugar, but wasn't sure how much to use, so I used a bit less than what it called for in white, & the same amount of sugar we ended up throwing it away. :(
Another question, anyone try carrot cake with whole wheat flour or anything not as bad as white flour? I've really been wanting to make carrot cake recently, but after the cookie episode, I'm afraid of the outcome.. Also, the recipes don't have to be for just baked goods.. Any good fruit smoothie recipes or anything that doesn't require cooking/baking would be appreciated too! :) Thank you so much!
Creamy, dreamy yummy popsicles.
Greek Gods Honey Greek Yogurt
Pineapple Coconut Juice
Equal parts. Set your freezer a little colder so they freeze faster and stay smoother.
grapes,blueberries , blackberries , raspberries washed then pour some strawberry jello mix , the powder not with the water added,over them coat them then take some tooth picks , put the berries and grapes on the tooth picks in any order , put them in a ziploc container and freeze them. My kids LOVE these.
banana ice cream...ok this isnt really ice cream but trust me it taste like it. wrap a peeled banana in foil and freeze then simply puree in food processor. you can add a tablespoon of peanut butter or some coco to this too. or buy yoplait orange cream fat free yogurt and put it in popsical molds...it taste like an orange creamsicle. sugar free fudge bars are good if you really need chocolate
frozen fruit for smoothies and 'ice cream' is your best friend. i buy it up like crazy right now while it's so fresh and seasonal and freeze it by the trayful so i've got treats all winter long. bananas are awesome.....let a frozen banana and a cup of frozen bing cherries (or peaches or blueberries or....)thaw slightly and stick 'em in a blender (my blend-tec does it in a trice) and voila! incredible homemade ice cream that's naturally sweet and creamy. if your kids have super sweet tooths you can add a bit of honey or agave.
as for the baked stuff, i'm surprised your treats haven't worked out. i just replace all the white flour and sugar with whole grain flour and organic cane sugar and it's been fine. have you tried spelt flour? delicious and very user-friendly. i know it's frustrating to throw stuff away, but i say don't be scared and keep experimenting! you'll figure out the right combos soon.
you don't need a recipe for fruit smoothies. throw in whatever you've got in the fridge as far as fruit goes (frozen gives the best consistency imo) and add whatever you feel like for liquid. i love raw milk but juices, chocolate rice milk and coconut water are all yummy. add some peanut butter for protein, or if you have a vitamix or blend-tec just add some raw nuts (and veggies if you want to be really healthy and a little sneaky.) play with the amount of liquid to fruit until you get a consistency your family approves.
as for a no-bake treat, chop up some sweet cherries, add crushed peanuts (or any kind of nut), some granola or your favorite cereal. warm some peanut butter with honey until it's thin enough to work with, mix it in with the fruit/nut/cereal combo and form into balls. delish!
khairete
S.
I'm not sure where these recipes rank on the health scale or with the ingredients you are trying to avoid, but you can decide for yourself. Maybe you can figure out how to alter them or be inspired by them. The first one does not require baking.
SSUMMER DAY SALAD
A wonderful sweet salad that tastes like dessert!
Ingredients
1-20 oz can pineapple tidbits
1-11 oz can mandarin oranges
1 small pkg lemon instant pudding
1 cup quartered strawberries
1 cup sliced bananas
Instructions
Drain pineapple and oranges, reserving liquid. Prepare pudding, using liquid from the fruit in place of milk. In a bowl, combine pineapple, oranges and strawberries and gently fold in pudding. Chill for at least 2 hours. Add bananas just before serving. (Makes 8-10 servings.)
ANGEL FOOD MUFFINS
servings: 32
Ingredients:
1 box angel food cake mix (I used Betty Crocker 1-Step Angel Food Cake Mix)
1 20 oz. can crushed pineaple in its own juice
Instructions:
Mix the angel food cake mix and 20 oz. crushed pineapple and juice. (Do not add water as indicated on the cake mix box.) Beat by hand or with electric mixer. (I mixed it by hand until the cake mix was wet. It was very fluffy and airy.) Pour into individual cup cake liners - 7/8 full as the cake will expand while baking. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.
Alternate Ideas:
Bake in loaf pans or angel food tube pan according to directions on cake mix box.
Add coconut extract for a pina colada muffin.
ZUCCHINI BREAD/MUFFINS
Beat: 3 eggs
1 c. applesauce
2 t. vanilla
2 c. sugar
Add: 2 c. finely chopped zucchini
1 c. finely chopped sweet potatoes
1 c. finely chopped carrots
Sift: 3 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. nutmeg
Optional: 1 c. raisins
1 c. nuts
For bread: bake @ 350 for 40-45 minutes, makes 2-3 loaves
For muffins: bake @ 350 for 16 minutes, makes 30-36 muffins
Last year on the Lifetime network they had a show 'Cook Yourself Thin'. Their desert recipes looked really good. I haven't made them yet, since they're still sitting under my favorites tab.
Chiquitabananas.com has a no bake banana cookie. Haven't tried that yet either...bananas don't last long in my house.
We love fruit smoothies, but mostly do everything by looks. We use yogurt, apple juice, orange juice or milk to bind everything. Here's a general idea: 1 banana, 2 cups frozen mixed berries (any berry/berri es), 1 cup vanilla or berry yogurt, 2-3 tablespoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon honey. I also freeze cup up bananas sometimes just to make sure we have a banana.
Yogurt with granola, frozen blueberries, and frozen grapes are my boys favorites. My husband and I like home-popped popcorn. We add sugar to make kettle corn.
Hope you get some great ideas. Have fun experimenting. When you find a family favorite, keep it in a binder for future use.
We have recipes for smoothies and muffins and cookies and cupcakes that use whole-grain oat flour on our allergy-friendly blog. The address is www.welcomingkitchen.blogspot.com.
For all baked good that require baking soda as leveling you can use the same amount of whole wheat pastry flour instead, and the result is a good cookie or muffin or even a cake.
Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream
Serves: 8
Yields: 1 quart, 8 servings, 1/2 cup each
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon(s) water
3 cup(s) low-fat milk, divided
3 large egg yolks
1 can(s) (14-ounce) nonfat sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounce(s) chopped unsweetened chocolate
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Directions
1.Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand, stirring once or twice, while you make the base for the ice cream.
2.Pour 1 1/2 cups milk into a large saucepan. Add cocoa and chocolate to the milk.
3.Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until steaming. Whisk egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking until blended. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the back of the spoon is lightly coated, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not bring to a boil or the custard will curdle.
4.Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large bowl. Add the softened gelatin and whisk until melted. Whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
5.Whisk the ice cream mixture and pour into the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. If necessary, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving.
Calories 224 per 1/2 cup serving
Exchanges: 1 low-fat milk, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (other), 1 fat. Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2. Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (26% daily value), Magnesium (17% dv), Potassium (16% dv).
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Tips & Techniques
Tip: Jazz up homemade ice cream with stir-ins, like crumbled cookies, toasted nuts, or chopped fruit. Here are few tips to get you started:
1) Stir-ins should be small, about the size of a pea.
2) Cool toasted ingredients completely before adding them to the ice cream maker.
3) Check your ice cream maker's instructions when it comes to judging the volume of your stir-ins. In general, we recommend 1 cup of stir-ins per quart of ice cream.
4) Add stir-ins to the ice cream maker during the last 5 minutes of freezing.
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Avocado Ice Cream
Serves: 8
Yields: 4 cups, for 8 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup(s) avocado puree (see Tips & Techniques), from about 3 ripe large avocados
1 1/2 cup(s) water
1 1/3 cup(s) sugar
1/4 cup(s) lime juice
1/3 cup(s) tequila
Lime zest for garnish
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Directions
1.After making avocado puree, add water, sugar, lime juice, and tequila to the food processor with 1 1/2 cups of the puree; pulse until well combined. Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour or overnight.
2.Transfer the avocado mixture to the canister of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. If desired, place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up before serving. Garnish with lime zest, if desired.
Calories 224 per 1/2 cup serving
Exchanges: 2 1/2 other carbohydrates, 1 fat. Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2.
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Tips & Techniques
Tip: To make avocado puree, peel and pit 3 ripe large avocados and process in a food processor until smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups for the ice cream. Reserve any extra for another use.
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Bold Berry Granita
Serves 10 1/2 cup servings
Ingredients
1 cup(s) water
1/2 cup(s) sugar
1 lemon (up to 2)
1 pound(s) strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 cup(s) raspberries
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Directions
1.Make sugar syrup: In 2-quart saucepan, heat water and sugar to boiling on high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, from lemon(s), grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/4 cup juice. In food processor with knife blade attached, blend strawberries and raspberries until pureed. With back of spoon, press puree through sieve into medium bowl; discard seeds.
3.Stir sugar syrup and lemon juice and peel into berry puree. Pour into 9" by 9" metal baking pan.
4.Cover and freeze mixture 2 hours or until frozen around edges. With fork, scrape ice at edges into center. Cover and freeze until completely frozen, at least 3 hours or overnight.
5.To serve, let granita stand at room temperature 15 minutes or until slightly softened. With fork, scrape across surface of granita to form ice shards and spoon into chilled wine goblets or dessert bowls. Serve immediately. Makes about 5 cups.
60 Calories per 1/2 cup serving
I discovered this blog and I'm totally hooked. In fact, the mom who created it, a chef, may get her own cooking show through Oprah. Check it out; I've made many of her recipes so far and my family loves them
