My big boy is going through a notoriously
picky eating stage, he has gone from being an adventurous devourer of
everything to a selective grazer. I try not to stress out about it, everyone tells
me it is a totally normal stage relating to palate and autonomy but I still get
anxious and worry about nutrition. I swore I would never become one of those
mothers who sneakily find 101 ways to hide spinach in everything but I am
heading in that direction.
One thing that he never turns down is
icecream! As a result I have developed a series of cunning ‘icecream’ recipes
that help give him his 8+ a day. Currently he is avoiding meat and has an
uncanny ability to detect and discard it. Which has led me to worry about his
iron stores, he has a been a bit pale and tired lately and when I checked his
eyelids they were a little pale so I decided to up his Vitamin C and iron
intake. A tricky proposition when he has become bored of citrus fruit and
refuses to eat his greens. As a result I have come up with some delicious
smoothie recipes that become even more delectable icecreams.
To make these you need a blender and an
iceblock mould as well as some popsicle sticks.. oh and a freezer.
Green Martian Pops – rich in vitamin C and
iron
2 kiwifruit
Bunch of parsley
Kale if you have it
1 teaspoon spirulina powder
½ banana
1 teaspoon of manuka honey
Enough water to make it all blend
It’s important for optimum iron absorption
to avoid adding milk or dairy products, I punched up the iron value by adding
some floradix and the kiwifruit which is rich in vitamin C helps to absorb the
maximum amount of iron. The banana helps make everything creamy and the honey
makes it more palatable as well as making the ice crystals smaller. Sugar
inhibits freezing which makes the end result easier to eat. A lot of people
worry about savoury greens going into a sweet icecream but it’s amazing how
well they mix in and how yummy they taste.
Coconut Yummies – a neat way of getting
healthy fats in
1 can coconut cream
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 whole banana
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon manuka honey
8 fish oil capsules or 2 teaspoons of fish
oil
½ can mango slices or one whole fresh mango
(optional)
These sound a little revolting but something
about the coconut cream, banana and cinnamon manages to emulsify and obscure
the fish oil. Fish oil is great for little brains and this is a handy way of
getting a dose in. The fish oil I get is tested for mercury and includes
Vitamin D so is a fabulous immune booster in the winter months. Cinnamon is a
great blood sugar regulator as well. If you have a child with gut issues then
this is a great smoothie recipe to incorporate slippery elm which helps to line
and protect the GIT
Real Fake Jellytip – my son loves these
because they taste kinda like jellytip but oh so much better for you. Rich in
vitamin C!
3 handfuls of frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon of honey
½ cup beetroot juice
2 juiced oranges
Zest and juice of one lime
I use this mix to make red ‘tips’ on other
flavours. It’s a great way of bringing back a waning interest in other icecream flavours. It is a tangy
delicious combo that I find hard to resist myself.
Tummy bug pops – gentle on sore tums and
great for rehydrating along with fluids
1 can green coconut water (not to be
confused with coconut milk)
1 banana
1 handful of blueberries
1 teaspoon squeezed juice from some grated
ginger
Ginger helps with nausea and green coconut
water is ideal for rehydrating because of its similarity to blood plasma. Green
coconut water is brownish coloured, and not at all creamy, it also tastes a bit
like arse but made into a smoothie it’s much more palatable. Banana is gentle
on the tummy and helps with tender bellies, it is part of the B.R.A.T diet and
suitable for reintroducing solid foods after a bout of the guts. Blueberries
are a powerful antioxidant as well as a good source of potassium which is essential
when rehydrating. These are great to make up and then have in the bottom of the
freezer for cases of dire rear.
Chocsicles – a probiotic powerhouse
1 banana
1 avocado
½ cup kefir or yoghurt
1 heaping teaspoon raw cacao
1 teaspoon manuka honey
1 tablespoon probiotic powder suitable forchildren
Probiotics are great at preventing
illnesses and restoring balance, fabulous for taking after a course of antibiotics.
Freezing probiotic foods don’t kill all of the probiotics – simply slow them
down. There is a bigger benefit of simply feeding the smoothie but iceblocks
are a really handy way of doing it.
These recipes are all just ideas, of course
there are thousands of variations you can use. I often make up smoothies with
whatever is going and freeze them up in batches. Changing the colours and
flavours on a regular basis keeps him interested. These iceblocks are usually
served for dessert and in the bath! Sometimes they become impromptu wall
crayons but most of the time they are devoured with glee.
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