Banana Ice Cream

So I found this recipe through a friend for banana ice cream and it turned out really well. I don't let my boys have a ton of sweets so this satisfies the "ice cream" craving with none of the sugar or added ingredients that are normally found in "Ice cream". That is because it is not really ice cream... it just turns into an ice cream consistency. It has been kid tested in my house and the toddler did a happy dance while he ate it and the big preschooler told me that he "loved banana ice cream".

Banana Ice Cream (2 servings) (this is what my recipe is based on... credit where credit is due and all)
2 Frozen Bananas (110 cals/pc)
Coconut milk (100 cals)
and various other fillers (peanut butter, avocado (calories... nom nom), honey

Total Cals: 160+ added fillers/per serving

I froze the bananas in their peel so they wouldn't turn brown. If you do this, you will need to let them defrost for about 10 minutes before they can be peeled.

Freeze your bananas, put chunks of frozen bananas into the blender, add coconut milk (or whatever thinner you'd like, or no thinner), and blend blend blend.
Like magic your frozen bananas will turn into a treat that is ice cream consistency. Once you get it a good consistency add whatever else you would like to it. And that is it! So easy and it really does meet the ice cream standards of my children (not guaranteeing this result, just reporting my results!). 

I do not like bananas and did not try this myself but I felt good giving my kids this treat. Let me know if you try it and how your children like it!

It is all about the fat

Really, my life is consumed by fat. Not because I like focusing on every morsel of food that goes into my kids mouth but because that is what life has been forcing me into lately. Near 16 mos old and still not 18 lbs. That is my Slobber Rocket. A peanut.  I keep taking him for weight checks and doctors keep telling me he is too small and to put him on sugar laced nutrition drinks and take him off of wonderful fattening breast milk (minus the sugar and side effects and health effects that go with too much). So in an effort to keep my otherwise healthy child off of these nutrition drinks (please, if your child had a known medical condition and can not otherwise gain weight, use these drinks per your doctors instructions... I just don't think they should be a first choice for a child whom doctors believe to be generally healthy). The babe does have some sensory problems with food so I also don't want to replace eaten calories with liquid calories if I don't have to since he desperately needs to be learning to eat a wide array of solids. So, I am diving into a world of healthy fats to add calories to his diet. And lucky you! I am going to be posting some of my favorite recipes here and there that I am using with him. These are also good if your child maybe has just had a very slim eating day and you just don't feel like they have gotten enough. Both Avocado and Coconut milk have a wide array of health benefits!

YoBaby Yogurt and Avocado
1 container of YoBaby yogurt/ or other whole milk yogurt (110 calories)
1/2 avocado (about 135 cals)

You can dice the avocado and put it in the yogurt. Your baby will probably gobble it up. My toddler, however, has some mega texture issues so I put them in the blender and make it completely smooth, thickening as he tolerates. close to 250 calories for a snack... not bad.

Oatmeal made with coconut milk
1 packet or serving of oatmeal (160 cals for what I generally use)
1/3 cup of coconut milk (184ish cals)
1/4 cup milk to thin it... coconut milk is VERY thick (31 cals)

I just add it together and nuke it. If it seems to thick I add milk. You can add other thinners such as water but my goal is to get calories into the little guy with as little sugar as possible. This dish packs a whopping 375 calories per bowl. Slobber Rocket seems to really enjoy it too. He can't eat a whole bowl but neither could I if I tried. If your kid has a nut allergy you may want to be aware that the FDA classifies this as a tree nut so please use caution!



If you have other recipes, feel free to share them. I will post up more ideas as I get them.