Weight gain is something many kids I meet need to work on. But so often, strategies include allergens or other problematic foods that they can’t have: Milk protein (casein), eggs, ice cream, full fat yogurt, cream, Pediasure (that’s milk protein), cane sugar…. What to do?
Shakes, puddings and liquid boost drinks are a great way to do it. Use this hypoallergenic short cut pudding that is full of protein, healthy fats, and some SCD legal carbs and proteins too. Don’t skip the crushed ice in the bottom of your mixing container, it gives a refreshing coolness to the whole recipe!
Cool Vanilla Weight Gain Pudding - Paleo and SCD
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Cool and soothing, not to mention a big hit of easy to digest calories that help rather than hurt healthy gut bacteria. This will yield as much as 500 calories per serving (recipe makes two generous servings) depending on the size of avocado you are using.
Cool and soothing, not to mention a big hit of easy to digest calories that help rather than hurt healthy gut bacteria. This will yield as much as 500 calories per serving (recipe makes two generous servings) depending on the size of avocado you are using.
1scoopcollagen(Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen is my favorite!)
Servings: ~5-6 oz servings
Instructions
Place crushed ice in the bottom of blender or tall quart mixing jar or container (in which case you'll need an immersion blender). Add remaining ingredients on top. Blend all together until smooth and evenly blended into pudding texture.
Spoon into single serving Pyrex cups or bowls. Sprinkle nutmeg on top for garnish and flavor.
If a drinkable version is ideal, add water until thinned to desired degree. This will reduce calories per serving.
Most kids love chocolate, or, at least, chocolate milk. Using an elimination diet doesn’t mean they can’t have something even better. In fact, chocolate – or specifically, cocoa and cacao – are so full of health benefits that keeping them in rotation is a good idea. You can do that, and lose the milk protein allergens, plus the sugary low (no?) value stuff that’s in organic chocolate milk, not to mention any number of processed, GMO ingredient drinks like Muscle Milk, Boost, Ensure, or Pediasure. Yuck.
Go one better. Way better. Use a blender, VitaMix, or any strong and efficient machine to blend this all up. Let your kids experiment with ingredients they like. Cocoa powder tastes great with all sorts of other ingredients, from turmeric root (peeled fresh raw) to sesame tahini or sunflower butter to the old stand by, peanut butter. Use organic unsweetened plain cocoa powder to get the health benefits your kids deserve. Skip the store-bought, sugar-added stuff. You can sweeten to taste with better options! And, even if you’re using a pre-sweetened product like chocolate flavored grass fed collagen peptides to mix with your milk substitute, it will have a better texture if you use a blender rather than try to mix it with a spoon.
If you must buy a dairy and soy free packable version for school lunches, check out these favorites of mine (I have no affiliate relationship with these products. I just like them): Rebbl Chocolate Protein; check other Rebbl flavors here.
Cocoa and Cacao Shake
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Make it as chocolate-y as your kids like. This version is big on fruity, full chocolate flavor. Experiment with all sorts of additions! Pictured here is cocoa with turmeric root and flax.
Make it as chocolate-y as your kids like. This version is big on fruity, full chocolate flavor. Experiment with all sorts of additions! Pictured here is cocoa with turmeric root and flax.
Make this as a creamsicle smoothie to enjoy right away, or freeze in freezer pop forms and enjoy on a hot day. Adjust to your desired of tartness or sweetness. Dairy free, soy free, and still creamier than can be. Full of healthy fats, without any added sugar. Use these BPA free popsicle molds and you’re good to go. For a cute baby size mold, try this one.
Honeydew Lime Creamsicle
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Creamy, nourishing, and lip-smacking lime-y. Give your kids a replenishing alternative to junky corn syrup popsicles or shakes. Tastes best with ripe organic ingredients. Don't use processed coconut milk from a carton like So Delicious - it's the wrong animal for this recipe. Be sure to use a good full fat organic canned coconut milk, unsweetened, and blend it to even consistency before using it, if necessary.
Creamy, nourishing, and lip-smacking lime-y. Give your kids a replenishing alternative to junky corn syrup popsicles or shakes. Tastes best with ripe organic ingredients. Don't use processed coconut milk from a carton like So Delicious - it's the wrong animal for this recipe. Be sure to use a good full fat organic canned coconut milk, unsweetened, and blend it to even consistency before using it, if necessary.
Place crushed ice in bottom of blender, followed by remaining ingredients in order shown above, except the water. Blend til creamy. If this is thicker than you'd like, add water as needed and blend again. Pour into popsicle forms and freeze, or serve immediately as a smoothie or creamy thick treat to eat with a spoon.
If you’ve seen this advertisement clip around Facebook, you know how most kids feel about dark chocolate (click image below to play):
Dark chocolate is a healthy food. It’s rich in minerals (iron, zinc, copper, manganese), antioxidants, heart-healthy flavonoids, fiber, and mood-boosting phytochemicals. But, when you eat it the way most kids like it, loaded with milk and sugar, the health benefits fade:
• Milk proteins appear to bind those good antioxidants, leaving milk chocolate (or sugary chocolate milk) less advantageous. It’s unclear how much other foods eaten with chocolate can do that, but they may to some extent. Of milk proteins, whey may bind fewer antioxidants than casein or beta-lactoglobulin. I use whey in this recipe, but collagen or other protein powders can be used if you like.
• Processed hydrogenated fats or GMO oils (corn, soy) used in making chocolate diminish the health benefits of fats that occur naturally in cacao beans.
• Processing itself (roasting, high heat, alkali treatments) can lower the amounts of beneficial flavonoids. And the lower the total cocoa content, the lower the benefits.
• Most milk chocolate is less than half cocoa; meanwhile, the darker the chocolate, the more bitter it is, and the higher content of flavonols it has.
There is another “dark” side to chocolate. It is a highly phenolic food, so kids who are avoiding food colors, dyes, artificial flavors or phenols in general may not want to go here. Enzyme products like Phenol-Assist or No-Fenol may diminish symptoms (typically, hyperactivity), if eaten with the chocolate. Dark chocolate is also notable for its tyramine content, which may trigger migraines in some. And it’s a high oxalate food, so those following low oxalate diets may want to pass.
But, if you’re imbibing, enjoy the health benefits. For pure benefit, try a 99% Lindt Excellence bar. Or, for kids who don’t like bitter, make this yummy, chocolately, hidden-assets smoothie. Use organic, high quality, unsweetened, pure cocoa powder (not cocoa mix or sweetened milk chocolate powder) for the most nourishing, beneficial version. Sweeten it with stevia drops. Bonus: Blend in raw cacao nibs as a last touch. These unprocessed chocolately bits come from the center of raw cacao beans, retaining all their perks while adding a fun crunch.
Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie, Secretly Health-Packed For Kids
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Chocolatey, creamy, and sweet without sugar. Use a good blender, or cut this recipe in half and use an immersion blender for a large single serving or two kid sized servings. Healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, minerals in this make it a strong snack or starter for before school. The sunflower butter is a hearty addition that fits in nicely while giving creaminess and staying power.
Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie, Secretly Health-Packed For Kids
Print Recipe
Chocolatey, creamy, and sweet without sugar. Use a good blender, or cut this recipe in half and use an immersion blender for a large single serving or two kid sized servings. Healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, minerals in this make it a strong snack or starter for before school. The sunflower butter is a hearty addition that fits in nicely while giving creaminess and staying power.
Place crushed ice in blender first, followed by almond milk, sunflower butter, raspberries, stevia, and dry ingredients. Blend til smooth. Adjust thickness with extra almond milk or water if desired. Pour into cups and garnish each with a raspberry on top, with a few cacao nibs if desired. Blend the nibs in for added crunch.
