I know getting your little ones to eat their veggies, especially their green veggies, can sometimes be a chore, so I'm always looking for ways to recreate traditional foods into something not only delicious, but healthy too.
If your child doesn't want to eat his broccoli, or is having a fit over the collards you cooked up, don't stress about it. I'm not a huge fan of cooked collards myself, but I consume them almost daily by pureeing them into other foods. Greens are one of the simplest foods to conceal because they don't alter the taste of the main dish. I always have some mixed greens (kale, spinach, collards, and chard) on hand in the freezer to add in to just about everything.
I don't know what possessed me to try making chocolate ice cream this way, but I am so glad I did. My ice cream maker had been sitting in its box, packed away in the garage, waiting to be sold for over a year now. Jamie and I had received it as a gift years ago and were so excited to have it... Until we used it the first time. It was a pain! We anxiously went to the store to gather up our goodies and ended up spending over $20 just to make one small batch of ice cream that didn't even taste all that great. It was a disaster.
And after all this time, something inside me decided to pull it out, clean it off, and store it in the freezer yesterday so Nya and I could tackle a new experiment today.
This will literally change the way you think of ice cream, health food, and the endless struggle you have every week about your children getting enough nutrients. It has the "fatty" feel of ice cream that yonanas tends to lack, and the taste and texture is spot on to what you would buy at the store. The only difference? You can eat this ice cream every day if you wanted because there's nothing bad about it. With only 4 ingredients, this chocolate ice cream is easy, cheap, healthy, creamy, and almost too good to be true.
What you need:
* 1 can coconut milk (light and full fat work equally well)
1.5 c loosely packed greens
1 c dates
2 Tbsp Raw Cacao
What you do:
1. Check with your ice cream maker. The insert typically needs to be stored in the freezer for 24 hours.
2. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and puree until smooth.
3. Assemble your ice cream maker and use according to instructions. (I had to turn mine on, then pour the batter into it. I let it run on its own for about 10 minutes, until it had hardened considerably).
4. Enjoy as soft served, or scoop into container and store in freezer to harden more.
Enjoy!
Important Notes:
- Don't skip the greens thinking your kids won't eat it. I promise you, they won't be able to tell!
- You do need an ice cream maker for this recipe. If you don't have one, don't fret! You can always pour the "batter" into a silicon or paraffin wrapped dish, and store in the freezer until it hardens. It will take a bit longer but it still works in a pinch!
- You can sub maple syrup, agave, or sugar in place of dates, but try not to. All of them are processed, reducing the quality (if any) of nutrients. You really want to stick to whole foods, so keep the dates!
- Hemp, cashew, walnut, almond, and pecan are all great milk substitutes for coconut; however, be wary of store bought. Most are loaded with added sugars and are highly processed. To make your own, you want to use a slightly different ratio than you would for traditionally making plant milk.
Other ideas to get those greens in:
- DIY Milk - Puree 1 c of greens to 1 c of milk (1/4 c grain or nut: 1 c water + 1 c greens and blend until smooth - add sweeteners if you must!)
- Smoothies & Popsicles - 60% greens to 40% fruit. Add nuts, seeds, and or grains for a more complete meal.
I really hope you give this ice cream a try. Simply because you will be giving your children a treat that is good for them. Share your chocolate ice cream on our Facebook page, Loving Green, or tag it with #LovingGreenBaby.
To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.
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