Cool & Natural Sweet Treats

We had a scorcher the other day here in Los Angeles, 110 in some areas!   

Lots of people use the high temps as a reason to head straight to one of the many yogurt shops to cool down with something frosty to eat, kids in tow…

While I, too, have fond memories of the few occasions that my parents took us out for ice cream (few because being a true hippie mother, my mom wasn’t that keen on letting her daughter have sugar, hardly ever!),  the idea of having it now as an adult, and as a meal, no less, kinda makes me feel sick at the mere thought of it.

Even for someone who choses to continue to ingest dairy, the sugar content or (even worse?) the sugar free options serve as a poor substitute for  a healthier, balanced Paleo meal.   

But what about the occasional treat?  Is there no room for something special now and then?

Of course there is!

Even better, if you’re looking for some ideas as go-to summer treats, consider the following Paleo options that will quench your thirst and offer that something sweet you may be looking for while actually offering some nutrition at the same time:

• Frozen fruit.    Grapes in particular tend to acquire a rather decadent quality when frozen.  Next to no prep; just wash and place on parchment paper and freeze.  Berries also make nice options.
• (Veggie) juice pops.   Blend up those berries and throw in some spinach or kale, a dash of cooling peppermint oil and freeze in the tupperware popsicle tray you used to use for ‘creamsicles’.   Or, use a paper cup with a stick in it!  Both make kid friendly options, too.
• Homemade fruit granita.  No need to add sugar nor buy any new kitchen toys. Simply puree your fruit, pour into a large, flat baking tray and place in freezer, stirring with a fork roughly every 30 minutes for  a few hours to make a natural ‘fruit ice’.

Save the super decadent treats for a special occasion and make the options above something you can have as the ‘something sweet’ part of a meal for the whole family.