Anything in a popsicle shape is like contraband to my kids. Now that summer cranked up the heat, I’ve been stocking my freezer with popsicles made from left over smoothies. This is one of my sneakiest childhood nutrition tricks, and it takes zero additional prep time if you’re already in the habit of smoothie making.

• Step 1) Make a smoothie
• Step 2) Pour it into a popsicle mold

Don’t have popsicle molds? Grab some Dixie cups and wooden popsicle sticks and let them stand on a flat surface in the freezer to harden.

The best part of these treats is that they’re loaded with fiber, fat, and protein which is the holy trinity of fuel for little bodies. They get to choose which color they want, and even if they didn’t love the smoothie when first served at a breakfast, there’s no debating they will suddenly love it when it’s offered outside as a cool down treat.

Since all my smoothie recipes contain at least one, if not more, vegetables, kids get a healthy dose of antioxidants and phytochemicals in a fun-to-eat snack. Below are the links to all my favorite smoothies along with their sneaky vegetables:

• Strawberry Banana Detox smoothie (purple cabbage)
• Chocolate banana smoothie (spinach, cauliflower)
• Orange Dreamsicle (butternut squash)
• Go-To Green smoothie (spinach, kale, avocado)
• Rasp-Beet smoothie (beets)
• Carrot Zinger smoothie (carrot)

Photos and Content Copyright © Jaclyn Beaty Nutrition, 2020

Iron-rich molasses, heaps of anti-inflammatory spices, and protein from almond butter make this cookie a reasonable, yet sweet, holiday treat. Growing up, my mom’s famous molasses cookies were an unspoken part of every Christmas. This recipe was an easy one to re-invent, using my Sneaky Snickerdoodles as a starting point, simply swapping out the maple syrup for molasses and tossing in a few more spices. The result is crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and now a new part of my Christmas!

Although molasses isn’t considered a refined sugar or among the “white devils” it still contributes a fair amount of sugar in these cookies. They are sweet enough without frosting, but if you are serving these to anyone with a hole in their sweet tooth, this egg nog buttercream frosting is a delicious addition. These no longer keep the cookie dairy-free or refined sugar-free, but it does make it look festive!

Egg Nog Buttercream Frosting (Optional)

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups powered sugar
• 2 teaspoons egg nog
• Dash nutmeg

Mix all together in a mixer until sugar is dissolved and frosting looks glossy. Spread a thin even layer on top of cookies and sprinkle a dusting of nutmeg to decorate.

Molasses Spice Cookies

• Servings: 18 cookies
• Time: 10 mins prep, 10 minutes baking
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Molasses Spice Cookie Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour or almond meal
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup almond butter*
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon all-spice
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

*Runny almond butter is best! A jar is usually the runniest when newly opened. If you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel on your almond butter, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil to the recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, add all ingredients in the order given. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated.

Scoop 1 inch round balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. You may choose to roll them in your hands or use a cookie dough scoop for more consistency. Using the bottom of a glass jar or cup, flatten the balls into round cookies, about 1/4″ thick.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. If you like a gooier cookie, pull them out sooner, around 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely. Store them in a tightly sealed container for up to a week in the refrigerator or 3-6 months in the freezer.

Photos and Content Copyright © Jaclyn Beaty Nutrition, 2019

This is one of the most deliciously sweet ways I could possibly think to eat avocado. My family went on a key lime pie hummus kick for a while, but the chickpeas just weren’t doing it for me anymore. I have a delicious chocolate avocado mousse recipe but I explored the realm of the true green avocado color and created a mouth-watering and guilt-free treat. The healthy fats and natural sweetness from avocado and coconut butter crowd out unnecessary sugar. Top with shredded coconut flakes, graham cracker crumbs, coconut chips, lime zest, or white chocolate. You can’t go wrong!

Load up a ramekin or small mason jar for a perfect portion and chill these before serving. The acidity from the lime juice will keep the avocado from turning brown so they are a perfect make-ahead dessert for company.

Key Lime Avocado Mousse

• Servings: Four, 4oz servings
• Time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Key Lime Avocado Mousse

• 2 large or 3 small avocados
• Zest, juice, and pulp of 1 whole lime (approx 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1-2 tsp grated zest)
• 2 Tbsp coconut butter
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Coconut flakes for topping (optional)

Directions

Zest the rind of 1 lime, saving aside approximately 2 teaspoons of grated lime zest. In a food processor, add the flesh from the avocado, pulp and juice from what remains of the lime, coconut butter, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Blend until a smooth and whipped consistency is achieved.

Pour mousse into single-serving dishes and top with grated lime zest and coconut flakes. Chill approximately 3 hours before serving, as this will give the mousse a firmer texture. Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Photos and Content Copyright © Jaclyn Beaty Nutrition, 2019

It’s only May, but the summer heat is around to stay in Tennessee and my family is soaking up every ray of sunshine we can get. The transition from spring to summer means the berry fields are ripe for the picking and coincidentally, that popsicles become perfectly acceptable for snack time. One of my favorite ways to use strawberries is in my Strawberry Banana Detox Smoothie and Strawberry Quinoa Pancakes but getting covered in sticky, melty popsicle juice is quintessentially a summer must.

I follow the Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists when choosing to buy organic. Strawberries have topped the charts for the last 3 consecutive years as the #1 most highly sprayed crop in America. Most strawberries tested contain at least 20 different chemicals (some up to 40!) a few of them even being known carcinogens. For that reason, I will always choose to buy organic strawberries and also choose to drive a little farther to pick from the berry fields that don’t spray. I know there is no stopping a toddler from eating straight from the plant, but knowing that a farm doesn’t spray allows me the peace of mind when I see my kid eating his weight in berries straight from the patch. This was his bucket after an hour in the field. So much for my field hand! 

These popsicles take literally zero culinary expertise and can be customized to virtually any fruit and sweetened up or down to your taste preferences. I like to add chia seeds to mine for a quick dose of healthy fats and mucilaginous fiber for gut health. I also choose to blend full-fat coconut milk into both layers of fruit so the kiddos are getting more than simple fructose into their blood stream.

Strawberry Pineapple Popsicles

• Servings: Eight, 4oz servings
• Time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

Strawberry Pineapple Popsicles

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, divided
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• 3 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
• Honey (optional)

Directions

In a food processor, add the strawberries (or other fruit of choice), a half a cup of coconut milk and the chia seeds. I only add chia seeds to one of the two layers, and chose to add it to the strawberries since they are naturally seedy. Pulse until just blended, leaving some bigger bits of berry. You may wish to add a teaspoon of honey into each blend if you are aiming for a sweeter pop, but I find the natural sweetness of the berries and pineapple perfect as is! Pour into a bowl and set aside. You may wish to give your food processor a quick rinse before blending the pineapple so the colors don’t run, but it’s not necessary.

For the second layer, blend the pineapple and half a cup of coconut milk until smooth. Alternate layers into popsicle molds filling each mold one-third of the way, alternating layers with fruit blends. Freeze for at least 3 hours or until set and keep frozen until ready to enjoy!

Photos and Content Copyright © Jaclyn Beaty Nutrition, 2019

My son’s first cookie was this little gem. He was almost 2.5 and loved helping cook most things, but wasn’t old enough for me to feel comfortable letting him eat anything. When cookies started appearing in many of the books we’d read, I knew a cookie was in his near future. I was a-okay with this being his first bite. I call them sneaky snickerdoodles because they’re more like a bite-sized protein snack, not the highly-processed, overly-sweet, refined cookie much of the world has come to know and love. Seven ingredients also make it ideal for little hands to help mix and stir, and you don’t have to worry about them snitching raw egg dough because they’re egg free!

When it comes to optimal health, managing blood sugar balance is paramount. I talk a lot about blood sugar balance in my recipes because it’s worth repeating. It’s not just something that people with diabetes have to pay attention to. It’s essential for everyone if you want to feel your best emotionally and physically! There’s no population who suffers greater from blood sugar spikes than KIDS. Little ones aren’t cognitively capable of interpreting the feedback their body is giving them. Let’s be honest, many adults aren’t mindful of the language their body speaks either. One of the best ways to keep blood sugar stable is to not let it spike in the first place! Simple refined sugars cause an immediate surge of sugars into the blood stream. The pancreas overreacts by secreting insulin to drive that sugar into cells, which in turn causes the blood sugar to fall even lower- known as blood sugar rebounding. It’s a roller coaster of hormones that are trying to manage our roller coaster of emotions and energy.

These are a one-bowl wonder, so clean up is a cinch. Most cookie recipes separate wet and dry ingredients, but I find that to be an unnecessary step (you’re welcome). When I had to go egg-free and dairy-free in the early days of nursing #2, these were my jam. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say the cookie dough was my saving grace. Sweet enough to calm a sugar craving, and enough protein and fat that I didn’t keep eating uncontrollably!

Sneaky Snickerdoodles

• Servings: 18 cookies
• Time: 10 mins prep, 10 minutes baking
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Ingredients

Sneaky Snickerdoodle Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour or almond meal
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond butter*
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

*Runny almond butter is best! A jar is usually the runniest when newly opened. If you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel on your almond butter, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil to the recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, add all ingredients in the order given. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated.

Scoop 1 inch round balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. You may choose to roll them in your hands or use a cookie dough scoop for more consistency. Using the bottom of a glass jar or cup, flatten the balls into round cookies, about 1/4″ thick.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. If you like a gooier cookie, pull them out sooner, around 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely. Store them in a tightly sealed container for up to a week in the refrigerator or 3-6 months in the freezer.

Photos and Content Copyright © Jaclyn Beaty Nutrition, 2019