Kate’s healthy ice cream and fruit popsicles

Kate’s healthy ice cream and fruit popsicles

Kate’s healthy ice cream and fruit popsicles

Summer is officially here…..!

Schools are winding down, holidays are beginning to be had, and life feels kinda back to normal post Covid. But, the question that I think many parents will face – I know I’m slightly concerned about this – is what on earth are we going to do to entertain our brood for the summer holidays?!

Well, we’re lucky enough to be going away for 2 weeks but we’ve a whole heap of time afterwards that will require planning activities, working things around work, yet still making sure the kids don’t spend days indoors sat on their Xbox. Sometimes that has to happen, I get it, believe me, and mum/dad guilt will probably set in at some point, but let’s not worry about that too much. Our kids aren’t that bothered; mine are just ecstatic to not be in school! This perception of having to be perfect in every aspect of life lies in each and every parents mind, and it’s a little internal battle of what we’re ‘supposed’ to be doing; rather than what we want to be doing and what actually works for us. We need to give ourselves a break!

Of course, I will be encouraging my boys to look up from their iPads/phone for a while and join me in making delicious food together, eating and spending more time outside, seeing friends and family and to try not to kill each other!

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream month? So, there’s no better excuse to get the kids involved in making healthy ice cold treats! Also, there’s one for us grown ups – National Cheese and Wine day on July 25th – it would be rude not to celebrate our appreciation for two of the finer things in life, wouldn’t it?!

Here’s a couple of quick and easy recipes to make healthy ice cream and fruit popsicles which will hopefully keep your brood entertained, if only for a little while, and help keep their constantly hungry tummies full with healthy treats, a little bit longer.

 

Easy Peasy Banana & Strawberry/Banana, Peanut butter & Cacao Ice Cream

You will need:

  • Baking trays
  • Parchment paper
  • Food processor/blender

Ingredients:

  • 5 ripe bananas (must be ripe)
  • Fruit of your choice 450g – I recommend strawberries/mango/mixed berries or cacao & peanut butter (1 tbsp of each)

 *Optional – Caramel Sauce to accompany the banana, cacao and peanut butter version:

  • 7 medjool dates – pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • Add all the above ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth

 

*Optional – Raspberry Sauce to accompany the fruit version:

  • 200g fresh raspberries – heat slowly in a saucepan, stirring gently, until smooth
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut – stir into the raspberries once cooled.

Easter Eggs Leftover

Method:

 

  • Chop the bananas and fruit of your choice into 4cm pieces
  • Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and place all fruit on both trays in single layers
  • Freeze for 4 hours or over night
  • Once frozen, place all the banana and fruit/cacao and peanut butter, into a food processor until smooth. This make take a while – the texture will go from solid to bitty and eventually smooth. Add a little coconut milk, or milk of your choice, if you find the consistency too thick. You will need to regularly scrape the fruit from the sides
  • Serve immediately and drizzle over either of the optional sauces above if necessary
  • If you require a thicker consistency, freeze for a few hours then place in the fridge until you get the desired consistency.

Blueberry & Basil Popsicles – makes around 10

You will need:

  • Food processor/blender
  • Popsicle moulds & sticks

 Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of blueberries
  • 2 cups of live yogurt/Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped basil

 Method:

  • Place all the ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth
  • Evenly distribute the mixture between the popsicle moulds and insert the stick 3/4 of the way into the mould
  • Place the moulds in the freezer and freeze overnight
  • When ready to eat, run the end of the mould under hot water to loosen the popsicle slightly then pull slowly with the stick until free

Enjoy!

Easter Eggs Leftover
written BY KATE DEVINE

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles

HOW TO MANAGE THE CLOCKS SPRINGING FORWARD

Twice a year when the clocks change, we are inundated with questions and parents asking what they can do. Although the spring clock change can play havoc with our bodies (an increase in heart attacks and strokes the day after this happen) but it can really help you if you have a little one who likes waking before 5am!

read more
Kate Devine – Nutritionist, PT & Mum of 3 Boys

Kate Devine – Nutritionist, PT & Mum of 3 Boys

“…a mum to my 3,
football crazy, overly loud, sometimes a bit
annoying, but generally amazing boys!”

Kate Devine – Nutritionist, PT & Mum of 3 Boys

Firstly, I’m so excited and honoured to be part of the BROOD family and involved in its first online launch! I hope you enjoy reading my very first article on health and nutrition and I hope you find it provides lots of information, tips and advice for you and your family…Now, to introduce myself properly…

Hi, I’m Kate and my most important job is, of course, being a mum to my 3, football crazy, overly loud, sometimes a bit annoying, but generally amazing boys! Oh and not forgetting our beautiful Bassett Hound, Hettie, who is 15 years old and still going strong – although she has lost the use of some bodily functions, which can be interesting at times! I am married to Paul, who is slightly more annoying than the kids, but we laugh everyday and tackle life together.

I am a Nutritional Therapist and Personal Trainer, alongside the things mentioned above! My journey into nutrition and fitness began after having my first child 12 years ago. I had always exercised and thought I ate relatively well, but I think once you become a parent, you realise just how important being healthy and looking after yourself and your family is! You want to be the best parent and you want your child to thrive, especially in their first few years of life. I returned to the gym and began to find it quite therapeutic. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was bloody awful doing the actual training (still is), but it enabled me to have an hour to myself and I found that I was a better person for having that time out from parenting. This became a regular thing for me and I suddenly grew very passionate about exercise and its benefits, both physically and mentally.

KATE DEVINE. IMAGE © TOM PITFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

Some years past, a few more kids arrived, and I decided to become a Personal Trainer. By far the most terrifying thing I had done in a long time! Going back into learning after 3 bouts of baby brain, I was surprised there were even any brain cells left to be honest! But, I did it, and qualified 5 years ago and further qualified in Pre and Post Natal Exercise – this was something I found was lacking in the fitness industry during all of my pregnancies. Being as PT is by far the best job I’ve ever had. I get to help people achieve life changing goals and talk all day, every day, and if you know me, talking is the thing I like to do most!

“Pre and Post Natal Exercise – this was something I found was lacking in the fitness industry during all of my pregnancies”

As you can imagine, nutrition is talked about A LOT in the fitness industry, and it was no exception in my gym. I was asked daily about food, something which I was taught the basics on during my PT course, but I was always hesitant to actually advise people on what to eat – even back then, I believed that everyone was individual and no one plan suits all.

The next thing I know, I’ve enrolled myself on a 3-year Diploma course in Nutritional Therapy at The College of Naturopathic Medicine. Remember before, when I said my PT course was hard, well, this course was a whole different level!! Throw a global pandemic into the aforementioned and I’ve got myself a whole heap of craziness, emotional breakdowns and many moments of self-doubt! Thankfully, I carried on and here we are! I’m loving my new career and cannot wait to share my passion and knowledge with you all over the coming months, to help you achieve a lifestyle that ensures you and your family thrive!

Some of you may be wondering what Nutritional Therapy actually is…

In a nutshell, I aim to help alleviate symptoms potentially relating to disease, by treating the person, not the disease, in a naturopathic way by investigating the root cause and providing nutritional and lifestyle advice to help promote the outcome my clients want to achieve.

This is a lengthy process, taking several hours of investigation into current lifestyles and all body systems, functional testing and medical research into each individual case. From this, I can recommend the most effective dietary advice and supplementation and provide bespoke meal plans and recipes to begin this re-set. My ultimate aim is to educate my clients in order for them to be able to make these changes themselves and understand how their bodies work to ensure longevity in the lifestyle changes they are investing in.  

A subject that always crops up when talking to other parents is how they are struggling to get their children to eat, sometimes at all; never mind choosing a healthy option. This is something I have come across regularly in my clinic. I have worked with many children, from babies and beyond, helping to deal with chronic colic, intolerances, eczema and allergies to name but a few.

It’s so frustrating trying to get your child to eat. I remember spending MANY hours force feeding my kids smashed avocado and banana, only to have them chuck it on the floor, then being left with no choice but to try a hundred different options just so they would eat something! Usually a packet of Quavers! I sent myself a little more crazy and persevered with the ‘healthy foods’ until they finally accepted them. It has definitely paid off as they all eat really well now, so that’s one epic parent fail I avoided.  

The most effective way, I found, to get the kids to eat was involvement. Plain and simple. We sit down over the weekend and have a chat about what everyone fancies to eat over the coming week. There’s five of us so we all pick a day of the week and choose a dinner. On the weekends we’ll have a ‘treat meal’ on the Saturday – make pizzas or have fajitas – and usually a roast on a Sunday. We also have a wipeable meal planner stuck to the fridge and they write on their choice each week and when it’s their meal day, they help me prepare it. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not like the Vontrapp family and sing and dance our way through meal times, and we definitely have weeks where life happens and everything goes to pot; but with just a little bit of organisation and preparation, maybe we can all be singing and dancing our way through meal times!

Here’s an easy, fun and healthy Sunday morning breakfast recipe to try with your kids….

I have added a brief summary of some of the amazing nutritional benefits each ingredient has!

Maybe you can share with your kids, what all the different foods they are helping you prepare, can do for our bodies?

Happy cooking!

 

THE Perfect Pancakes

Makes 8 pancakes

 Ingredients:

 2 ripe bananas, peeledBananas are rich in potassium which is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and helps strengthen bones – they are natural antacids, and contains slow release sugars to help maintain a balanced blood glucose level

  • 100g quinoa flakesQuinoa is highly regarded as nature’s most complete plant food as it contains amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, fibre, anti-oxidants and phytonutrients – it is also high in protein and naturally gluten free
  • 180ml of nut milk – Almond/coconut etc or milk of your choice – rich in beneficial fats
  • 1 organic eggcontains protein, omega-3 fats, high in vitamins, zinc, magnesium, calcium and dietary cholesterol (good cholesterol)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extractVanilla extract is a powerful anti-oxidant, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and helps improve mental health
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamonCinnamon is a digestive aid that helps reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes – it is also a first-class antiseptic that can help fight bacteria, viruses and fungal infections – it is rich in anti-oxidants, which gives it a mild analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder while baking powder contains few vitamins and minerals, it still plays a role in maintaining healthy teeth, bones and nails
  • Small pinch of Pink Himalayan salt contains more than 80 minerals including potassium, iron and calcium which aid the bodies natural detoxification process and promote the removal of bacteria
  • 2 tsps organic maple syrupsweeter than sugar so a little goes a long way – it is nutrient rich and full of minerals
  • 1.5-2 tbsp coconut oilhigh in healthy fats medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) – which can help lower risk of heart disease and help with weight management by reducing appetite, boosting metabolism, and increasing activity of fat burning cells

 

Topping options:

  • 100g mixed berries/spoonful of Greek yoghurt/coconut yoghurt/crushed pistachios/drizzle of maple syrup
  • 2 apples, grated/sprinkling of ground cinnamon/spoonful of toasted flaked almonds

 

Method:

  • Place all ingredients for the pancakes (except oil) in a blender and whizz for around 30 seconds – alternatively, mash bananas with a fork and mix in a jug with remaining ingredients
  • Melt the oil in a large frying pan on a high heat
  • Spoon about 3 tbsp of the batter into the pan and circle about 1cm thick and 8cm wide. Repeat to make more pancakes, depending on the size of the pan
  • Reduce the heat to medium and leave the pancakes to set for round 1 min. When they start to bubble, flip each one over and cook for 1 min on the other side
  • Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the batter. Use a little more oil each time until you’ve made 8 pancakes (you do not have to eat them all, they can be kept in the fridge for 2 days, or frozen – pop them in the oven or fry in a pan to reheat)
  • Serve as is, add toppings recommended above or toppings of your choice.

written BY KATE DEVINE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM PITFIELD

 KEEP UP TO DATE WITH BROOD:

* indicates required
Please select all the ways you would like to hear from Brood Magazine:
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website.
We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

Related Articles