Add some sweet treats to your kids' healthy diet with these homemade recipes.
I like my kids to eat a healthy diet, with a mix of all different foods. For our family a balanced diet does include some sweet treats but I like to use homemade recipes as much as I can, so I know exactly what’s gone into them. Making them myself means I can avoid any artificial colours and preservatives, and control the sugar and salt content, and then I can relax and let the children enjoy.
Here are some of our favourite sweet treats, all delicious and really easy to make.
Flavoured sugar for popcorn
To make flavoured sugar:
Take 500g caster sugar and add:
The zest of an orange and a lemon
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 cloves
A few gratings of nutmeg
A bay leaf
Whizz them all together in a food processor or with a hand blender and leave for at least an hour for the sugar to take on the flavours. Sieve the sugar to remove any large pieces of spice or zest and then store the sugar in an air-tight jar.
This sugar recipe has a lovely flavour and you only need a little to give a great taste, making it a good way to give the children something sweet without being too unhealthy. We love a spoonful sprinkled over popcorn – served in these paper plate boxes to make a fun treat to go with a movie. It’s also nice on porridge or toast and will keep for up to a year in an air tight jar.
Frozen treats
We often use our favourite smoothie recipes to make ice lollies but this summer we’ve discovered something even better: frozen grape pops. They’re delicious and couldn’t be easier to make: thread your grapes on a skewer, pop them in the freezer for a while and you’re done. Slices of watermelon with a lollipop stick poked in freeze really well too.
Courgette chocolate cake
My daughters usually turn their noses up at courgettes and can spot a piece hidden in most recipes I try but they never guessed the secret ingredient in this chocolate brownie recipe. The recipe makes a really moist cake, and topped off with some vanilla butter icing it is superb. It freezes well too, so it’s a great one to make ready for back to school lunch bags.
Have your kids got a sweet tooth? What favourite sweet treats do you make for them?
Photo: Cathy James
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14 September, 2011
I had absolutely no idea you could freeze grapes, and sadly many go past their best in our fruitbowl. This alone is the most fantastic thing I've learned all day :-)
Leigh
Ready for Ten Team