We have an unspoken rule at our house: "If it isn't healthy, we don't eat it." We do occasionally treat the kids to ice cream...we are not completely rigid on our healthy lifestyle which I hope will provide some balance for our family. Children who are deprived from all sweets (and adults to, for that matter) have a tendency to over-do it when given the opportunity.
For those in-between celebration days (sing "Happy Un-Birthday to Me!) I like to make treats that are both sweetened naturally and packed with good fats and proteins to make playtime a more energetic experience. It's true. The food we give our children affects how they play. If you want to do an experiment try this...make the following recipe and give your child two cookies. Then go outside and play. The next day, give them a glass of Kool-Aid and a regular cookie, then go outside and play. You'll find that the sugary snack increases the intensity of everything: voice volume, violence of play, and the duration - children have a tendency to act out in a more aggressive manner and collapse in tears.
For me, providing healthy options for my family is a must, but I also love recipes that require very few ingredients and don't take long to make. Almond Date cookies are one of my favorites.
Almond Date Cookies:
1 cup almonds, soaked in water for at least 6 hours (I soak them overnight and make the cookies in the morning.)
1/3 cup pitted dates
1 egg
Drain the almonds. Place all ingredients in a food processor or a powerful blender and blend until nicely chopped. (Play around with this - the finer the blending, the thinner the cookie.) Roll into balls and place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Press the cookies to flatten a bit. Bake @ 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how big the cookies are.
NOTE: if you want to replace the egg, try soaking 1 TBSP ground flax seeds in 3 TBSP water for 15 minutes. That increases the healthy fats in the cookie as well.
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