TODDLER MADE AND APPROVED: PALEO DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING POPS

If I can make something healthy in keeping it still taste absolutely delicious, you bet I’m going to do it. Because why wouldn’t I? Since discovering that I’m dancing with the onset of diabetes (Genetically predisposed out the ying yang), I did a lot of research and discovered that no wheat, grains (therefore gluten), legumes, dairy or refined sugar for this girl would be a smart choice for me. A paleo diet all the way.  The paleo way of eating is the best kind of diet to manage/treat diabetes through treating food as medicine. It was hard at first and I still have my cravings and I ‘cheat’ a couple times a month — but for the most part I feel the best I have since, well…pretty much ever.

The added bonus is that we’ve been refined sugar-free for a couple years now, (again — there are still treats the kids consume now and then outside the home – we’re not zealots about it). I’ve always felt good about the food I dish up for my family and I’m in love with raw desserts these days. The least amount of time that the oven is turned on this summer — the better. BBQ grilling action and raw food/desserts all the way.

Abby and Wyndham are especially keen on helping me create deliciousness in the kitchen, as most kids are. As long as I do the leg-work and prep things up (pre-measure, etc.) it’s less ruckus/stress and more fun for all involved. One might call this type of activity a Montessori, practical life exercise. Or a Reggio Emilia style parenting activity or a Waldorf one. I’m trying to stay away from parenting labels of recent and just call everything we do together LIVING.

Living and parenting. Having fun. Including my kids in the everyday stuff that needs to be done and not treating them like obstacles that are in my way, slowing me down. Well, for the most part. It’s not like they are helping me make dinner every night. Ain’t nobody got time for that. 

What did teaching one’s child to cook get called before all of these terms and labels came along anyways? All of this from a devout lover of the Montessori and Waldorf methods/teachings. So you’ll probably still find activities of these types down the road – but just to be clear, I dig it all…minus the pretentious bull-hooey that I find tends to happen within all of the labelling. Although there are a few whom I find incredibly inspiring, living and learning by what they are inspired by — what they feel connected to. Like my friend Meghan. You should check out her blog Milkweed Montessori. Great ideas and beautiful writing from mama of a toddler and aspiring Montessori teacher.

Another key component to our summer of eating many a raw dessert is our recent acquisition of a vitamix. Oh hells yes it’s worth it. A green smoothie made in a regular blender VS. a vitamix? Night and day in consistency and taste. That horsepower motor and top notch engineering makes all the difference. I’ve blasted through numerous blenders over the years and when the last one bit the dust, I knew our next one was going to be a cadillac. With all of the nut butters, smoothies, nut flours, sauces and raw desserts I’ve been getting into – the horsepower is necessary. If you’re just making daily smoothies — maybe not, but still. 

A smoothie made in a vitamix will always be smoother, creamier. Especially if you a nut and seed enthusiast. I put that shit in everything. Including our smoothies. There is no chewing through a vitamix smoothie and, no I am not getting paid to endorse the shizznit out of the vitamix, (but I should be). 

They really are just THAT good. 

So. When one has a vitamix, one blends avocado and ripe bananas and a bunch of other stuff with the best raw cacao and Mexican vanilla you can find to make pudding pops that would rival any of the white sugar, preservative and food coloured laden, powdered pudding variety. One might think that this is obvious from my description on the latter — but I know some peeps think that pre-fab desserts are the bomb diggs and that raw and/or paleo desserts are probably nasty. In truth, yes they sometimes can be. But once you embrace nut flours and do some of that preliminary experimentation, your mouth becomes a most willing participant and very happy body part.

This creamy pudding is versatile too. We love it chilled, as is or with fresh raspberries and mint tossed in. I can’t quite decipher if the kids like it better as the frozen pudding pops or pudding squeezee pouches. Not like they need to decide on one anyways, it’s all delicious. And all healthy. Get the recipe after the jump!