Kids and Food Addictions

Can kids become addicted to certain foods?

Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Author of New York Times Bestseller Eat to Live) said in his book Disease-Proof Your Child:

"The minute children taste low-nutrient processed foods--which are typically high in fat, salt, and sugar-- their desire and their taste for wholesome foods diminishes. To the extent that the parents gave in to the attraction of rich, calorically dense foods such as macaroni and cheese, sweets, or pizza, by that same extent, the child will no longer have an interest in consuming fruits and vegetables." (123)

When I read that, something clicked inside me and I knew it was true. I had seen it in my own son. The more he ate Goldfish crackers and cookies, the more he craved them and the less he wanted real/whole fruits and vegetables.

SUGAR

Then I started experimenting with myself, in an effort to test this out. I started with sugar. I used to have these favorite chocolate chip cookies that I would buy every so often (from Trader Joe's, so they had the appearance of being healthy, but of course they were loaded with sugar). I realized that I would eat them usually when I was stressed or had a long day, as a little "treat" to keep me going. I liked the feeling I got when I ate them. But I couldn't eat just one, so I would keep going back to them all day. The more often I ate them, the more I would crave them.  I didn't like feeling like I wasn't in control of my body, feeling a strong pull towards those cookies. It was as if I was letting my body, instead of my mind, dictate the amount of cookies I ate.

The hard part was that when I stopped buying these cookies (and other foods with added sugar), I still craved them. There were times when I almost felt anxious because there were no cookies in the house. I can see that my body was addicted and was going through withdrawals.

Can we just call it like it is? Sugar is a drug.

It doesn't lead us to do crazy things like other illegal drugs, but the addictive nature and the effect it has on our bodies is a very real problem. Sugar creates an environment where diseases can thrive in our bodies. Sugar feeds cancer cells, instead of fighting them, and causes a million other things to go wrong with our bodies.

Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D., C.P.T, wrote in her book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition:

"Sugar promotes cancer growth, poor cholesterol profiles, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity or excess weight, gastrointestinal diseases, premature aging, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, tooth and gum decay, gout, and acne. And if that weren't enough, it's physiologically addicting!" (61)

So not only does it put our bodies on the road to miserable diseases, it's addicting. But somehow we overlook that and continue to feed our addictions, justifying it for a multitude of reasons. And worse, we are feeding it to our children. Would you give your children an illegal drug? I hope not. What about an addictive food? Maybe it's because we can't see with our eyes the actual damage that sugar is doing to our bodies, so we rationalize and don't think it's that bad...?

One of the main reasons I justified eating foods with refined sugar was that it's in everything at the grocery store (AND health stores), and surely the food companies wouldn't be producing foods that could be so harmful to my health, right?

Lol. Since when are food companies concerned with MY health?

Or, "Everyone else eats it. It's in all the vending machines. It's in the refreshments at church functions that my spiritual leaders oversee. It's in the 'healthy' granola and organic kids snacks. How could it be so bad?"

If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?

"In the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, it was noted that if you “go with the flow” in the US, you will eventually become obese." (I found this quote from the intro to this ground breaking article "Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant based Diets" that I would recommend reading: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/)

JUST SAY NO!

Hever said it best:

"One of the best things you can do for your health (after giving up dairy and animal products...) is to eliminate sugar. You'll find plenty of ways to indulge on a plant-based diet that will make you realize you're not missing anything" (61).

I can vouch for that last line. There ARE plenty of ways to indulge in delicious food on a plant-based diet, and they are all addiction-free and guilt-free. Here are some things I do in my family:

- We start our day with a delicious fresh fruit and vegetable juice, which is packed full of nutrition and sets the tone for the rest of the day (and my taste buds crave fresh fruits and vegetables after drinking this too!)

- We make really yummy food and eat lots of it to fill our stomachs so we don't have room for junk.

- We don't even BUY it anymore- if it's not staring me in the face when I open the cupboard, then there's no way I can eat it even if I wanted to.

- We eat lots of fruits & sweet vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peas (high protein!), carrots, beets... these all contain natural sugar, so they help satisfy my sweet tooth, but don't lead to a dramatic rise and then crash of my blood sugar levels like refined sugar does.

- We make healthy treats that taste amazing, such as coconut oil candies, homemade bars & bar cake.
(sweetened with pure maple syrup, raw honey, or dates)

- We snack on nutrient-dense foods such as hummus and veggies, smoothies, apples & nut/seed butter, trail mix, etc.

- We use dates and bananas to sweeten our food (such as in oatmeal, muffins, smoothies, in warm brown rice with almond milk & cinnamon, etc) and use raw honey and pure maple syrup for special treats (and extra special treats, I have used coconut sugar and agave, but we don't use those very often, since they are very close to having the same effect of refined sugar).

SALT

Did you know salt can be addictive as well?

"Your palate adjusts to how much sodium you consume. The more salt you eat, the more you crave. The good news is, the less salt you eat, the less you need." (Hever 61)

We do need a small amount of sodium in our diets (1,500 mg or less per day; 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg). But we don't use commercial, processed, and chemical-treated salt anymore. Instead we use Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt, and try to season our cooked dishes with salt-free spice blends such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

DAIRY

Is cheese really addicting?

I knew it was hard to give up at the beginning, but I never really thought of cheese as addicting. But I just learned this from Hever's book.

"This protein (Casien) causes the production of the same feel-good effects as optiate drugs. When consumed, casein converts into casomorphins--nature's way to ensure an infant will return to the breast for milk. In cheese, the protein (mostly casein) is much more concentrated along with the fat and sodium content than in milk. Together, you have a powerfully addictive mixture. Cut out dairy, and your cravings will go away in about 3 weeks."  (p. 93)

It's true! I have stopped craving cheese and ice cream, however it was extremely hard at first. So if you are at the beginning stages, don't worry, it does get easier!

Some may ask:
"But how can you deprive yourself of all the amazing treats this world has to offer?"

Here's my answer:  
We don't restrict ourselves, and we never feel deprived.

My husband and I don't have hard rules that we can't EVER have meat or dairy or processed food or other treats. However, at this point in our lives, we don't really crave cow's milk, cheese, or meat as much. I know how I feel after consuming large amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients, so I don't have too much trouble staying away from them. Sometimes I will see a treat that looks good at the store, and instead of buying it, I will say to myself "I bet I can make a healthier version of that" and I do and it tastes great and is not addicting or destructive to my immune system! On holidays, we will have a small amount of meat, since it is such a tradition (such as Thanksgiving). However, my stomach doesn't feel very good afterwards, so the next holiday I usually decide to make all raw or vegan dishes that taste great and make me feel good too.

Emotional eating: 

Getting to the root cause instead of numbing the pain

Every so often I will search for the chocolate chips in the back of the cupboard, or see if we have any unopened cookies. It's those times when I am trying to feel better about something (usually I had an extra difficult day and I'm tired and my husband is still at work and there's no one around to tell me what an amazing job I did changing that diaper or how proud they are of me for not yelling when my son wouldn't brush his teeth). I don't get down on myself for those occasional emotional eating moments, but I do realize that I could deal with those moments in a healthier way, and if they start happening more frequently, I know there is definitely a problem that I need to take care of, instead of numbing the "pain" with addictive foods. (Healthier ways I have thought of include: reading the scriptures, sincerely praying, watching a movie, dancing to fun music, venting in my journal, yoga, deep breathing/meditating, calling a trusted friend or family member, and watching Food Matters on Netflix which always inspires me to make healthier choices.)

How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods?

Here is what our rule is: they need to find something to eat in the house. Simple as that. And my job is to stock our kitchen with healthy options. If I don't buy it, it's not even an option, so there is really no need to argue over food. I make sure to buy a huge variety of fruits & veggies and make different meals all the time for my kids to try. (Note: We still have our challenges, because my son has texture issues and what he is willing to eat changes from day to day. But at least he can choose from healthy foods, instead of getting hooked on unhealthy and disease promoting foods.)

How could I feel good about giving my children drugs, that will not only wreak havoc on their immune systems opening the door to disease down the road, but will be addicting? Sure packaged food, cheesy food, store-bought cookies & candy tastes good, but do I want them craving that taste and begging me for more, refusing the nutritious food options I give them? Of course not. I have already been down that road and don't want to experience that again for fear of where it may lead.


FINAL WORDS
There will be many different reactions to reading this post. I just want to say that, I strongly feel that we cannot judge each other for the choices we make as parents, because we can't see into each other's hearts and everyone is coming from a different background, has learned different things, and is trying to be a good parent in different ways. My way is this: do everything possible to not "go with the flow" of the world, since from what I can see, that road will only leading to obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease. But instead, try to gain as much knowledge (with the Holy Spirit as my guide) and real life experience as I can to provide a good start for my kids, hoping that when they grow up they will choose to live a healthy and balanced life, taking care of their bodies and treating them as gifts from God Himself.

In short, we are trying our best, just as I'm sure all of you do. :)

Thanks for reading!

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I recommend the following books referenced in this post:

Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever 

Note: I don't agree with absolutely everything in these books, but they are a great beginning guide to feeding yourself or family without animal products and making sure you know what foods to focus on for a balanced diet. It's so hard to know what to believe. Studies can be interpreted in many different ways, and people (even doctors and nutritionists) have all sorts of opinions on health. That is why I don't believe doctors (they all say something different), or any specific health guru. I seek to know what is true as I pray to God for guidance and understanding, and as I study the scriptures. I figure, since He created my body, and this world, He knows better than anyone what I should put in it. Thankfully, He has been pretty specific by revealing a "Law of Health" or "Word of Wisdom" that can be found here. Hopefully I will finish my post on that subject soon and link it here for you to read. :)

Chewy Fudge or Vegan Frosting

(Note: This recipe is for the top layer of the above treat, aka the Frosting)

Chewy Fudge or Vegan Frosting-

1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup when making this to use as frosting)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp carob or cocoa powder
2 Tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter)

Whisk oil and honey. Slowly whisk in powder. Whisk in almond butter (or use a Vita Mix blender and blend everything until well combined- you will have to use your tamper, as it will be pretty thick).

If making fudge, pour into a loaf pan and freeze for 15 minutes. Then cut into squares and enjoy. :)

If making frosting, spread over your cupcakes or vegan cake (or make a pan full of these homemade bars to use as your "cake" like I just did!). Keep chilled until ready to eat. If you want the frosting to be softer, take out about an hour before serving.

Strawberry Bar Cake with Chocolate Frosting (vegan)

Since my son has so many issues with textures that makes him extremely picky, he requested a "Strawberry Bar Cake" for his birthday. He doesn't like the texture of regular cake, but he does like these homemade bars that we make. So I whipped up a special batch of our bars, pressed them into cupcakes and a small cake pan, then made some chocolate frosting using melted coconut oil (1 cup), maple syrup (1 cup), carob & cocoa powder (1/2 cup of each), and 4 Tbsp Sunflower Seed butter (since he's allergic to peanut butter)- recipe for the frosting can be found here. I blended this is my Vita Mix although you could use a hand mixer or whisk probably. After spreading the frosting on the cupcakes and cake, I put them in the freezer (or fridge). To soften the frosting, I took them out an hour or two before serving. They were delicious! Perfectly chewy and the frosting was amazing! The best part was that these didn't have any refined sugar in them (besides a small amount in the rice crispies I used), or white flour! And the ingredients used are actually good for you (raw almond butter, coconut oil, raw protein powder, raw oat flour, etc)!

Step 1: Drop a tablespoon of "dough" into your muffin cups.

Step 2: Flatten with a spoon.

Step 3: Add a layer of freeze-dried strawberries.

Step 4: Cover with another layer of "dough."

Frost with your vegan frosting and add sprinkles (all-natural, such as from Whole Foods)

What to do with the extra frosting? I put dobs of it into my mini muffin pan and added various toppings such as almonds (I pushed them in), unsweetened coconut, freeze dried raspberries, and natural sprinkles. Keep these in an air-tight container in your freezer for a great after dinner treat. :)

Healthy Kids' Snacks: How to eliminate (most) packaged food

I used to give my son packaged snacks when he was a toddler. Why? Because everyone else did, so it must be fine right? I got the healthiest ones I could find, organic mostly, to avoid artificial ingredients.

But then something interesting happened, almost without my realizing. He started getting addicted to them. The more he ate them, the more he asked for them. Just like sugar (and kind of like what happens when he watches TV/movies)!  His favorites were Goldfish cheese crackers. (Note: I didn't know anything about dairy being bad at this point).

Now, on top of this, he has sensory issues which makes him an extremely picky eater. He will only eat certain foods, in certain ways, on certain days. It drives me crazy. So once he started getting hooked on Goldfish, you guessed it, that's all he would eat. He would refuse all other food, besides his daily cow's milk (if only I knew better...) and maybe a couple other foods. (When I say refuse, I mean, if we didn't give it to him, he wouldn't eat anything else, due to his sensory issues that made him so extremely picky. This was a matter of keeping him alive, not about giving in to his demands). Luckily we would make an occasional smoothie with fruits and vegetables.

Long story short- he was getting sick at LEAST once a month on this diet. It was horrible.

So I started a slow shift to eliminate all packaged snacks (note: this was about 6 months before we took out meat/dairy from our diet and started daily juice & smoothies). I hoped that instead of asking for something in the cupboard when he's hungry, he would start asking for something in the fridge.

"But how could you raise kids without packaged food??!?" I hear all my mommy friends screaming at the computer.

Most people cannot fathom how anyone can live without dairy or meat, let alone packaged convenience foods. But we have managed to eliminate most, so I guess I'm proof that you can. (For more on how to go about making this change, see the last section of this post.)

The result? My son is healthy most of the year now, and since we bring home more produce than packaged foods, I'm happy to say that he looks in the fridge when he's hungry, not in the cupboard. And we all feel great, and none of us crave it anymore (unless I get really stressed out and want to eat emotionally, which thankfully doesn't happen too often! And by that point I don't have any junk around in the house so I have to eat a homemade treat which are still pretty darn tasty, minus the junk).

These are some snacks that I give my kids when we're out and about (aka Mess Free). Just keep in mind, I have a very picky eater, so this is just what works for us (some may seem odd to you, and some he won't necessarily eat, but my husband and I will, and your children might as well.)

Also keep in mind that this is in no way a "vegan meal plan," or attempt to contain a balance of all essential nutrients in all food groups. No, this is simply a list of ideas for snacks. I will update periodically.

Healthy Kids' Snacks for the road

OUR FAVORITE: Homemade bars
 
Dried fruit (no added sulfites or any preservatives) - raisins, craisins, dried apricots, etc

Freeze-dried fruit (all natural, no added ingredients)- strawberries, mango, blueberries, raspberries

Whole fruit: apple, grapes, banana, etc

Carrot & bell pepper sticks (bring hummus in container if not too messy)

Trail mix with raw almonds, dried fruit, unsweetened coconut, sometimes banana chips
(I would give this if my kids would eat the nuts & coconut!)

Homemade muffins (using whole wheat flour & honey instead of sugar)

Homemade pancakes (make a pancake sandwich with Sunflower seed butter in the middle)  

Homemade granola

Healthy Kids' Snacks (to eat at home):

Fruit sorbets (we put frozen fruit through our juicer with a special nozzle, and it comes out as a silky smooth "ice cream"- my kids love their "Strawberry Ice Cream"!)


Other fruit: Strawberries, oranges, kiwi, etc.
  Frozen blueberries

Frozen peas

Smoothies

Cinnabutter Swirl: Spread Sunflower Seed Butter on a piece of sprouted whole wheat toast, then drizzle with raw honey, sprinkle with cinnamon, take a knife and swirl around.

Guacamole- mashed avocado mixed with salsa, add a dash of garlic powder if you want. We dip veggie sticks in, or if need be, organic tortilla chips (we get unsalted).

Packaged snacks that we buy when absolutely necessary:

Fruit pouches (although most of the nutrients are cooked out when pasteurized so we try to go with fresh fruit when possible)
Popcorn (organic, non GMO, natural flavored popcorn)
Cereals: Joe's O's (Trader Joe's natural Cheerio's), Nature's Path Millet Rice Flakes (no sugar added, only sweetened with fruit juice), etc
Clif Bars for Kids "Z Bars"- pretty great ingredients for a packaged food

Final words to those who actually want to try eliminating packaged snacks: 
Do it slowly and they won't even notice! Slowly start incorporating more of these real foods, and you will naturally not need to buy as much packaged snacks as you used to. 

Then, when you are down to very little packaged snacks, do yourself a favor and AVOID THE SNACK AISLE at the grocery store. It is sooo tempting to walk down that aisle and see all the fun kids snacks, and start thinking: "Oh, my kids would love this, it would be such a fun treat for them!"  

Don't buy the old stuff again because you are done with it! If you already eliminated most of it, don't bring it back. Remember, it has hardly any nutritional value and is void of the amazing nutrition that fresh, raw plant foods can give them to fight diseases and keep their immune systems healthy. 

If I see something that really looks good, I think to myself "Hmmm, how can I make a healthier version of this?" And then I do and it's great!

If you get there anyway and put a couple boxes of some colorful cartoon character snacks in your cart, rationalizing that all the other moms do it to, think of me and know that even though we are the minority, we are a HEALTHY minority!

Choose HEALTH & enjoy delicious, REAL food creations with your kids, and let THAT be the tradition you start early in their lives. Later in life, they will turn to comfort foods, and wouldn't it be great if they remember your fresh fruit salads or green juice?? ;)

Good luck my friends!

Our Daily Green Smoothie

We make daily green smoothies at our house, around lunch time (in addition to green juice 4-6 mornings a week) using our Vita Mix. We first started doing this for our extremely picky 3 year old, so he would get some good nutrition, without having to force him to eat the slimy & wet textures of fruits/veggies that he would burst into tears just looking at. So if we miss a day, it means that he isn't getting a really big part of his diet. Hence, we are committed to making this everyday, whenever possible. It also has been great for my husband and I- a sure way to get our daily nuts/seeds, omega 3s, probiotics, vitamin C, and of course all the fruits and veggies and protein.

Here is what our juice usually consists of (the measurements are approximate since we are always changing the kind of fruits & veggies we put in and we sometimes add the juice from our greens instead of the whole greens):

Our Green Smoothie:

(REVISED April 2014)

GREENS:

2-3 cups (tightly packed) leafy greens: spinach, kale, or collards (spinach blends a lot easier and is almost tasteless, so great for those not accustomed to green smoothies)

FRUIT:

2 cups frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)- we love mango & strawberries

1-2 bananas (for sweetness)

1/4 lemon (peeled & seeded)- lemons have so many health benefits!

OTHER VEGGIES:

2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)

or

a small wedge red cabbage

or 

1/4 cup chopped cucumber, zucchini, or asparagus or broccoli

NUTS/SEEDS:

1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons source of Omega 3s (ground flaxseed, chia seed, or hempseed)

LIQUID:

2 cups water, almond milk, or coconut milk

EXTRAS:

- Protein powder: 1 scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand) (my husband likes extra protein, but I don't add to mine or my kids) 

- Probiotics: 2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)

- Extra Vitamin C: 3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg) (I try to add more Vitamin C to our diet after reading Dr. Andrew Saul's book "Doctor Yourself" and learning about the research showing diseases being cured with high levels of Vitamin C.)

ORIGINAL POST (Nov. 2013):
Our Green Smoothie:
1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower/pumpkin/sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 big handfuls greens (spinach, collards, or broccoli usually)
2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)
1/2 cup frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)
1-2 bananas
scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand)- added to adults' smoothies
2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)
3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg)
water- enough to get desired consistency

** This smoothie is guzzled by 2 adults and an almost 4 year old (our 14 month old gets a slightly different smoothie you can see here).

My daily juice recipe

These days we try to make fresh juice at least 4 times a week. Here is what our juice usually consists of (this is for 2 adults, 1 small child, and a baby):

Daily Green Juice:
3-4 cups of dark leafy greens (kale, collards, or spinach)
a pound of carrots
1/2 large cucumber
1-2 celery
1/2 lemon or lime
small piece ginger
a sweet fruit such as: oranges (3-4), pineapple (1/3), apples (2-3), or grapes (1 cup)

This makes enough for about 8-10 oz for each adult, 6 oz for the child, and 2 oz for the baby.

Note: For our baby, who is 14 months right now, we don't include pineapple, oranges or lemon/limes  since they give him a rash around the mouth. Instead we use apples or grapes for sweetness.
However, most of the time, we will just juice greens and carrots for our baby and blend that up with some fruit and a little water and raw almonds (or sunflower or pumpkin seeds) to make it into a smoothie for him which he loves. We use fruits such as frozen mangoes, berries, and banana.

We also add to our juice sometimes (remember these are all raw):
- zucchini- It tastes bland and goes well with any other juice, especially carrot. The pulp is actually really good to eat plain too; it's still somewhat moist and just tastes like grated zucchini.
- broccoli
- bell peppers
- parsley

What do I do with the pulp? (I get this question all the time)

Since carrot pulp makes up the bulk of our pulp container, I mostly just use that and discard the rest (it is not very much and most of the juice/nutrition has been extracted so there's no flavor, just a small mass of tasteless stringy stuff).

This is what I do with carrot pulp:
- Add to oatmeal with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, dates, vanilla, almonds, for a "carrot cake" taste
- Add to cooked grains, such as quinoa, for a warm, savory pilaf with italian seasonings, garlic, and a little Earth Balance "butter"
- Add to smoothies for some extra fiber
- Add to muffins or baked goods (I'm just now experimenting with this)

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

This was my week to teach Joy School (a preschool group of 6 kids who's moms rotate teaching) and I made my favorite banana muffins. The kids LOVED them and most ate 2 whole muffins for snack (plus the carrot juice that they juiced themselves in our Omega 8003 juicer).

Today was proof that you don't need to fill baked goods with white flour and sugar for them to be kid-friendly!

Note: These are not totally vegan, since they still contain 1 egg. We still currently eat organic eggs occasionally in baked goods. If you want it to be totally vegan, I would try a vegan egg replacement such as flaxseed.

(Sorry there are no pictures- they were gone before I could take one!)

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 Tbsp melted butter (I use the dairy-free Earth Balance spread found in most regular grocery stores)
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey (or less if your bananas are really ripe)
1 egg, beaten (you can use a egg replacement here)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used sprouted whole wheat flour)
2 shakes cinnamon (or up to 1/2 tsp)
1 shake nutmeg (or up to 1/4 tsp)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Combine mashed banana, applesauce, and melted butter. Mix in honey, egg, and vanilla.
Sprinkle in baking soda and salt and mix. Add the flour and spices last and mix.

Put into muffin cups and bake for about 23-25 minutes.  (Mini muffins about 18 min.)

Double the recipe and freeze for a quick snack anytime (just microwave for about 20-25 seconds).

Enjoy!

Cake Batter Protein Bars (with endless variations)!

Holy Moly these are amazing!

I made a whole pan of these before a road trip and I just wished I had made more- they were gone the next day.

I got the recipe here, but changed it a bit (see below). I loved that my son who hates oatmeal is getting the whole, raw, oats (ground up) in these without even knowing it! I did put a few sprinkles on top so they would appeal even more to my son, although next time I will be using the naturally colored kind that I just saw at Whole Foods!

3 cups brown rice crispies
1 cup packed oat flour (ground in my Vita Mix from oat groats, or blend in your blender from rolled oats)
1/2 cup protein powder (Garden of Life Raw Vanilla- the best! Or just put in oat flour here)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp vanilla (alcohol free kind, from Trader Joe's)
3/4 cup raw almond butter (or other nut butter)
3/4 cup sticky sweetener (I have been using 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup raw honey)
(I have been adding in a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed, and wheat germ lately and they are still great!)
Add ins/Variations: see note below

Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Then pour the dry into the wet and combine really well. Press into a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper (for easy removal). Chill, then cut into bars.  I keep mine in the freezer individually wrapped and take out whenever I want one (they are so nice straight from the freezer- a perfectly chewy texture). Yum!

Update July 2014: I wanted to use less sweetener, so I substituted 1/4 coconut oil for 1/4 of the sweetener. So I ended up using: 1/4 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup raw honey (instead of 3/4 cup sweetener).

Note: We have been experimenting with lots of different kinds of bars lately, so here is what we love so far. Let me know what you come up with too!

Sprinkle bars: Top with naturally colored sprinkles
*Strawberry bars: Add 1 1/2 cups freeze-dried strawberries (chopped)
Tropical bars: Add 1 cup freeze-dried mangoes (chopped) and 1/2 cup coconut
Fruity bars: Add 1 1/2 cups of any of your favorite freeze-dried or regular dried fruit!
Cinnamon bars: Add 2 Tbsp cinnamon
Chocolate chip bars: Add 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Luna bars: Make chocolate (from coconut oil recipe here) and pour over the top of chilled bars in pan (uncut). After chilled and set, remove and cut.

*Update: My son just requested a Strawberry Bar Cake for his birthday! (For the frosting I will be adding chocolate from my coconut oil recipe on top and of course some naturally colored sprinkles). To see what I came up with for his cake, click here.

Carob Brownie Bites

I just created these little wonders. Easy, tasty, healthy. Hope you like them!

Carob Brownie Bites

1 cup raw almond butter (crunchy)
1/4 cup raw honey (thick kind in a jar)
1/4 cup carob powder
1-2 tsp water

Mix together in a bowl with a spoon. Add enough water so that you're able to stir it all together, but it shouldn't be excessively sticky or goopy. It should be pretty firm.
You can press into a square baking pan and cut into mini squares. Or you can roll into balls.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer. You can eat directly from the freezer (they won't be rock hard).

Yum!

Almond Truffles

These are my family's new favorite raw dessert! So good...

Dough:
1/2 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey (the thick kind in a jar)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Update: I just added 1 Tablespoon carob powder, and more almond butter & coconut since it tasted a little sweet to me... experiment with how you like them)

Add-ins:
Dried cranberries
Raw cacao nibs (or Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs)
Anything else you like to put into cookies

Rolled in:
Shredded unsweetened coconut
or
Wheat Germ (my little boy loves wheat germ)

Make the dough by combining the dough ingredients in a bowl.
Add whatever add-in's you want, as much as you like.
Roll into balls and roll in coconut or wheat germ.
Freeze until chilled and enjoy! (You can keep in the freezer, but if you don't want them to be rock hard, let thaw a bit before enjoying.)

Note: You might want to consider doubling the recipe since they are so good and will be gone in a day if you're like us. :)