It’s the time of year again where I’m noticing shorts, sunglasses, and the smell of sunscreen in the air- it must be summer!
It’s probably safe to say that summer is the favorite time of year for most of us. It means swimming, sun tanning, not having to bundle up in layers of clothing to go outside, and most importantly – cold treats! This week on the blog we’re going to look at summer treat options: vegan style!
The sound of your neighborhood’s ice cream truck likely floods you with childhood memories of sticky, sweet, cold goodies. Most of those treats however, are loaded with highly processed sugars, syrups, dairy products, and even fillers containing gluten which aren’t really that great for you. The good news is that there are plenty of alternatives that actually provide your body with some nutrients.
To start with, let’s look at some dairy alternatives so that you can still enjoy cold creamy treats without the nasty side effects of consuming cow’s milk*.
Ice cream can be made with any milk alternative, but we highly recommend coconut or other nut milks given their creamy consistency. Using a dairy alternative as a base, you can add any flavor you like and completely customize your ice cream. Try chocolate chips, nut butters, fruits, cocoa powder, or even just honey. Check out the bottom of the page for a delicious ice cream recipe!
It’s a common misconception that you need an ice cream maker to make your own ice cream. Whereas having an ice cream maker might make the process a little easier, it’s not too difficult to do without one – it just takes a bit more dedication! Once you have mixed your ingredients together, put them in a freezer safe bowl and place your mixture in the freezer. Every hour the mixture needs to be stirred so that it freezes into a fluffier, more ice cream like consistency. An ice cream maker simply does the mixing for you. You can also pour your ice cream mixture into popsicle molds for delicious healthy popsicles!
You can also try making a sorbet, which is super simple and tasty, consisting of only three ingredients: fruit, sweetener (honey, agave, rice syrup), and lime juice. This can also be frozen into popsicle form. Again, compile your ingredients, blend, and freeze! It’s that easy.
I fully sympathize with not having the time to make frozen goodies yourself, so if you’re at the store and looking for something cold and nutritious, what should you choose?
We highly recommend Coconut Bliss coconut ice cream. It’s free of major food allergens (although this varies slightly with different flavors) including dairy, soy, and sugar, yet it’s creamy and tastes amazing. Coconut Bliss can be purchased at most health food grocery stores. Luna and Larry’s also makes ice cream bars if you’re looking for something to enjoy on the run.
So there you have it- 3 alternatives to unhealthy summer treats that do not involve processed sugar or dairy ingredients!
As promised above, check out this delicious recipe below for coconut mango ice cream!
*What’s wrong with consuming cow’s milk? A few things come to mind: it has high artificial hormone and antibiotic levels, it can suppress your immune system, and it makes the body acidic. This is a big topic and will be explored in detail in another blog post soon, we promise!
Coconut Mango “Ice Cream”
What’s In It?
- 3 cans of organic coconut milk
- 3⁄4 cup maple syrup
- 1⁄4 cup rice syrup
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 cups of chopped mango
How It’s Made
1. Combine coconut milk, maple syrup, rice syrup, ginger, mangoes, vanilla extract and salt in blender. Process mixture until well blended. Pour into large mixing bowl.
2. Pour mixture into ice cream machine or food processor and turn on, occasionally scraping sides of bowl, until creamy and somewhat firm.
This non-dairy ice cream is a treat suitable for any and all types. With no sugar, preservatives, or colours, it allows the natural exotic flavours of mango and coconut milk to come out.
