Summer Eats & Treats

Sticking to a regular, healthy eating schedule during the summer months is not easy. BBQ’s, ice cream, campfire treats, chips, and booze are plentiful whether at the cottage or a backyard party. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself every once and awhile, but given the plethora of special occasions over the summer (weddings, parties, vacations etc) it can be unwise to use every event as an ‘excuse’ for going overboard. Below are some healthier Summer Eats & Treats you can make and indulge in from the comfort of your home. 

Crunchy Buckwheat and Oat Granola Clusters

This incredible granola recipe is straight from the Oh She Glows Cookbook. I replaced some of the sugar and oil with applesauce without comprising the flavour or texture. I definitely recommend purchasing her cookbook, especially if you have any allergies to gluten, dairy or eggs.  All the recipes are vegan and the majority are gluten-free or can be easily made gluten-free with simple substitutions. I served this over homemade unsweetened cashew milk, but would also be delicious with greek yogurt if you can tolerate dairy 

Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Ice cream is by far one of my favourite foods. When I lived in Italy for a year, gelato was a daily staple in my diet. Unfortunately, most conventional ice creams bother my gut due to their combination of dairy, sugar and some scary sounding food additives (mono and diglycerides, corn syrup, soy lethicin, tartrazine and polysorbate 80). Instead, I use the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer to create instant and delicious ice cream at home. This ice cream was made using a combination of this Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe , topped with peanut butter fudge chunks from Chocolate Covered Katie. The only issue with homemade ice cream is that is does not freeze well over time and is best served immediately after making for a creamy, authentic texture.

For a lighter ice cream treat, try making banana fro-yo! The recipe is posted on my Instagram Account (lauravonhagen)

 Paleo Lime Cheesecake Bars 

Last by not least, my ultimate favourite frozen dessert item this summer was these gluten-free and dairy-free key lime pie ‘cheesebake’ bars from the Everyday Detox Cookbook by Megan Gilmore. The recipe originally called for lemon, but I replaced it with lime for a more tart and refreshing taste. Her cookbook contains excellent recipes without complicated or hard to find ingredients. I ordered her cookbook on Amazon.

Summer might be coming to an end, but you still have plenty of time to experiment with these recipes in your own kitchen!