I've been reading Nancy Appleton's book: Lick the Sugar Habit, and in it she outlines "146 Reason Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health." In clinical studies, sugar has been shown to suppress the immune system by decreasing white blood cell's responsiveness to bacteria. The study found that the same reaction didn't occur when subjects were given starches. Empowered with all of this information, I've been thinking about how I can allow my daughter to enjoy this important American tradition, but also keep her from overloading herself and her immune system with sugar.
So, I came up with the idea of making my own candy using no added sugar, instead using naturally sweet starches such as coconut butter, raw carob powder and also coconut oil. I used Bright Earth Foods Vanilla Coconut Oil, which is naturally infused with whole vanilla bean and tastes delicious! Coconut butter is made from the pureed whole flesh of the coconut. Coconut butter is high in lauric acid, which is an antiviral, anti-fungal agent that helps defend again viruses and helps strengthen the immune system. Raw carob powder is made from the carob pod, which is part of the legume family. Carob is low in fat and high in calcium and is a great caffeine free substitute for chocolate. I also added turmeric and ginger to my candies to make them anti-inflammatory. They came out delicious and they've been kid approved.
Coconut Carob Monsters
Ingredients
1/4 cup Coconut Butter
1/4 cup Bright Earth Foods Vanilla Coconut Oil
1/4 Raw Carob Powder
1 tsp Ginger Powder
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Raw Honey (optional)
Process:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl
2. Use your hands to warm and mix until well blended and lumps exist
3. Pour mixture into silicone ice molds
4. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes
5. Enjoy!
Store in a air tight container in the fridge.
