Would/do you let you're toddlers/kids eat coconut "ice cream"? NOT DAIRY

[sosurreal09]

My DD is 15 m/o and she eats really healthy. I do let her have those So Delicious mini "ice cream" sandwiches. I mean they are coconut and only have 7g of sugar. There aren't any preservatives or anything. She usually only eats a half of one anyway. I feel like it's not so bad for her b/c coconut has a lot of benefits. Also if I am eating some from a pint I share it with her.

So what do you think, healthy enough or am I trashing her system?

[WindyCityMom]

It's going to vary depending on who you ask, lol.

I didn't give DD1 ice cream (at least a serving of it) until she was 2yo.  It was rare, and it was the crappy kind from the ice cream truck.  If it were a healthier ice cream and just a small amount, I'd consider it for a smaller child if they asked for it.  I wouldn't just offer it to them, kwim? But if they asked, I think I'd oblige once in a blue moon.

[Alyantavid]

I would.

But my kids are dairy free and older and this is the only ice cream (along with Rice Dream) that they can have so I don't really mind.  It's not like they're eating it daily.

[plantnerd]

I believe in moderation of sweets.  I don't keep stuff like that around as a rule- because we're (DH and I) fat and would scarf them down, but every once in a while we all need "a little sweet".  My 13 month old loves some ice cream, it makes his butt explode though, I think too fatty, so it's very seldom he gets a taste.  He does adore the natural breyers fruit popsicles though, and I will throw one at him verey couple of days after he eats all of his dinner.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

We didn't really do sweets and treats with DD until she was 2.  I'm glad we waited.  She doesn't really like them all that much now and didn't develop a sweet tooth (like her mom has....).  Now if she wants a cookie she will only eat half of it.  Soooo unlike me. 

So to answer your question, no, I wouldn't give it to her. 

I have made homemade coconut ice cream though that is sweetened with real maple syrup and is much, much healthier than the store bought version that I would be more likely to give a child that young.

[onlyzombiecat]

I think it depends on how often it is happening just like any sweet treat.

I'd let my 10 year old eat it but not daily. We don't do things like ice cream daily even if it is a healthier version.

[tanyalynn]

I don't think it's any healthier than milk-based ice cream sandwiches unless you're dairy intolerant (we are), but with older kids, and assuming we have more kids, the next will have more sweets earlier than these kids did.  But they'll also have more interesting healthy stuff earlier than these two did, because we hadn't added that into our repertoire yet--this is our family, it's the way we eat, and we're integrating the kids more fully into that sooner than we did with the first. 

[Llyra]

Yeah, sure. Not on a regular basis, as a staple of their diet. But for a sometimes treat, I think it's fine. I wouldn't give them to a baby younger than about nine or ten months, though. We tried really hard to avoid any sugar until they were eating a wide variety of other solid food.

I would allow real ice cream as well, though. We're big ice cream eaters here, and have no trouble with dairy. I try and stick to simple ice-cream made with only the most basic ingredients, though. I stay away from packaged stuff like ice cream sandwiches because of the artificial ingredients.

[sosurreal09]

Well I say not dairy b/c I don't believe dairy has any nutritional benefits period. I would not give her dairy ice cream. The coconut stuff we have doesn't have any added sugar, the sugar in it comes from the coconut milk. It does have agave in it though. It seems to be healthy, just coconut milk, agave, cocoa, and some natural flavors (vegan). It has good fats in it and MFACs in it.

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

Well I say not dairy b/c I don't believe dairy has any nutritional benefits period. I would not give her dairy ice cream. The coconut stuff we have doesn't have any added sugar, the sugar in it comes from the coconut milk. It does have agave in it though. It seems to be healthy, just coconut milk, agave, cocoa, and some natural flavors (vegan). It has good fats in it and MFACs in it.

It's the agave that's the sweetener, then. But even so, it sounds like a yummy, nutritious treat, to me. The dairy-- well, we'll agree to disagree. I come from a very different dietary perspective. But I do agree that coconut is a good healthy food, and coconut "ice cream" is great.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 
The coconut stuff we have doesn't have any added sugar, the sugar in it comes from the coconut milk. It does have agave in it though. It seems to be healthy, just coconut milk, agave, cocoa, and some natural flavors (vegan). It has good fats in it and MFACs in it.

Sounds good! 

I would be just fine with this depending on what else it eaten during the day.  

[amma_mama]

At that age, I would limit it to a bite or two, now and again. It is a sweet, maybe better ingredients than most, but still a sweet. I have to admit that they are awfully yummy, though...DD and I are pretty much addicted to the mini fudge bars under the same brand! DD is now 6 so a mini bar or sandwich is the perfect size of treat for her to have.

[deditus]

Yes - but homemade. Way cheaper. Our ice cream maker paid for itself in weeks...But dd reacts to coconut milk now, boo-hoo:(

[sosurreal09]

Originally Posted by deditus 

Yes - but homemade. Way cheaper. Our ice cream maker paid for itself in weeks...But dd reacts to coconut milk now, boo-hoo:(

Oh that stinks!

As for homemade, I keep considering it, but I find that a small can of coconut milk is like $2.50! I get a pint of "ice cream" for like $4.75. IDK how much that one can would make and then there's adding other ingredients to flavor...

[sosurreal09]

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz 

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 
The coconut stuff we have doesn't have any added sugar, the sugar in it comes from the coconut milk. It does have agave in it though. It seems to be healthy, just coconut milk, agave, cocoa, and some natural flavors (vegan). It has good fats in it and MFACs in it.

Sounds good! 

I would be just fine with this depending on what else it eaten during the day.  

We have a very healthy diet. There is no junk. She isn't a big snacker anyway. She LOVES veggies, most fruits, and we only eat whole grains. 90% of our diet is homemade. We hardly ever eat out. We even make our own fresh juice with spinach, kale, and apples every morning. We do eat meat (which I know is another agree to disagree on healthiness) grassfed (if that's what they are suppose to eat), free range as much as possible. She also loves eggs. Also still avidly BFing.

typically she will have the following:

Breakfast- egg, a little whole wheat toast or oatmeal and some fruit

Snack- blueberries (and maybe a little so delicious coconut yogurt)

Lunch- brown rice, chicken, peas, spices

Dinner- cabbage, kale, kielbasa (fresh, just pork and spices not like the American kind at all, homemade by the local Polish deli), red potatoes, onion

We don't eat sweets besides the coconut products. Even if we make muffins or fruit breads we only use 1/2 cup raw sugar, blackstrap molasses, and honey to sweeten, so it's not too sweet. That's for a whole batch.
 

[Panserbjorne]

I think agave is the devil and avoid it as best I can, but I do allow coconut milk ice cream of the so delicious brand at events.  They maybe get it once every other month or so.  I don't feel it's healthy, but I don't feel it's damaging in moderation either (assuming you can handle coconut!)

[sosurreal09]

Well we can agree to disagree about agave. I still eat soy too! A few bad articles with crazy accusations haven't swayed me on fruits/veggies/cacti-like plant juice being soooooooo bad for us.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09 

Well we can agree to disagree about agave. I still eat soy too! A few bad articles with crazy accusations haven't swayed me on fruits/veggies/cacti-like plant juice being soooooooo bad for us.

Haven't read any articles.  Just looking at basic chemistry and metabolic function.  It's got a higher fructose content than HFCS and is totally inflammatory.  Some might now have an issue with that.  My body would.  Fructose is a no no for me.  I feel sad that it's peddled for diabetics and touted as being low on the GI scale (which doesn't measure fructose.) 

Anyway, perhaps I should have said I think it's the devil for my physiology and skittish blood sugar.  I am certainly not trying to sway anyone!  My point was more that even though I feel that way I still let my kids have it now and again.  :)

[New_Natural_Mom]

I haven't read all the replies, but we don't give DS desserts at all.  He has had a dessert maybe 3 times in his life and it was only a taste, not a whole thing.  He drinks So Delicious coconut kefir daily & likes the yogurt.  We don't eat ice cream, so I wouldn't give it to him, and I think they have agave which is just as bad as HFCS so we wouldn't eat that anyway.

[crunchy_mommy]

I voted 'yes' but really it would be more of an 'occasional' thing. I think DS has had coconut ice cream twice in his life (and a couple bites of soy ice cream a handful of times). We don't do dairy & we don't limit sweets -- if we are eating sweets, 23mo DS can too, but we really don't eat sweets all that often (and when we do, it's usually 90% cocoa chocolate - which has almost no sugar lol, or homemade things like black bean brownies where the sugar comes from bananas). I don't worry about the fat so much as the 'processed' nature of things like ice cream sandwiches, but we already have a lot of dietary restrictions so I try not to go nuts denying him every little thing.