Kefir Squeezies

This snack is so simple to make that it’s hard to even call it a recipe. I make these kefir squeezies instead of the tubed yogurt that my kids really like. Even the organic ‘good’ brands use ingredients I don’t really want in my kids’ food, like carrageenan, artificial flavors, carob bean gum, and the biggest turn off for me – low fat milk. They are also a crappy deal, each tube is two ounces (which is a quarter of a cup) and to get a toddler satisfied you would need at least three of those tubes. Which is okay until you count how much sugar that adds up to. Each serving has of organic brands has 10 grams of sugar per 1/4 of a cup. Ten grams is two teaspoons… can anything good come out of a kid eating  six teaspoons of sugar in one sitting? Hmm.. not in my house.

Anyway, I think I’m better off investing a little money into silicon squeeze tubes and make my own treats.  I use Lékué, but have an eye on these guys. Kefir is very simple to make at home, please check out this post for its countless health benefits and how to make instructions. You can use kefir, or yogurt, preferably homemade, and just add whatever berries and fruit you have around. My kids love raspberries and strawberries.

The variations are endless – add beet kvass for bright red color and extra nutrients; egg yolk or whole cream to make it extra creamy; kombucha if your kids don’t drink it otherwise; pre-soaked chia seeds for fun texture; or even avocado and spinach juice, masking them behind other flavors. The recipe below is just barely sweet, and my kids like it; add more sweetener if you think necessary.