Last Updated on December 31, 2019 by Patricia Carter
SUMMARY: This recipe, Luke’s Healthy Poptart, is particularly healthy because it uses blueberries, nuts, flaxseed, and Ceylon cinnamon. We’re talking brain health, microbiome supportive fiber, phytochemicals, and blood sugar regulating spices! The recipe is so satiating that nugget sizes are the serving size! This recipe came about because Luke was reminiscing and belly aching about not having the snack bag which included Poptarts, that we use to pack for the long 11 hour trip to the beach. It was easy to redo that food into a whole clean food, bursting with gut microbiome supportive ingredients and minus those that evidence shows can cause harm. Enjoy this recipe with redic delic pleasure! Happy New Year, Happy New Decade!
Luke’s Healthy Poptart PALEO, SCD (and its versions PRODUCE, UMass IBD-AID)
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, softened
- 3 Tbsp almond butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (use honey if SCD or UMass IBD-AID)
- 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed, grind just before use (omit if SCD or PRODUCE)
Instructions
Method for preparing crust and crumbs
- Line a 8x8x1 inch oven safe baking dish with unbleached parchment paper.
- In the dish, use a spatula and stir together the almond flour, coconut flour and cinnamon.
- Add the coconut oil, almond butter, and sweetener. With the side of the spatula, use a cutting motion to combine the mixture and stir till crumbly, breaking up larger clumps.
- Remove and set aside 1 cup of the finer sized crumbs. Press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish. Use the flat backside of a measuring cup to level and even out the crust a bit.
Method for preparing Blueberry Topping
- Combine the berries, lemon juice, and honey in a tall sided 2 quart saucepan.
- Simmer about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. As the berries soften, use a potato masher to smash the berries. Once berries are smashed well, remove from the heat and allow to cool a bit.
- Stir in flaxseed if using.
Method to Assemble Luke’s Poptart
- Preheat convection oven to 325F (use 350F for conventional oven).
- Pour berry mixture on top of the crust. Using the backside of a spoon, smooth filling end to end.
- Using your fingers, evenly sprinkle the reserved crust mixture across the top of the filling. Gently press crumbs into the berry mixture.
- Bake 15 minutes, then cover with foil to prevent over browning the top, and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place the cooled Poptart in the refrigerator and cut nuggets for serving sizes.
A brief explanation on the benefits of some of these whole foods ingredients
- Berries are the only fruit specifically recommended for the brain healthy MIND diet. [Morris et al 2015] That is because the only fruit with published evidence for brain health is berries! BIG tip: Eat berries daily if possible. Great buys are at Costco or Sams in the frozen aisle –> That way they never go to waste! Also Important: Always buy berries organic because they are on the EWG dirty listing!
- Ceylon Cinnamon has immune regulating and blood sugar modulation properties. [Kizilaslan et al 2019] Ceylon Cinnamon is not the typical cinnamon in your grocers. Always check with your medical professional if using therapeutically. The benefit from many of my recipes is their incorporation of incredible super-food seasonings. See Table 1 of the paper titled “Identification of the 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols” for the potency for other polyphenols and antioxidants of many spices and herbs that are missing from the Western diet! https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn201022/table/1
- Coconut flour and flaxseed adds important microbiome supportive fiber.
- The nuts and flaxseed also adds healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
Note the crazy listing of ingredients in the Kellogg’s Blueberry Poptart “SMARTLABEL” compared to my whole foods “Luke’s Healthy Poptart” recipe!
I wasn’t surprised to see the gut harming ingredients (underlined) in the Kellogg’s Blueberry Poptart (accessed Dec 31, 2019 from http://smartlabel.kelloggs.com/Product/Index/00038000222559#ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR (not organic, it’s GMO), BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED BLUEBERRIES (not organic but on EWG dirty list), DRIED GRAPES, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), DRIED APPLES (not organic but on EWG dirty list), CITRIC ACID, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, GELATIN, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM, SOY LECITHIN, CARAMEL COLOR, CORNSTARCH (GMO), TURMERIC EXTRACT, COLOR RED 40 1/2, BLUE 2, BLUE 1, COLOR ADDED
We hope you enjoy Luke’s Healthy Poptart as much as us!
Best in health through awareness,
References
- [Morris et al 2015] MIND Diet Associated with Reduced Incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease
- EWG dirty listing.
- [Kizilaslan et al 2019] The Effect of Different Amounts of Cinnamon Consumption on Blood Glucose in Healthy Adult Individuals, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6425402/
- “Identification of the 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols” https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn201022/table/1
- Kellogg’s Blueberry Poptart (accessed Dec 31, 2019 from http://smartlabel.kelloggs.com/Product/Index/00038000222559#ingredients
Last updated: December 31, 2019 at 12:57 pm
to correct typo
