Treat street- special doughnuts

As I've said in previous posts, my little son has quite the sweet tooth. I read a book recently (Pamela Druckerman's "French Children Don't Throw Food"- a fantastic exploration of the differences in child-rearing practices between American/Anglo and French families) and in it she explores several points relating to child nutrition. Childhood obesity rates in France are lower than all other OECD countries, and Druckerman speculates there are several reasons for this. Particularly, she says that she never sees French parents feeding their children as a form of entertainment, whereas, on visits to her native America, she has become aware that babies and toddlers in prams almost always tote a compensatory biscuit or juice box. I am so aware of this, here in Australia.

Druckerman also makes a point that French children don't grow up in a culture of forbidden food. Does removing the taboo and allure of sugar laden treats, and allowing children to enjoy small treats without guilt, lead to better self-regulation in adults?

I love this theory. I want my children to grow up with a healthy attitude to food, and, to me, that doesn't mean prohibiting them from all things junk. To me, it just means substituting the best treats possible, where possible, and fostering their love in nature sweets, like strawberries and bananas (two of my son's favourites!).

With this in mind, I wanted to make a special snack for Jonno to enjoy that wouldn't fill his developing body with refined sugars and flours and fats. Enter this lovely little baked doughnut. I'll post the recipe later- but they had only organic spelt, manuka honey, milk, yeast, a little butter and a sprinkling of sugar to finish, and being baked they were so much less grease laden than their deep-fried counterparts.