Homemade Custard Recipe
(gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, nut-free)
I came to making custard for Mila not because of wanting to give her a nutrient-dense dessert (we don’t really do desserts – she has those foods as part of her main meal), but as a way to re-incorporate eggs into her diet.
She has always enjoyed eating eggs – either as a pesto pancake (recipe in my book), scrambled eggs or boiled egg halves. But lately, she has “gone off” them as she tells me. Since I was not willing to let this underrated superfood go, I decided to hide it, much like I do vegetables!
I first tried a baked custard – but Mila did not like that texture. Not willing to take no, or “I don’t like custard” for an answer, I moved on to pouring custard. Who doesn’t remember custard over sliced banana from their childhood?! I’ll be honest, she didn’t like that either – she’s not a sauce person. I didn’t give up – I poured the whole lot, banana and all, into a blender and blended it. Then I froze that into ice-lollies – and ta da! It got a “thumbs up” from Mila. 🙂 (See more Problem Solving Ice Lolly recipes here.)
I believe Jelly & Custard is a traditional Christmas dessert for some – you can find my recipe for gut-healing jelly here. And here is the custard recipe…
Serves: 4 adults
FOR THE BASE:
Custard ice bath.
Ta da!
Custard is yet another example of a once-nutrient-dense-food that the food industry has reduced to junk food – worse actually, toxic food.
Full Cream Milk, Sugar, Stabilisers (E1442, E407, E410), Flavourant, Colourants (E104, E110).
Low fat milk, stabilisers (non animal origin), fructo-oligosaccharide (inulin), flavouring, sodium cyclamate, sucralose, sodium saccharine, and colourants
Unfortunately, not.
As I write in the Chemical Cuisine chapter of my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’:
“Quite simply – food is big business. It’s all about marketing, sales and profits. Its not about what nourishes you, or is needed to nourish you.
There are approximately 3000 food additives approved for use in the food industry today!
Some are natural compounds (but may be from genetically modified plants), some are nature-identical (that is, the chemical composition of a natural substance has been copied), and nearly 300 additives are completely synthetic.
While governments and organisations such as Codex assure us that the additives in our food are thoroughly tested and safe for consumption, there are approved additives that have been shown in subsequent independent studies to be harmful to our health. Also, while additives may have been approved on an individual basis, we are routinely exposed to a combination of them, and it’s simply not known what their combined effect on the body may be.
Some artificial food additives have been linked to cancer, digestive problems, neurological conditions, ADHD, heart disease and obesity. Natural additives may be similarly harmful or, be the cause of allergic reactions in certain individuals, since they are isolated compounds – not the whole food.
Symptoms of reactions to additives include:
E104 – Also known as Quinoline Yellow.
One of the Southampton Six colours. In the EU, foods containing the Southampton Six colours have to carry the warning: “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.
Reasons to avoid: The second-most-widely used colouring causes allergy-like hypersensitivity reactions, primarily in aspirin-sensitive persons, and triggers hyperactivity in some children. It may be contaminated with such cancer-causing substances as benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl (or chemicals that the body converts to those substances).
Banned in: UK, EU, USA, Japan, Canada
E110 – Also known as Sunset Yellow.
Also one of the Southampton Six colours.
Reasons to avoid: Increases the number of kidney and adrenal gland tumours in laboratory animals, may cause chromosomal damage. May cause occasional, but sometimes-severe, hypersensitivity reactions.
Banned in: UK, EU
E1442 – Also known as Hydroxy propyl distarch phosphate
Prepared by treating starch with propyleneoxide and phosphoric acid.
Reasons to avoid: It may slow down the degradation of food in the intestine
E407 – Also known as Carrageenan
As written by Dr. Axe “It’s derived from red seaweed and found in many “health” foods. The bottom line is this: carrageenan is no health food by any stretch of the imagination, and it has been shown to cause side effects.”
Reasons to avoid: Carrageenan as been linked to:
E410 – Also known as Carob Bean Gum
Reasons to avoid: Large amounts may cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, cough in infants, allergic reactions. Known to aggravate food intolerances.
Fructo-oligosaccharide – also known as inulin
Reasons to avoid: not absorbed completely by the human body, easily fermented by gut bacteria and can cause significant gastrointestinal (GI) problems. Side effects include: flatulence, bloating, cramps, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Sodium cyclamate – also known as E952
An artificial sweetener.
Reason to avoid: it is a suspected carcinogen, known to cause migraines, aggravates food intolerances.
Banned in: USA, EU, Canada, UK
Sucralose – also known as E955
An artificial sweetener. Sold under the brand name Splenda.
Reasons to avoid: Linked to neurological and immunological disorders, caused kidney and liver damage in tests.
Sodium saccharine – also known as E954
An artificial sweetener.
Reasons to avoid: Known carcinogen especially linked to bladder and reproductive cancers. Aggravates food intolerances. Banned in US in 1977 but reinstated with strict labelling provisions – labels must state “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health, this product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals”
Banned in: France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Israel, Peru, and Taiwan.
And the flavourant? Well favourants are considered to be trade secrets, protected by law – it’s anyone’s guess as to what it is!
In that long list of ingredients that are in the ready-made custard, did you see what’s missing?
EGGS (and nutrients)! No wonder they had to add the artificial yellow colouring.
I list the ingredients to look out for in the “Feeding With Awareness: Chemical Cuisine” chapter of my book and go into further detail of why they should be avoided in the Appendix. You can download my Worst Offenders Chart here for easy reference when being a food detective!