For eight weeks, Martin is on an extra-strict diet, as part of a final push against yeast overgrowth. You may ask, How could that possibly be, an extra-strict diet? After all, forget the extra strictness; Martin’s ASD recovery diet includes, well, almost nothing in the first instance.

But it’s true. For these eight weeks (as of today, we’re three weeks in) we’re shaving “almost nothing” down to “really pretty darned close to nothing.” No grains, no quinoa, no honey or raw agave nectar or coconut crystals, no winter squash or sweet potato, no sauerkraut or other fermented foods, no once-a-week pear. Martin is subsisting on dark green vegetables, cauliflower, summer squash, lemons, ginger, turmeric, nuts, seeds, eggs (not chicken eggs), and meat.

Martin’s school asks that I send cookies/treats with him each day, as the children often receive snacks for positive reinforcement. I tried a couple recipes for unsweetened hazelnut cookies, which flopped—returned home in Martin’s steel snack container, crumbled and sad, accompanied by a teacher’s note that Martin just didn’t like them.

The recipes thus proven fruitless, I was left to sally forth alone in pursuit of a snack he might enjoy. And soon I hit pay dirt, big time. Martin goes bonkers for these “nutty bars.” (Why must I conjure a cutesy diminutive name for everything from snacks to body parts? No idea.) I’ve tried the nutty bars myself, and they really aren’t bad, unless you consider incredibly fattening to be “bad.”

almond butter, lots
unsweetened cocoa powder
bee pollen
unsweetened coconut flakes
some combination of cacao nibs, sesame seeds, and/or hemp seeds

The almond butter is the base. (Hazelnut butter works well, too, but it tends to be much more expensive.) Mix in enough cocoa powder to give the almond butter a dry consistency, keeping in mind that too much cocoa powder can result in a bitter taste. Then add the combination ingredients and a generous helping of bee pollen and coconut flakes, both of which give the bars a sweet edge without adding sugar. You may find it easiest to use your hands to mix in these final ingredients, in a kneading motion.

Press the mixture into a small glass storage container, cover, and refrigerate. Cut into bars.

Note that these need to be kept cold, or else they can morph into something resembling pudding, which is still tasty but less convenient. I send Martin’s nutty bars to school with a cold brick in the container.