Summer offers such wonderful ways to splurge. We like to eat piles of watermelon slices, bowls of ice cream and mountains of frozen treats. All of these can be healthful if you make attempts. And with our special diet requirements, it's hard not to be.

Our favorite ice cream varieties are made by Turtle Mountain, which also is the maker of So Delicious products. I love the vanilla made with coconut milk with a drizzle of Hershey's Syrup. And in our freezer this summer standing by for outside treats are the brand's fudge bars (right). I found a box of "mini" fudge bars at Kroger yesterday and they are out of this world -- and just the right size for little hands and those watching their waistlines. Turtle Mountain products follow a strict allergen code. Read about it here.

A summer splurge such as gluten-free ice cream bars made with pure ingredients all would agree is a pretty healthy choice. Other summer treats we like to indulge in are simple fruit pops. Freeze blended berries with a splash of fruit juice in mini paper cups with Popsicle sticks for a fun and sweet treat. Or, if dairy is allowed, simply dip a baby spoon through the tops of yogurt containers and freeze for 2-3 hours. My little dairy-eater gets a kick out of this and I like to use Stoneyfield Farms varieties, which are organic. Read about Stoneyfield here.

Another healthy summer concoction? We enjoy banana smoothies. Frozen bananas are our new trick of the trade. Blend em with some cocoa powder and Very Vanilla Silk, and you have yourself a decadent milkshake. Try some coconut milk and frozen pineapples for a tropical treat, strawberries and yogurt for a standard smoothie, peanut butter and chocolate milk for a high-energy treat ... the list is endless.

So, I'm trying my darnedest to get the most nutritious and environmentally conscious things into my little one's bellies, even during dessert. But I'm picking my battles.

Try as I may, I am having a hard time calling the next treat a healthy one. It is low in calorie and mostly water, I'll give it that. But I'm not sure all the colorings make up for that fact.

Jell-O is a brand I like to purchase. It is super costly and easy to make, which is a rare attribution when it comes to a gluten-free product. It jiggles, it's cold and it's just plain fun. The kids have their favorite colors (yellow and orange) and I like to pack little containers of it in their snack bags on a hot summer day. Some people put fruit in it, but my kids don't fall for that. They simply eat around the fruit.

Anyway, I make Jell-O. Artificial, brightly colored and full-of-sugar J-E-L-L-O. With all the good I do, this really isn't much of a stray. In fact, I have created a big enough gap with all our healthy eating to wiggle in a little convenience food, right?

They love it, I love it. And in moderation (is once a day moderation?), I'm willing to jump off the all-natural/pure food wagon for a few minutes.

Oh, and I bought little glass bowls (see photo at top) to avoid any chemicals from plastics leaching into the warm liquid. So, technically it's healthy.

In my book, anyway.