“Mom, I’ve had a lot of muscle twitches lately. Why is that?”
My kids ask me a lot of health-related questions. Being a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, my kids have come to believe that I know everything about health and that I can instantly come up with the solution for any symptom (while flattering, it’s not entirely true, though I do try).
But in this case, I actually did know the root cause. The most common cause of muscle spasms is an imbalance of either magnesium or potassium (or both!).
RELATED: What are the best forms of magnesium?

Why Kids Need Potassium
Most kids these days are severely lacking in potassium. It’s challenging to get enough of this mineral through food even when you are intentional.
If you aren’t paying attention, it’s nearly impossible, especially when eating a Standard American Diet.
The RDA of potassium for kids ranges from 3,000mg – 4,700mg per day (depending on age).
To put that in perspective, one medium banana contains about 400mg of potassium. So eating a banana does not cover your child’s potassium intake for the day.
Potassium is important for:
- Heart health
- Regulating blood pressure
- Muscle contraction
- Moving nutrients into cells
- Moving waste out of cells
- Hydration
- Thyroid function
- Digestion (insufficient potassium is often the cause of constipation!)

What Foods Contain Potassium?
Some great sources of potassium aside from bananas include:
- Greens
- Black-eye peas
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Squash
- Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Cantaloupe
- Orange
- Strawberry
- Kiwi
- Coconut water
As you can see, if you have a child that struggles to eat many fruits and veggies, potassium will be severely lacking.

Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe with Unexpected Health Benefits
Getting sufficient potassium is one of the biggest struggles for my clients. Most kids don’t want to eat black-eyed peas and beet greens every day!
So I created an allergen-free ice cream that kids love and that gives a great potassium boost! It’s a no-churn ice cream recipe too, so no ice cream maker is required!
This dairy-free ice cream is made mostly of bananas, but also contains a secret ingredient – cream of tartar. Not only does this improve the flavor of the ice cream, but it also adds a lot of potassium.
One teaspoon of cream of tartar contains almost 500mg of potassium!
Don’t forget about the maple syrup. It’s actually a good source of trace minerals. Each tablespoon contains 40-50mg of potassium.
Potassium and sodium should be kept in balance. So it’s important to add quality salt to the ice cream too.
Please note that not everyone tolerates cream of tartar due to sulfites and histamine. Also, cream of tartar is made from grapes. So be sure you are using high-quality cream of tartar made from grapes that have not been sprayed with harmful chemicals.
You can substitute potassium chloride or some avocado for the cream of tartar if you do not tolerate it. Both are also great sources of potassium.

How to Make No-Churn Dairy-Free Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker
Using frozen bananas as a base is a simple way to get creamy, dairy-free ice cream! My kids actually like the flavor and texture better than coconut milk.
It’s important to use a food processor instead of a blender when making this dairy-free ice cream. A blender would just turn it to mush, more like a smoothie.

Potassium-Rich Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blend
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This creamy dairy-free ice cream tastes delicious and is loaded with potassium!
Ingredients
- 4–6 medium size ripe bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1/4 tsp. potassium chloride)
- 4 – 6 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel, slice, and freeze the bananas on a baking tray or in a baggie the day before or at least a few hours before making the ice cream.
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor until the ice cream mixture is smooth. This may take up to 10 minutes. Periodically break up chunks and push down.
- Serve immediately or put in the freezer until completely firm.
Notes
- For chocolate ice cream add 2-3 Tbsp. organic cocoa powder (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!). You may need to add a little maple syrup as well. Adjust sweetness to your liking.
- You may stir in chocolate chips after the ice cream is fully blended.
- For added creaminess and potassium, add 1/4 avocado before blending.
- Add dye-free sprinkles for an extra special treat!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 107
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 236mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg

Healthy Dairy-Free Ice Cream with a Natural Sweetener
It is possible to make a delicious summer dessert with health benefits! This dairy-free banana ice cream packs of a punch of potassium. If you need more delicious ways to get potassium, check out this watermelon slushie or homemade strawberry sorbet!
Not coincidentally, a couple of days before I made this recipe my daughter mentioned her muscle twitches she had a night where she just could not get to sleep! The solution? Minerals!
We made sure she got plenty of magnesium, sodium, and of course potassium. Which meant back to sleeping well and no more muscle spasms.
RELATED: For muscle spasms also try magnesium lotion at bedtime!
Keeping your child’s minerals balanced and boosted is one of the best ways to help them feel their best! Learn more about Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and how it can help you do just that HERE.
In the meantime, treat the whole family to a scoop of this potassium-rich dairy-free ice cream!
Let me know what you think and share this with your friends!

Hi Mary, this recipe sounds really great but my daughter isn’t overly fond of bananas. Would i be able to substitute them with coconut milk? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Tamara, you could make a coconut milk ice cream in an ice cream mixer and add cream of tartar for some potassium. It wouldn’t work the same as the bananas. One is a starch/solid and one is a fat/liquid. They are not interchangeable. The ice cream does not have a strong banana flavor to it. When bananas are frozen they taste different. It might be worth a try.
Awesome! Thanks very much for your quick reply. I will try the banana recipe first.