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Oh, how I love hot, lazy days of summer where we can
just kick back and enjoy being outdoors. And, when the
hot weather hits, there is nothing more refreshing than
popsicles!
Peruse the shelves of the grocery store, though, and you will be hard-pressed to find ones that are not laden with sugar and food colorings! So bad were the popsicles served at my children's camps that even heavy-duty detergents and bleach could not get the stains out of their shirts, and their hands were stained for days. Do we really want to be putting that into our children's bodies? I don't think so!
Luckily, popsicles are the easiest treats to make, and children love to participate in making them with you! All you need is a set of molds (Williams-Sonoma has some adorable shooting star ones) and some juice, fruit, yogurt or even chocolate soy milk. Following are some of my favorite recipes, but experiment with the fruits or other ingredients that your children like best.
If you just are not up for making them, there is also a brand at Whole Foods and other health food stores called Fruitfull (my daughter and I are completely addicted to the Coconut, and I eventually requested that our children’s camp serve these as an option!). Coconut Bliss also carries chocolate and coconut popsicles made from coconut and sweetened with agave nectar. In a pinch, these are both good choices, but it is better and more fun to make your own!
Banana Cream Popsicles
6 bananas
1 cup yogurt (Stonyfield, Brown Cow, Fage or So Delicious Vanilla coconut yogurt are my favorites)
Mix the ingredients in a blender or by hand and then pour into molds. Freeze and enjoy!
Watermelon Electrolyte Lemonade Popsicles
Watermelon, cubed or chunked (approximately 4 cups)
1 to 2 cups Newman's Own Lemonade (or other healthy, low-sugar lemonade)
1 squeeze of agave nectar
1 dash of sea salt
Combine the ingredients and blend in a blender. Be sure to put aside a few chunks to simply mash up and add to the mixture to give it texture. Pour the mixture into the molds and freeze. These are so refreshing and delicious and are great after a workout or hot day at the beach!
Peach-Mango Cream Popsicles
2 peaches (cut up and frozen)
1 ripe mango
1 cup yogurt (vanilla Stonyfield, Fage or Brown Cow are my faves)
Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth. It is nice to leave a few peaches aside to mash and add to the mixture. Pour into molds and serve.
Strawberry and Cream Popsicles
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
Combine the ingredients and blend until smooth, but leave a few strawberry chunks. Pour in the molds and freeze.
Chocolate-Banana Popsicles
Chocolate soy milk (Edensoy or Silk)
Frozen banana
Unsweetened grated coconut (or the meat from a young Thai coconut)
Agave nectar (optional)
Combine the above ingredients and blend. Pour in molds, freeze and enjoy! These are decadent!
Katherine Pennington is a holistic health counselor and founder of Be in Balance, which helps women and men lose weight, reduce stress and achieve more balance in their lives. Additionally, Katherine runs a cooking program for kids and their moms called Kids in the Kitch, in which she helps mothers and fathers cook healthier meals for their families as well as works one-on-one with children. Katherine is also an avid runner and marathoner and advises athletes on how to fuel for maximum performance and health.
Katherine graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition/Columbia Teachers College and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Additionally, Katherine is a founding member of Women for Family Nutrition (www.wffn.org).
Katherine resides in New York City and is the mother to two beautiful children.
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