Summertime Popsicles

Enjoying a strawberry-pineapple popsicle.

Who doesn't like a popsicle? They are awesome summertime treats to help cool off from the hottest days. What I don't like about popsicles are the sugar laden options found in your grocers freezer. I cannot say every single option you can find at the super market is horrible, but most are pretty much crap. They are full of sugars, chemicals, and dyes that are just not needed in your diet. There are some "healthy and all natural" options out there, but be careful with labeling. It is barely a secret that corporations hide lots of true facts in order to market their product as healthy or all natural. Plus the price on the "good" stuff usually sky rockets. I like to spend my limited dollars on essentials that are actually good for us.

As soon as the weather turned hot, Sophia started begging for popsicles. Last year, we had them in our freezer at all times. Within the past year, I have learned a whole heck of a lot about nutrition and all the crap most marketed foods are loaded with. This summer, I have not been able to allow myself to spend my money on these neon colored treats. But popsicles are part of summer!! I cannot deprive my child of such a childhood staple. So we set out to find some popsicle molds and made our own.

I am not going to give a recipe for this, because you can basically throw anything you want into them. Pick whatever fruits (and even some veggies) you have on hand and toss them in the blender. Simple enough! This may be a great opportunity to sneak in some veggies for some picky eaters you may have. So far we have made strawberry-pineapple pops and banana berry-kale pops. You may get turned off at the idea of kale in your popsicle, but the sweetness of the fruit completely masks the flavor and you get all the added benefits of the super food. Just pour the fruit blend into your mold and freeze! If you have any leftover, drink it as a smoothie! Totally delicious and totally healthy!

Adding some kale!