Healthy Frozen Pops for Kids

Summertime always meant Popsicles when I was a kid, but now that I'm a parent, I look at the neon colors and exotic flavors and see all the chemicals and refined sugars that my little ones will be consuming. It's such a great summer treat and no one should miss the sheer pleasure of a frozen treat on a hot day, so I've chosen to find alternatives.

The first thing a mom needs to start generating healthier frozen pops for the kids is a couple of Popsicle molds - they are easy to find at any dollar store.

There are plenty of methods of making healthier pop, and there are more advantages than the considerable improvement on the nutrient content. Homemade pops are almost always easier on the budget, too.

The most obvious and simplest way to make frozen pops is to use juice. If you aren't selective, though, your juice pops might contain the same ingredients as the junk food pops in the grocery store. Even juices that hype the health aspect can be found to have unhealthy additives like high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, fake flavors and fake sweeteners. Go for juices that are 100% juice. Don't be fooled by the cans of "nectar" either - they often have the same undesirable ingredients that juices do.

A really simple and frugal way to make frozen pops is to make them from a flavorful iced tea. Kids tend to like herbal teas when they contain flavors like chamomile, mint, citrus and berry. Certain "zinger" type teas are very kid-friendly. Rooibos, or red tea, is also a healthy tea full of antioxidants, caffeine-free, with a naturally sweet taste that kids like. Moms can find kid-specific teas in a natural foods store, or the natural foods aisle in a major grocery store. There are also many unique sources online for specialty teas of all flavors.

A more complicated but rewarding way to make frozen pops is to blend frozen fruit with a liquid of your choice and if you like, a bit of sweetener. Frozen strawberries, peaches, mangoes, cantaloupe and of course banana are all good candidates for this method. You might use milk, coconut milk, milk kefir or any non-dairy milk that your family likes, to make a creamy sherbet-like pop. Banana-based pops can include vanilla and even nut butters.

For a lighter pop more like a sorbet, add juice or iced tea to your frozen fruit chunks. A splash of lemon or lime can make the flavors of the sweeter fruits brighter. No matter what style of blender pop you decide to make, be sure that either the liquid or the fruit you add is frozen when you put it into the blender. A mixture without a frozen ingredient will be too runny and separate in the mold. A benefit of the blender method is that you can sneak in veggies and no one will be the wiser. Carrots and kale are two veggies that are very compatible with fruits, though of course kale will color your mixture - no problem if you're making lime or kiwi pops!

No matter which type of homemade frozen pops your kids find in the freezer, they are sure to enjoy them just as much as the purchased variety, and you'll enjoy knowing that they are having a healthier snack.