What are some healthy kid treats for summer?



School’s almost out, the weather’s heating up, and your kids are craving those icy treats. Since a diet of ice cream and milkshakes isn’t what the dentist ordered, here are some suggestions for frozen delights that are less sugary and more nourishing.

Frosty Grape Skewers
Ingredients: Fresh grapes, any color
Wooden skewers, for assembling
Thread grapes onto wooden skewers, then freeze in a gallon freezer bag. Thaw ten minutes before enjoying.
Kids love to help thread the grapes onto the skewers and the end result tastes like a sweet slushy.

Summer Berry Froyo cups
1 cup whole plain yogurt
1 banana
½ tsp. vanilla extract
about 20 raspberries
½ cup blueberries
Blend bananas, yogurt, raspberries and vanilla until smooth. Spoon into a muffin tin (silicone works best) and top with blueberries and raspberries. Freeze, then pop out and store in freezer bags. Thaw ten minutes before enjoying.
These charming, sweet-tart cups are perfect with breakfast on a hot morning.

Banana Mango Chia Pops
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango
2 T chia seeds
Puree fruit in a food processor until smooth, then stir in seeds. Spoon mixture into pop molds and freeze.
These sweet speckled pops provide extra soluble fiber and a fun crunchy/smooth texture.

Probiotic Chocolate Nice Cream
Probiotic powder is optional in this creamy vegan ice cream.
Two bananas, broken into chunks and frozen
1 Tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbls. natural peanut butter.
½ tsp. vanilla extract.
1 scoop unflavored probiotic powder (optional)
Puree banana chunks in a food processor until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and puree a second time, until the consistency is completely smooth, like soft serve. Enjoy immediately.

Pineapple Orange Carrot Pops
1 whole orange
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into four big sticks
In a food processor or high-powered blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Pour into pop molds and freeze overnight.
Put some orange veggies into your sweet treat! They add fiber, vitamin A and depth-of-flavor.

Frozen Watermelon Shapes
Fresh watermelon, whole or part.
Star, heart, or other simply-shaped cookie cutters
Wooden popsicle sticks, for assembling
Cut the watermelon into large rounds about ½ to 1 inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to punch out shapes, and insert one stick into the middle of each shape. Stack carefully inside a gallon freezer bag and freeze overnight.