How to Make Healthy Popsicles

If there's one thing kids love about summer, it's popsicles. What's not to love? The calories and sugar, that's what. Whether you choose fruit bars, pudding pops, or regular old popsicles there's a chance that the store-brand you choose will not be healthy. But, that doesn't mean you should stop giving your child popsicles. Instead, take a few moments and read the following tips on how to make healthy popsicles.

If you're looking for your basic run of the mill popsicles, you can't go wrong with 100% juice. Try using grape juice, orange juice, apple juice, or whatever other flavor your child prefers. You can even blend different juice flavors to make a customized flavor just for them. When buying 100% juice, make sure it's healthy. Look at the sugar content and the ingredients. If all else fails, you can always buy a juicer and make your own healthy juice.

If your child prefers the fruit bar variety of popsicles, all you have to do is make a healthy fruit puree. Take their favorite fruit and puree it in the blender with a bit of 100% fruit juice. The fruit juice will add a bit of sweetness, but if the puree is still not sweet enough add Splenda or honey. To make these healthy popsicles even tastier, add pieces of coarsely chopped fruit to the puree before freezing. If your child likes a creamy fruit bar, add fat-free yogurt to the mix. Just be sure that the yogurt is low in calories and sugar.

Even pudding pops can be made healthy. When making this variety of popsicles, you can either use cooked or instant pudding. Just be sure to allow the hot pudding to cool before freezing. There are now several types of fat-free and sugar-free pudding available. Just choose a flavor your child would like, prepare, and freeze. If you like, you can add healthy dark chocolate chips to these popsicles.