However I don’t think a single pop would need that much fruit so yes you can. Hope that helps! June 11, 2018 at 10:18 pm. What if I just wanted to make the popsicles more like ice pops without the cream? Would it still have popsicle consistency? I tried to make ice pops with Crystal Light and they came out solid like a.
Written by Suzanne, Chief Health Officer and Resident GrandmotherAfter staying with us for nearly a month this July, my grandkids left me three reminders of their visit: fingerprints smudged on the glass of my deck doors, jars of (dead) lightening bugs on the picnic table, and half-full boxes of popsicles in my freezer! That pretty well sums up the summertime, doesn’t it?!Popsicles are a must-have on hot afternoons, and last month, Maia and I set out to find the healthiest fruit popsicles. You’ll see what we discovered under the Good, Okay, Bad, and Sneaky Stuff tabs below.Before I jump into that, I want to make a quick plug for DIY: the healthiest fruit popsicles are those you make yourself!
Healthiest Fruit Popsicles RecipeHomemade popsicles are my favorite in the summer because there are so many fresh fruits available. First, you need to buy a nontoxic.Next, you need to choose your fruit and puree in a blender ( is the one we use).I use 2 cups of fresh or frozen organic berries.
You can use raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, or a blend of them. A banana will lend natural sweetness.
I also add some freshly squeezed fruit juice; orange makes the popsicles sweet, but lemon or lime can be fun, too.I then add one additional cup of water. Other add-ins can include or kefir, or some greens (we’ve found romaine lettuce or spinach to be the mildest in flavor). If you want to add a little raw honey or maple syrup, you can, but if you’re using ripe fruit it should be sweet enough, especially if you include banana.Once you have your blend, just pour and freeze (and drink what’s left as a delicious smoothie!). Healthiest Fruit Popsicles: Store-BoughtIn terms of store-bought fruit popsicles: the bad news is that we found only one brand that we can really call Good Stuff and you can find easily. Just yesterday, after we’d already written this up and shot the video, we happened upon another brand in Whole Foods that is also Good Stuff, but seems to have limited availability.One issue with most store-bought brands is that they don’t use organic fruit; this is particularly concerning when the fruits included in the popsicles are among this “.”Here’s a video of us discussing some of the popsicles that we review in this guide, as well as discussing issues like “fruit juice concentrate” and what “sugar free” popsicles really are. I hope this video makes choosing the healthiest fruit popsicles easier.The Good Stuff. Whole Foods’ version of fruit popsicles are made of mostly juice and cane sugar, and pack 25 grams of sugar.
They aren’t organic and contain carrageenan, which is known Bad Stuff! Shame on you, Whole Foods.Ciao Bella Sorbet BarsThese popsicles consist primarily of concentrated juice and cane sugar (not organic) so I don’t consider them a healthy choice.
They have 11 grams of sugar per bar.Nature’s Hand Organic Freezer BarsWe found these in our local health food store, but they are only marginally better than the conventional version of these. In a way, these are even worse, because they purport to be healthy, despite 33 grams of sugar per serving (which is three bars). When you eat these, you’re just eating frozen sugar water with questionable “natural flavors” tossed in to differentiate between the “fruits.”Organic Whole Fruit Frozen JuiceEven Maia, expert label-reader, was duped by these! We found them at Costco, and she actually thought from the label (which proclaims “frozen juice!”) and a quick ingredient scan that these were truly just frozen juice. Later, after tasting one and finding it cloying, she read the label again and discovered white sugar (15 grams in one popsicle).Trader Joe’s Fruit Frenzy BarsThe main ingredients in these are water and sugar (not organic).
These are the sweetest bars we reviewed, with 20 t0 30 grams of sugar!The Bad Stuff. A lot of you asked about this brand, but it seems it’s been bought out by Nestle and is now the Outshine bar (see below). These are Bad Stuff just like Outshine and have 20 grams of sugar. There is some real fruit but nothing is organic.We took this picture of these basic “fruit” pops piled high in an outside bin at the grocery store.
These make me sad because they are hard to miss, marketed to kids, and really inexpensive so moms who are looking for a summer time treat are buying these for their kids. The first ingredient is water but this is followed by high fructose cron syrup and then various artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. No wonder you can get 24 of these for $1.99–they aren’t even food:(.Don’t be fooled by the fact that these proclaim to have no sugar and “made with real fruit.” Outshine’s sugar-free fruit pops consist of water, sorbitol (an artificial sweetener that is not recommended for children or anyone with a sensitive digestive system because it causes diarrhea), sucralose (AKA Splenda), polydextrose (yet another synthetic ingredient, in place to make reduced-calorie products taste better), and maltodextrin (similar to corn syrup). These do contain real fruit, none of which is organic. The regular fruit bars have cane sugar (14 grams total in each bar) and modified corn starch, which is an additive that can’t even really be called food. Nothing is organic, obviously.These are basically just water and cane sugar (9 grams).
They don’t contain any fruit juice (just beet juice or turmeric for color).I hope you have a wonderful August full of delicious fruit pops! Please share your favorite recipes or brands below!To your health,Filed Under:, Tagged With:, Reader Interactions.
Whether you call 'em ice pops or paletas, we're always in the mood for these icy, fruity treats. (Just don't call 'em Popsicles, unless you're talking about the actual brand; it's a 'Kleenex-tissue' sort of situation.) Not only are they refreshing and hydrating on a hot summer day, but they also require less equipment than certain other frozen desserts—looking at you, ice cream. That said, there are a few basic levels of ice pops you can make at home. Read on to learn about the tools and ingredients you need for any ice pop your heart desires.
Level 2: With VeggiesThis is where you take your basic ice pops to the next level with vegetable juice. Wait—vegetable juice? Choosing the right veggies will make for a pop that's both healthier and palatable. Go for veggies that are inherently sweet, like beets and carrots, and strain out any tough or fibrous pulp (if juicing them yourself).
Don't forget about herbs: These are proof that fresh herbs can enhance more than your basic pan sauce. (Infuse the juice with the herbs, but remove them before freezing, so you're not picking leaves from your teeth later.). Helpful Hints for Any PopUse the Right Sweetener You can love the nutty, golden, and roasty flavor of raw sugar.
Just don't love it in your ice pops. Sugar that comes in granule form (in other words: the liquid has been evaporated) doesn't mix seamlessly into liquid ingredients. Avoid any grittiness in texture by using a liquid-at-room-temperature sweetener, like maple syrup, agave, or simple syrup.
But taste the juice (or juice mixture) before adding sweetener. The fruit may be sweet enough that you don't need any sweetener—or at least need less than you originally thought.
Partially Freeze Before Adding the Stick All ice pops will have a very liquidy consistency before freezing. If you add the wooden sticks right after pouring the mixture into molds, the sticks will fall over, freezing sideways or at a slant. To make sure the handles are straight up and down, place the molds in the freezer for 30-40 minutes. Once the juice/fruit mixture has slightly solidified, wedge the sticks in. They'll stand tall as the slushy-textured liquid freezes completely.Account for Expansion Don't forget that liquid expands as it freezes. If you fill your molds to the brim, the pop mixture will bust out at the seams as it fully freezes. Avoid the mess by only pouring your juice mixture only three-quarters of the way up the mold.