Nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than a cool dish of ice cream or a refreshing frozen popsicle! Unfortunately, these tasty summer treats aren’t exactly what we’d call “nutritious.” They’re usually high in calories, sugar, and saturated fats – making them a poor snack choice.
However, there are some terrifically tasty alternatives to the average cup of high-fat, high-calorie ice cream. With just a couple of hours and a few fresh ingredients, anyone can create a brand-new cool-down dish this summer!
Standard ice cream was originally made from cream, milk, and sometimes eggs and fruit. But as demands for cheaper, lower-fat ice cream varieties have increased, so have the length of ingredients lists. Take a look at your favorite tub of ice cream and you’ll likely see ingredients such as palm oil, modified corn starch, cellulose gum, sucralose, and “modified milk ingredients.” Cut out the processed junk and make your own summer treat! You could use so many different ingredients to make your own ice cream, frozen yogurt, or fresh fruit pops, but a few favorites are yogurt, Greek yogurt, low-fat cow’s milk, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, cottage cheese, fresh fruits and veggies, nuts or nut butters and honey.
Check out the DIY cool treat recipes below or do a quick internet search to find a bunch.
Frozen Grapes
Ingredients: Grapes
What to do: Freeze them. Seriously – that’s it. They’re delicious. Works with bananas too!
Frozen fresh fruit pops
Ingredients:
- 2 golden beets
- 3 oranges
- 3 carrots
- 1 cup raspberries
What to do:
- Cut beets and carrots into chunks
- Peel oranges and remove the pith (the white membrane on the inside that holds the orange together!)
- Juice all fruit (if you have a juicer) or simply puree using a blender.
- Pour into popsicle molds, dixie cups, or ice cube trays.
- Freeze for 4-6 hours until solid. Remove from the mold and enjoy.
Peach Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 ½ cups low-fat Greek yogurt
What to do:
- Puree the peaches using a blender.
- Add honey and yogurt and puree until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a Tupperware (or freezer-safe container) and freeze for at least 6 hours (or overnight).
- Scoop out and enjoy!
- You can swap peaches for bananas; nectarines … the possibilities are endless!
Banana Avocado and Mint Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-large avocados, pitted, and cut into chunks
- 1 medium banana
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
- Small handful of fresh mint leaves
What to do:
- Pit and chop avocados.
- Peel and slice banana.
- Place all ingredients into a blender until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a large bowl and place it in the freezer.
- Check every half hour or so for desired texture. It should take around 3 hours total to set!
While these options are much healthier than most store-bought options, they can still be rather high in fats (although usually good fats!) and natural sugars. Remember that these are a TREAT and not a meal – enjoy in moderation and beat the heat with cool treats.
For more information please contact Kim Miles, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.