How to pick the healthiest frozen treats?
Everybody wants something cold to eat during the hot, humid months of summer but what is the healthiest choice?
The Huffington Post put together a photo slideshow of many of the frozen treat options to give you the up and downsides.
For example, you may think they new Greek Yogurt “ice cream” would be better for you but not tremendously especially if you eat a large portion of it.
Also while the all-fruit ice pop may sound healthy often there are often other ingredients listed first and can be high in calories.
After clicking through it seems like sorbet may be the best choice instead of ice cream or frozen yogurt.
What are you favorite frozen treats to serve the kids? How did they stand up in the rankings?
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28 comments Add your comment
jc
May 31st, 2012
1:03 pm
Dole fruit bars!!
Augusta
May 31st, 2012
1:13 pm
Make them yourself!
We make frozen Koolaid pops, juice pops, vodka pops, you name it….
MomsRule
May 31st, 2012
1:28 pm
Good old fashioned regular ice cream and frozen fruit. (grapes, berries, etc)
Augusta
May 31st, 2012
1:29 pm
I think we need to lighten up and enjoy our summers. Enjoy ICE CREAM…let it drip all over you. Have fun……..don’t make the kids do “school” during summer. Let them be kids, and just enjoy being irresponsible for a little bit. Let them run, let them fly, let them gooooooooo…
misawa
May 31st, 2012
1:47 pm
This is the one area I just don’t care to fight the healthy battle on (self, wife, or kids). I’ll fight it at mealtimes and snacktimes (though we don’t really have to fight hard – both kids are big fruit eaters). When it’s time for ice cream, just do it right and unhealthy.
YellsBells&Smells
May 31st, 2012
2:06 pm
If your kid is active and getting enough playtime (outside!!!) and exercise, you really don’t need to worry about things like this. Exercise, plenty of water and make sure they brush their teeth at least three times a week and they’ll be fine.
J
May 31st, 2012
2:10 pm
We like Scribblers ice pops. No artificial colors, decent portion size, and a corny joke on every stick. What’s not to love? That said, I agree with the others that it’s summer…not too worried about the occasional “junky” ice cream/slushie indulgence as long as they are running it off.
Scotty
May 31st, 2012
2:13 pm
We’re big fans of frozen grapes in our house. We put a bunch of them on skewers and make “grape pops” and even roll some of them in different flavors of Jell-O powder. The kids love them. We’re also big into making our own popsicles from fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice. We got inspired by King of Pops last summer (and we still love heading to one of their stands for a treat). We also do a lot of homemade ice creams during the summer. They aren’t any healthier than store bought (my families favorite vanilla recipe begins with 8 egg yolks!) but hey, it’s summer. Might as well enjoy it. Besides, the kids are out running around all day (and my wife & I are running around with them as much as we can) so I don’t fret over the occasional higher calorie treat.
JOD
May 31st, 2012
2:41 pm
@Scotty – Thanks for the reminder…I’ve been meaning to bust out the ice cream maker! I’ve only made a couple of batches, and they were pretty basic. Any suggestions?
DD loves the basic fruit juice popsicles, so I’m willing to let her get sticky :o)
Becky
May 31st, 2012
3:28 pm
I don’t worry about healthy for frozen treats…My two are active all the time, so no major worries..I make a lot of smoothies from fruit all summer..I just mix whatever fruit that I have and go for it..The kids love them..
Scotty
May 31st, 2012
4:24 pm
@JOD My family usually sticks with basics (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) but we also love doing mint chocolate chip. We use vanilla ice cream base and add peppermint extract, then when the ice cream is almost finished making, add chopped up Andes mints. We’ve also tried peach and blackberry ice creams before. But one of my families absolute favorites is called Mocha Madness (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/mocha-madness-ice-cream-recipe). We make this one about once a month during the summer (sometimes more!).
DB
May 31st, 2012
4:38 pm
I have an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer, and it makes frozen goodies out of just about anything! Small batches of ice cream, sorbet, slushies — not to mention the frozen adult treats of frozen daiqs and margaritas . . . necessary for moms supervising summer-crazed kids!
FCM
May 31st, 2012
5:54 pm
Easy, tasty, healthy frozen treats:
freeze fresh bananas…want to get unhealthy? dip them in chocolate
Freeze fresh grapes or blueberries
Make a smoothie with greek yogurt and frozen fruit (strawberries, kiwi, mango etc…clean and slice these before freezing)…..I would think that freezing the smoothie would make a nice ice pop but never did it
Make ice pops out of 100% fresh fruit juice.
Every now and again get a good quality ice cream (B & J, Bryers etc)that have few to no perservatives…and indulge.
FCM
May 31st, 2012
5:56 pm
oh and the # 1 summer treat indulgence of choice at my house is Rice Krispie treats…go figure
JOD
May 31st, 2012
6:21 pm
@Scotty – Yum! Thanks!
Kat
May 31st, 2012
9:55 pm
I never thought about this as an issue…I mean, ever. The only thing that I can agree to is that Scribblers are better than other ice pops simply because they have a combination of colors in them. This way, you aren’t stuck with orange or whatever flavor your kid(s) hate the most since they can see the color/flavor through the wrappers.
observer
May 31st, 2012
11:01 pm
Sorry to somewhat change subject but…… while on healthy treats, summer, etc…..many kids having wisdom teeth extracted during this time because they can recoup at home, no school……any comments on what to feed a teen after wisdom teeth extracted would be highly appreciated. Have googled but would appreciate first-hand experience from those on this blog. Thanks!
Scotty
June 1st, 2012
12:36 am
@observer I had my wisdom teeth out a few years ago (not as a teenager…definitely not fun). I was big on chocolate milkshakes,but basically anything soft that doesn’t need chewing and doesn’t require opening your mouth very wide to eat. Fruit smoothies and applesauce are good too, especially in the first day post surgery. After a couple of days, broths and soups are good, as long as they aren’t chunky and aren’t too hot (if they’re too hot, the stitches will pop) and things like scrambled eggs, jell-o, mashed potatoes, grits, oatmeal, cream of wheat, polenta, yogurt. Also, carbonated beverages are not a good idea and neither is drinking anything through a straw.
Hopefully your teen will have an easier time than I did with it. I got dry socket, which is the most intense pain I’ve ever felt (even the percocet couldn’t get rid of it!) and the codine in the prescription strength ibuprofen made me nauseated. If your teen has ever had trouble with codine, definitely ask the oral surgeon to prescribe some anti-nausea medication as well because as I learned throwing up is a good way to pop stitches.
shaggy
June 1st, 2012
8:29 am
Frozen Margaritas, with Grand Marnier…I think I spelled that right.
Oh…for kids, just give them some ice water and finish off that Margarita when they aren’t looking.
Figment
June 1st, 2012
8:54 am
I don’t worry about it since it’s only an occasional treat and not an everyday thing. We have popsicles and sherbert in the freezer currently. My son rarely even asks for a popsicle.
motherjanegoose
June 1st, 2012
9:10 am
I had my wisdom teeth out at 40…no fun but not near as painful as childbirth….either way.
Mine were impacted.
My two have had their wisdom teeth out in the past 5 years. You WILL live through it. It can be scary with your kids. We just had soft foods like jello, pudding, ice cream, yogurt and scrambled eggs. Neither of mine had dry socket. Daughter acted strange as the anesthesia was wearing off…she laid on the couch and cried. I was so worried and asked her what she was crying about, as I was trying to help her….”I DON’T KNOW!”
Just follow the directions of your Doctor and use one that is recommended. Do not try to scrimp. We had great luck with our two and used the same Doctor….Dr. Zuck. He has a calm personality and is very thorough. A good experience both times. Good luck!
Augusta
June 1st, 2012
10:34 am
@Observer – I had mine pulled at 17…..The one thing I remember very vividly, was the doctor told my mom to get 4 frozen grape juice CANS (no the cardboard type). Freeze them the night before, and when your child gets home, wrap the cans in bath cloths, and place on the cheeks. This will prevent ANY and all swelling.
I remember I was out with my friends the following day. But the grape juice cans kept the swelling away. My friends were shocked. I’ve told this to numerous people, they used it, and it works!!!
Augusta
June 1st, 2012
11:21 am
Use two cans, the other two sit in the freezer, for rotation.
mystery poster
June 1st, 2012
12:43 pm
@Observer
When my son had his wisdom teeth out, he wanted vanilla milkshakes. I think he went through a whole half gallon of ice cream in two days (he’s young and skinny and can handle it). I started throwing in a banana in to add a bit of nutrition. That is now the staple for vanilla shakes in our house.
My daughter liked tapioca pudding when hers were pulled. We made the recipe off the tapioca box, it was pretty easy and not as unhealthy as it could have been (we always reduce the sugar).
FCM
June 1st, 2012
4:42 pm
I used frozen peas as the ice pack when mine came out. Get the meds filled, and keep track…i took mine for only 1.5 days then moved to Aleve; exceot at night, I did take 2 more nights of the heavy duty stuff. It depends on their pain threshold but those cold packs, especially at night, are a great thing.
Kat
June 1st, 2012
6:22 pm
Chocolate (and other flavors) pudding!
irisheyes
June 2nd, 2012
12:54 pm
Some great ideas here!
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/07/cool-summer-treat-makeover/
I bought a popsicle mold and filled it with apple juice. Cheap, tasty, and no artificial colors, flavors, etc. My kids love them!
FCM
June 4th, 2012
11:09 am
oooo Kat i am so doing pudding pops! Forgot about those.