Our family loves to cool down on hot days with popsicles, but I don’t buy most brands.
I even stay away from those ones that say they’re “Made with Real Fruit”, because I’ve found out that it’s a lie. The fruit is so heavily processed and there’s a lot more going on in those frozen pops besides real fruit!
I recently investigated every single popsicle at the grocery store, and filmed a quick video to show you what I found. Make sure to watch this before you buy any more popsicles!
WATCH NOW: Is there a healthy popsicle?
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It’s a minefield out there in the popsicle aisle!
Almost every brand is packed with so many unhealthy ingredients like tons of added refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, gums, and fake flavors.
Even most organic brands and those “Made With Real Fruit” bars contain added flavors and gums. And if you’re not careful, you might get sabotaged with artificial colors and artificial sweeteners too.
Watch out for these ingredients in store-bought popsicles:
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP: Increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.
JUICE CONCENTRATES: Fruit juice heated into a syrup, which makes it higher in sugar, lower in fiber, and lower in nutrients. Experts say it is similar to high-fructose corn syrup!
SUCRALOSE: Artificial sweetener made in a laboratory by reacting sugar with Chlorine. Has been linked to leukemia and related blood cancers in animal studies.
ACESULFAME POTASSIUM: Another artificial sweetener that Center for Science in Public Interest says to avoid it because safety testing was inadequate and some research links it to cancer.
GUAR GUM: A thickening ingredient which can kill healthy gut bacteria, and disrupt the microbiome. It can lead to bloating and a “bubble gut” feeling in your stomach.
CARRAGEENAN: Thickener and emulsifier linked to digestive issues and cancer.
ARTIFICIAL COLORS: Dyes derived from petroleum, linked to several health issues, including allergies and hyperactivity in children, which require a warning label in Europe.
There are a few better store-bought frozen pops…
I will sometimes buy organic frozen treats like JonnyPops or GoodPop. These both contain added natural flavors and gums though, so they are not ideal. My kids love Sweet Nothings Squeezable Smoothies and these are like popsicles to them. These are organic and made with real fruit & veggies, and taste incredible! They also make Dessert Pops, like Chocolate Peanut Butter that are an awesome replacement for Fudge Pops. I recently found out about Chloe’s, which are made with just fruit, sugar, and lemon juice (but they are not organic). You can find these brands in natural food grocery stores.
Until someone can get it together and create organic popsicles without insanely processed ingredients…it’s my Easy Homemade Popsicles for the WIN!
Let me show you how ridiculously easy it is to make delicious frozen treats with fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s as simple as making a smoothie…and you freeze it like a popsicle!
These Superfood Pops from my newest cookbook, Food Babe Family, pack a super nutritional punch in each bite. They are seriously HEALTHY popsicles that taste great!
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger root, plus more as desired
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1⁄2 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend well.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- 1 apple, cored
- 2 cups kale
- 1 cucumber
- 1⁄2 lemon, juiced
- Wash the apple and vegetables thoroughly and dry.
- Place all the ingredients in a juicer, except the lemon juice. Add the lemon juice to the juice container and stir to combine. If you do not have a juicer, you can use a blender and strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
- Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Please share these popsicle recipes with your friends so they have healthy summertime treats for their kids!
And if you know anyone who might be buying popsicles full of crazy processed ingredients, please share this video with them. I wish I knew the truth about these ingredients earlier, especially when it comes to feeding my kids real food.
Xo,
Vani
