Summer Power Pops

As summer is now into full swing many of our lives are quickly heating up quicker than we can cool down.  School is out, summer vacations are in and the need for healthy, cooling and refreshing treats is real. Enter popsicles.

These tasty treats have been a part of most of our lives, and when 11 year old Frank Epperson stumbled upon this frozen treat in 1905 he had no idea what he had unleashed.  Popsicles are loved by kids worldwide, and this brand name (owned by Good Humor) is now ubiquitous with just about any frozen treat on a stick.

If you’re looking to treat your kids and their friends this summer why not prepare with homemade popsicles that are not only tasty, but pack protein, no added sugars and healthy omega-3 oils. We’ve got a dead simple recipe after the break.

Ingredients

2 Bananas
4-5 frozen or fresh strawberries
1 scoop of whey protein
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups orange juice
2 tbsp flaxseed oil, optional

Directions

This is actually a very simple recipe, and isn’t it a welcomed change for once?  The first thing you’ll need are popsicle trays, or at the least small cups and some sort of stick to insert into the popsicle.  We recommend heading to your local dollar store and rummagining through the aisles of junk.
Using a blender, or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend thoroughly.  If you’d like to have strawberry chunks, reserve a strawberry or two and chop them up by hand and knife to add them just prior to freezing.
Pour into molds, place tops/sticks and place in freezer for 2-3 hours before enjoying.

Notes: Include the flaxseed oil if you’d like to increase the health factor of the popsicles. If you prefer a more creamy popsicle, reduce the orange juice and double the vanilla yogurt.  The current ratio yields a popsicle that tends towards more of a water flake consistency.