Ice-cold treats are as much a part of summer as beach days and barbecues, but some of these frozen sweets can pack on extra pounds. The good news is cool treats on a hot summer day don’t have to be unhealthy. Luckily, there is a wide range of lower fat calorie options that can satisfy your craving for a cool treat when temperatures rise.
Here are my recommendations for some homemade cool sweets and some smarter and healthier store-bought options to choose from.
Homemade Treats
Smoothie – Blend half a cup of frozen or fresh berries or fruit of choice with a half a banana, six ice cubes, and a half a cup of orange juice (or ¼ cup juice and ¼ cup of Greek yogurt).
You can even add a few spinach or kale leaves for added nutrition!
— 150 calories, no fat
Popsicles – Freeze ¼ cup of 100% juice in individual ice cube or popsicle containers
— 25 calories, no fat
Frozen Fruit – Freeze grapes or peeled banana slices on a cookie sheet; then store in freezer safe containers for sweet cold treats.
—50 calories, no fat per ½ cup
From the Store
- Dreyers’/Edy’s Slow Churned Light/ Breyer’s Double Churn Light (100 calories; 0-3 g fat)
- Blue Bunny frozen yogurt or fat-free, no-sugar-added ice cream (100 calories; 0-3 g fat)
- TCBY Nonfat frozen yogurt (100 calories; 0-3 g fat)
- Sorbet, sherbet, fruit Ice, Italian ice, water-based gelato (about 100 calories; 0-2 g fat)
- Skinny Cow bars -Fudge , Truffle, Dipper, Fudgesicle, Popsicle, Juice (about 100 calories; 0-2 g fat)
- Sugar-free Fudgesicle or Popsicle (15-40 calories; 0 g fat)
For more ideas on healthy eating and successful solutions, check out The Cooper Clinic Solution to the Diet Revolution: Step Up to the Plate (2009). My guidebook of tips and eating plans makes healthy eating more enjoyable and more manageable. Connect with me online at @GeorgiaKostas , www.georgiakostas.com; and Facebook/GeorgiaKostasNutrition.
Nutrition information does not address individual health conditions. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian to meet specific health and dietary needs.
