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As soon as the dog days of summer roll around, we make it a personal mission to avoid our ovens like the plague—and enjoy as much fresh produce as possible—in an effort to stay well-fed and hydrated, honor the season’s bounty, and (most importantly) avoid sweating through our clothes several times daily. Cut to our unending hunt for the most deliciously refreshing no-cook meal and snack ideas that incorporate our fresh-from-the-farmers-market haul and won’t keep us away from the pool or beach for too long.
Experts in This Article
registered dietitian and nationally-recognized food, nutrition, and wellness expert with a private nutrition counseling practice
Good news: We may have found the one. Lately, we can’t get enough of this super-simple summer treat from @livehealthywithlexi: a one-ingredient frozen fruit popsicle recipe made with whatever seasonal produce you have laying around in your crisper drawer. Does it get any easier (or more summery) than that?
Check out Lexi’s video, snag a popsicle mold, and find the full recipe—plus why a dietitian loves these fruity ice pops—below.
Why a registered dietitian loves this fruit popsicle recipe
Unfortunately, many so-called “wellness” trends have been on the rise over the past few years that encourage eschewing fruit due to its sugar content or telling people that fruit should only be enjoyed with a protein or fat to stave off blood sugar spikes. We asked Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, plant-focused nutrition and wellness expert and co-author of Sugar Shock, about her thoughts on this treat and why she’s a big fan of this recipe.
“People are becoming more aware about the need to limit added sugars, but that’s led to a lot of confusion around fruit,” says Cassetty. “Plus, diet culture has created a lot of carb phobia, and fruits are a source of carbohydrates.”
Cassetty notes that because of all this fruit fear-mongering, fruit consumption has been on the decline lately, according to the Produce for Better Health Foundation, and most Americans don’t meet the federal recommendations of one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half cups of fruit servings each day. She says that skipping out on fruit ends up doing a major disservice to us, since fruit is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, which leads to its natural sugar to be processed more slowly in the body than nutrient-poor candy, donuts, and other processed foods that fruit often gets compared to. Plus, fruit is water-rich, so it offers an essential hydration boost during the heat of the summer.
“I can’t stress this enough: You don’t need to worry about the sugar in fruit,” says Cassetty. “The natural sugar in fruit comes with fiber, which helps keep your blood sugar levels steady. It’s much different than the added sugar in packaged foods, which can promote unhealthy blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, heart disease, and more.”
When it comes to whipping up her own frozen fruit popsicles, Cassetty likes to mix up her fruit intake as she says each have their own superpower. For example, she notes that Zespri SunGold Kiwis packs more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs in one fruit—and their color is a great pairing for inflammation-fighting cherries and berries for popsicles as beautiful as Lexi’s. She says that combining fruit is a great way to boost your plant diversity to nourish your gut and keep inflammation at bay for a more radiant you. We’ll snack to that!
Frozen fruit popsicle recipe
As Lexi mentions in her video, you can fully omit the sweetener and the extra fruit from the recipe—plain blended berries, kiwi, or mango is more than enough—but using multiple types of fruit (and a hint of something sweet) gives these ice pops a fun lava lamp-like vibe plus extra fresh, vibrant fruity flavor.
IngredientsFor Strawberry Mango Popsicles:2 cups fresh strawberries2 mangos1 Tbsp sweetener of choice, optional (honey, monk fruit sweetener, etc.)
For Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles:2 cups strawberries5 kiwis, skin removed1 Tbsp sweetener of choice, optional (honey, monk fruit sweetener, etc.)
Instructions1. Purée the strawberries in a blender. Add to a bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) and set aside.
2. Rinse the blender then add the mangos or kiwis depending on which flavor you choose. Blend until puréed.
3. Layer the strawberry and mango/or kiwi purée into the popsicle molds to the fill line. Add the lid and popsicle sticks. Freeze for a minimum of four hours. Thaw for 10 minutes before eating.
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