Summer is coming up soon, and we couldn’t be more excited for the warmer weather and sunny days. While it’s easier to be more active in the summer months, eating healthier can be a challenge. There are just so many sweet treats to indulge in! But what if something could be sweet and healthy? Something like…smoothie popsicles.

Are Smoothie Popsicles Healthy?

Yes and no. Like most recipes, the nutrition depends on the ingredients you put into it. Go to any store and check out the popsicles on display. Their ingredients are probably a mile long with all sorts of artificial sweeteners and preservatives. 

However, smoothie popsicle recipes are super easy to make at home, so long as you have a freezer and some popsicle molds. And they’re super versatile—you can put all kinds of fruits, yogurts, sweeteners, and more in them to make the tastiest popsicles for you. Here are a few of our favorite homemade popsicle recipes. 

Fruit Popsicle Recipes

The Classic

All you need for this smoothie is milk, greek yogurt (we prefer vanilla flavoring), and frozen fruit. The juice helps with the freezing process and for taste, while the greek yogurt adds an extra boost of protein. You can get frozen fruit from your local store, but double check the ingredients for preservatives. Or, you can get your own fruit organically, wash it, cut it, and freeze it yourself for maximum freshness. 

In a blender, combine 1 ½ cups of milk with ¾ cup of greek yogurt, and then 2 ½ cups of frozen fruit. Blend until well-mixed, then pour into the molds and freeze until firm. Don’t forget to add popsicle sticks, or your popsicles may be hard to eat!

The Green Smoothie Popsicle

You can easily adjust any of these recipes to fit several different dietary needs. Are you dairy-free? Swap out the milk for some orange juice or another fruity liquid. You can find dairy-free yogurt in place of the greek yogurt. Are you plant-based? Switch the yogurt and milk for vegetables and herbs. Spinach, thyme, and ginger are delicious greens that can really add to the taste of your smoothie.

Try this recipe: take 1 cup oat milk, 1 cup fresh spinach, ¼ cup parsley, one banana, 2 kiwis, and 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger. Blend everything except one of the kiwis in your blender. You can also add a sweetener like Stevia or honey if you want. Peel and slice the final kiwi into each of the molds once you’ve poured it out. Then freeze until solid. 

Pro tip: you may need to run your molds until warm water for a few seconds to get the popsicles to come out of the molds. Just don’t run them too long, or they’ll melt! You can store the popsicles in an airtight container in the freezer if you can’t eat them all at once.

The Healthy Popsicle

Maybe you want to lower the carbohydrate and calorie count of your popsicles. Swap out the juice for some water, and use lower-carb fruits such as blueberries or strawberries. Want to add even more more protein to your popsicles? Use more greek yogurt or mix in some protein powder. 

Try this healthy recipe: use 1 cup of Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup fresh berries, 1 cup protein milk, ¼ cup sliced strawberries, and 1 scoop of protein powder. Mix everything but the strawberries in a blender, add to the molds, then top with the sliced strawberries. Then freeze until solid. This recipe can have as little as 45 calories per popsicle and 10 grams of protein!

And remember, the ratios we recommend in these recipes are just a starting point. If you think your smoothie needs more sweetness, add more fruit. If it needs more protein, add a protein smoothie like the ones Fuel For Fire sells or some protein powder. And best of all, you can use any fruit you want! Berries can add rich antioxidants to your diet, whereas pineapple and mango will taste like a tropical party in your mouth.

Make Healthy Popsicle Recipes with Fuel For Fire’s Smoothies

Fuel For Fire’s smoothies come in all sorts of delicious flavors. Made with real fruit and nothing artificial, they’re a great ingredient to add to your smoothie popsicles for an added boost of protein and vitamins. Just squeeze them into your blender and you’re ready to go! However, they’re also great as a snack all by themselves! With no refrigeration required, you can easily pop one in your bag before you head out to your next summer adventure to eat on the go. We don’t recommend you freeze them in their pouches, but you can leave them in the fridge to cool them down on hot summer days.