by Sarah Waldrop
Summer is finally here and with the brief warm, sunny months come delicious bowls of fruit, colourful quinoa salads and mountains of guacamole. One of the many amazing summer delights to look forward to are the chilled treats – ice lollies, frozen yogurt, sorbet and fruit smoothies. Here are our top ten healthy summer ice products and recipes.
OkoBay Coconut Water Ice (£3.00)
Available in two flavours, Original Coconut Water Ice and Original & Pineapple Coconut Water Ice, these refreshing yet healthy coolers are the perfect way to stay hydrated on a summer day. OkoBay Coconut Water Ice is made from baby green coconuts and rich in electrolytes. Each Coconut Water Ice is lactose free, soy free, gluten free and did we mention only 60 calories per serving.
Starbucks Yoghurt Frappuccino (TBA)
Starbucks has just announced that it is to release a new yogurt frappuccino in honey, banana and strawberry flavours. Though the nutrition facts are not yet available, we are hoping that this is a healthy summer alternative to their beverages.
Snog Mini Pots (£1.69)
Snog frozen yogurt now comes in mini pots (140 ml) with three delicious flavours to choose from – strawberry & raspberry, berry blue acai burst, and passionfruit pip pop. With blueberries and acai berries, the berry blue and acai burst Snog is the perfect guilt-free snack filled with antioxidants and only 130 calories.
Movenpick Sorbet (£8.49)
First frozen yogurt and now sorbet, how will we ever choose our favourite? This party-sized tub (900 ml) is slightly more expensive but worth every penny. Movenpick is available in two different flavours, raspberry & strawberry and lemon & lime. Real bits of fruit make for an irresistible texture that is not too icy. Share a snack of sorbet at your next summer lunch party for only 79 calories, your hardest choice will be which flavour to choose.
Lick Mini Pots (£1.79)
For even more flavours of one of our favourite summer treats, try Lick frozen yogurt mini pots in original tart, banana & honey, blueberry & raspberry, and elderflower & strawberry. Each mini pot (125 ml) is 79 calories per serving size, gluten free and wrapped in recyclable packaging.
Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Indulge in homemade banana ice cream this summer with a few simple natural ingredients. All you need are 4 ripe bananas, almond butter, 1 frozen mango, date syrup and cinnamon. Simply remove the banana skins and slice into pieces. Place those pieces in the freezer for 6 hours or over night and add your ingredients into a food processor. Play around with what ingredients you add to the banana ice cream, for instance coconut milk or vanilla pods would taste marvelous as well.
Peach-Lime Sorbet
Not up for a trip to the store for some sorbet, no worries, you can make it at home! Try making this peach-lime sorbet that is only 109 calories a serving with ingredients from your own pantry. All you need are fresh peaches or nectarines, water, sugar, lime zest, salt and corn syrup. To start, heat up the sugar, corn syrup and water in a sauce pan while occasionally stirring. Once the sugar dissolves, add your peaches and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover the pan and let simmer for ten minutes. Pour the syrup you have made in the pan into a processor and add the lime juice, zest and salt. Let refrigerate until cold and you now have a sweet summer snack.
Summer Ice Lollies Recipe
For the perfect summer ice lollies mix together your favourite juice or smoothie blends and with the help of a mould let your mixture freeze. For a fantastic, layered fruit lollie simply mix these ingredients: bananas, dates, strawberries, coconut milk, cinnamon and cacao. Simply remove the pit from dates and skin from the bananas then mix in a blender your ingredients for your chosen flavour. For mixed lollies, pour one flavour into your mold and let it freeze before adding your next flavour.
Chocolate: 2 bananas, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 medjool dates, 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder
Strawberry: 1 banana, 1 cup of strawberries, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 medjool dates
Banana Cinnamon: 2 bananas, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of water, 2 medjool dates, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Iced Fruit Smoothie Recipe
The summer months are the perfect time to experiment with your favourite fruits and make delicious iced smoothies. From oranges to acai berries, we want them all. For an energy-filled drink in the morning, try this very berry smoothie. Ingredients include 1.5 cups of chopped strawberries, 1 cup of blue berries, .5 cup of raspberries, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and .5 of ice. These ingredients are perfect if you have a morning workout and help to kick-start your metabolism. Remember, no recipe is final, put in all your favorites in and tell us what you like best!
Coconut Yoghurt Pops Recipe
We all love ice lollies, so why not try our yogurt pops. Escape from the big city to a tropical beach this summer with these coconut yogurt pops (106 cal). Made with low-fat vanilla yogurt, coconut shavings and coconut extract – their guilt free factor is evident. Add pieces of your favourite fruit to make these pops your own. Try strawberries and raspberries for tart flavours or some pineapple and mango for something a little sweeter.