Here’s a scene that’s played out too often in my life lately:
- Arrive home from work stressed and tired.
- Feel absolutely famished.
- Try to resist the urge to snack as I lament that (poor me!) it will be at least another hour before I’ll have dinner cooked and on the table.
- Cave to Hunger and Stress and Self-Pity and grab something out of the pantry in desperation – packaged cookies, crackers, chips – anything that’s easy and ready-to-eat.
- Eat way too much of the high-calorie, low nutrition packaged snack because I’m starving.
But I’ve come up with a solution that’s worked for me lately.
I make homemade popsicles with a variety of healthy berries and Greek yogurt when I have some free time on the weekend.
Then I have a week’s worth of grab-and-go snacks that are also healthy, filling, and satisfying.
I eat one of these super-nutritious popsicles in that Hunger- or Stress- or Self-Pity-induced moment of weakness and those processed and packaged snacks have nothing on me, thankyouverymuch.
Here’s everything you need to make your own Triple Berry Pops – couldn’t be simpler!
Begin by removing the stems from and quartering some fresh strawberries.
Add the quartered strawberries to a food processor, along with some raspberries and blackberries.
This triple-berry combo translates to a ton of vitamins and antioxidants in every popsicle:
- Blackberries - Vitamin E (for a healthy immune system) and Copper (for strong bones)
- Raspberries – extremely high in antioxidants that prevent and inhibit cancer
- Strawberries – packed with Vitamin C (for a healthy immune system)
The list goes on and on – berries always rank at the top of the list of healthiest foods.
But. (Have you experienced this problem?) Berries (especially raspberries, in my experience) can begin to turn moldy within the span of three days.
So puréeing and freezing them into popsicles is a great solution – all that healthy goodness, preserved to last all week.
Also add some agave nectar to the food processor, for just a touch of sweetness.
Substitutions: if you love the flavor of honey, use that instead of agave. If you don’t have agave or honey on hand, sugar will also work.
Pulse until all the berries are fully puréed.
Next, add some plain Greek yogurt to a mixing bowl.
Stir in a bit of agave (again, honey or sugar will also work as substitutes).
Last, add fresh vanilla bean.
Have you tried this yet?
For a while, I could never find it at the store.
I kept looking for it in the produce section with all the fresh herbs.
But it was my husband who finally stumbled upon it, in a tiny glass jar (am I the only one who had no idea it was sold in a jar?), in the spice aisle.
And I’m so glad to finally have it in my kitchen.
It’s a bit pricey, but actually so worth it.
Vanilla bean adds such yummy, rich vanilla flavor, you don’t feel the need to add so much sweetener to the pops.
Just slice into the center of the vanilla bean, lengthwise, with a sharp knife.
Then pull it open so it lies flat on the cutting board.
Use the tip of the knife to scrape out all of the delicious black seeds, and stir into the yogurt.
Next, grab a popsicle mold.
I found the one pictured here on Amazon.
Spoon about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the berry mixture into each mold.
Next, spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of yogurt into each mold.
Then repeat this process, alternating between the berries and the yogurt, until the molds are filled to the brim.
Add a popsicle stick to each mold.
Then freeze. The popsicles will need at least six hours to fully freeze.
When you’re ready to eat one, just place the mold under hot running water for about 10 seconds.
After the sides of the pops have melted slightly from the hot water, the popsicle should easily slide out of the mold.
And your super-healthy snack is ready to eat!
The vivid deep purple berries combined with the creamy white, vanilla yogurt just looks pretty.
These pops taste slightly tart, slightly sweet, fruity, and creamy too. And the hint of real vanilla bean flavor is such a treat.
Overall, the perfect summertime fresh and healthy snack.
Here is the complete recipe
