Beat the Heat with Frozen Fruit

For a mere $3 plus change, you can buy popsicle molds (I got mine at Target) and enjoy the rest of the summer by making your own frozen treats.

Compare homemade popsicles, of simply pouring your favorite juice into a mold and freezing to these store bought, more expensive pops.

Ingredient statement to homemade popsicles: apple juice. (Cranberry and orange are some of our favorites.)

Ingredient statements to Otter Pops:

And the typical Popsicle brand pop:


A juice pop you make:

1 ingredient (from nature)
Natural sweetener
Offers other nutrients (like O.J.'s vitamin C, calcium, and iron)


Store bought (comparing last popsicle):

17 ingredients!
3 different sweeteners, 2 in which are cheap and less natural
Any popsicle with flavors like "cotton candy" should cause you to stop and reflect.

Start a new tradition of including your kids in choosing and pouring the juice. I can tell you that it delights kids in watching the transformation of juice into a frozen treat. Once again, being creative usually brings bonding, memories, and a few extra dollars in your pocket by the end of summer.