FitSugar

Lil Tip: Baby Yogurt Popsicles

LilSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:01:00 PDT

Need a refreshing treat for your wee one? Last week, user fsquaash shared a clever shortcut for making quick and nutritious treats for lil ones. She said:

Take a baby yogurt cup and stick a Popsicle stick (or plastic spoon handle) through the top. Place in freezer overnight and you've got yogurt on a stick. Just run it under hot water for a few seconds to separate the Popsicle from the cup.

If you're looking for a simple activity, just hand the goodies over to your preschooler and let them compile their own pops. Nothing is more delilicious than things tykes make themselves.

Snack Attack: Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles

FitSugar — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:00:00 PST

Even though it may be cold outside, I still crave ice cream (it's one of my downfalls). Store bought frozen yogurt is so much healthier than ice cream but many can contain a lot of added sugar. Instead, I like to whip up a batch of frozen yogurt popsicles with fresh fruit.

Want to see my recipe? Then

What you need:

1 cup yogurt (I use vanilla, but you can use any flavor)
1 banana, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 strawberries, washed, halved, and sliced
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 kid-sized paper cups or a plastic popsicle mold
Aluminum foil
4 popsicle sticks

What you do:

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. If you want your popscicles to have a smooth consistency, place all the ingredients in a food processor.
Now pour the mixture into the cups or mold so they're three quarters full.
If you're using cups, cover each with a piece of foil. Cut a small slit in the middle and poke the stick through.
Place them in the freezer for about five hours.
When you're ready to eat them, remove the foil. Turn the cup upside down and run the bottom under hot water and gently wiggle the stick until you can pull the popsicle out. Enjoy!

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Strawberry and Raspberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicle

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:49 PDT

Here at Sugar HQ, everyone is crazy for the new, dangerously close frozen yogurt joint, SoGreen. After consuming a couple of SoGreen's delicious, fruity treats, I decided to experiment with my own variation. Currently I'm obsessed with Popsicles, so naturally, I was inspired to make a frozen yogurt Popsicle.

The recipe is simple with only a couple ingredients: strained yogurt, fresh fruit, and sugar. I had strawberries and golden raspberries on hand, but any fruit combination would work.

Once frozen, the bite-sized strawberry chunks were more crunchy than I would have preferred. To avoid the crunchy and hard-to-eat fruit, be sure to thinly slice all berries. Much like any other homemade Popsicle, the hardest part is waiting for them to freeze.

To learn more about making this perfect Summer treat,

Healthy Ice Cream Alternatives You'll Scream For

Leta Shy — Sun, 29 May 2011 09:21:38 PDT

The unofficial kickoff to Summer is this holiday weekend, and while it may not be sizzling yet, nothing says holiday celebration quite like a healthy barbecue. But if you're in need of a creamy cold treat, you don't have to sabotage all the bikini prep you've been doing. Here are five delicious alternatives to regular old ice cream!

An Easy Summer Treat: Mixed Berry Yogurt Popsicles

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:30:03 PDT

With only one month of berry season remaining, I've been buying strawberries and blueberries in flats. And while I do a pretty good job at finding ways to eat them all, sometimes there really is too much of a good thing. In the weeks that I have too many ripe berries, I freeze them to use later in the Fall and Winter, or make jam. Last week on an incredibly hot day, I experimented in the kitchen to make my own mixed berry yogurt frozen treats. This treat is sweet, creamy, and best of all, a healthy way to cool down this Summer.

Disclaimer: this is a very loose recipe - so loose that I can't even call it a recipe. I had a bunch of ripe berries that I blended with some nonfat Greek yogurt and sugar. The finished mixture was based strictly on personal taste. If you need a gauge, ask yourself if you'd enjoy drinking the mix on its own, much like a smoothie. If yes, freeze away! Pour the berry yogurt mixture into a clean ice cube tray, add some toothpicks and freeze. It doesn't have to stop there either. Since the first batch, I've experimented with different berry combos, and thrown in fresh mint and lemon juice too. Whatever the combo, this treat is a big hit in my house!

Diet Tip: Ditch the Ultimatums

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:20:00 PST

When you're hoping to lose weight, you may be tempted to set rules for yourself, but do your body (and your sanity) a big favor by steering clear of strict ultimatums. It's smart to track your progress and food habits, but if you find that you're playing mind games with yourself and feeling discouraged, it's time to ditch the firm absolutes. Vowing to shun sugar for a month may seem like a great weight-loss strategy, but in reality, it's more likely to kick-start a craving for sweets.

A better idea? Follow your instincts. When you want something sugary, eat something sweet to avoid binge eating later. If there are certain foods that you struggle to eat in moderation, look into healthier alternatives to help curb your cravings. Swap yogurt or Popsicles for ice cream, try some of our nutritious versions of your favorite comfort foods, and satisfy the need for fries with these salty substitutes. By sticking to your natural impulses, you'll have a greater sense of your body's hunger signals and be able to eat sensibly without having to think twice.

5 Ways to Make Your Smoothie Less Boring

Susannah Chen — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:52:40 PDT

My award for breakfast of the year goes to the portable, nutrient-packed, and easy-to-prep smoothie - all you have to do is give it a whirl in your blender, pile it into a to-go cup, and run your blender through hot water for instant cleanup.

But I have a bit of a bone to pick with smoothies: I can't see one more strawberry-banana smoothie combination! Considering there are countless options out there for mixing up a refreshing beverage, it's hard to see standard flavor pairings everywhere I go. Are you, like me, totally tired of the same boring smoothie flavors?

If so, then keep reading for some ways to jazz up your smoothie routine.

Kebabs Put the Fun in Fruit

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:30:27 PDT

I love fruit as is, but I'm always looking for ways to make things more creative - especially since the mister is not as big of a fruitoholic as I'd like. He's much more likely to eat one of my fruit dishes over a plain apple or banana. I'm big into making smoothies and homemade fruity popsicles, and now I'm putting them onto a stick. Fruit kebabs are fun to make, and are huge hits at any party or dinner I've hosted. Something about food on a stick just makes people giddy.

To make your own fruit kebabs, get an assortment of different fruit and cut into bite-size pieces. After that, all that's left is to skewer! You can use standard kebab skewers to do so. I love arranging mine on a plate and serving them with a healthy dip like my homemade maple cinnamon yogurt dip, or peanut butter and honey dip. And, believe it or not, fruit kebabs taste great on the grill too. My favorite fruits to grill are peaches, pineapples, apples, and pears. Bust these out at your next barbecue - they're sure to be a hit!

Source: Flickr User theogeo

10 Ways to Cut Back on Sugar

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:45 PDT

Americans are consuming way more sugar than they should - 22 teaspoons a day. It's clear we need to cut back, but it's hard to break old habits. The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging people to aim for no more than 100 calories of sugar a day (six teaspoons). Here are some easy things you can do to lighten up on the white stuff.

Cut back slowly. If you give up sugar cold turkey, you'll probably end up going into shock and consuming every kind of dessert you can get your hands on. So make the change to less sugar in your diet gradually.
Try to ween yourself off of the sugar you add to foods. Stir less sugar into your cup of joe and sprinkle less sugar on your cereal or oatmeal.
Choose your sugar vice for the day. If you can't live without sugar in your coffee, M&Ms after lunch, or an after dinner bowl of ice cream, then don't, but be sure to limit your sugar intake for the rest of your day. Keep in mind that one soft drink, a small candy bar, a few plain cookies, or a small portion of light ice cream or frozen yogurt is equal to 100 to 150 calories of added sugar.
Don't be fooled by natural sugars. Brown sugar, molasses, Sucanat, and turbinado sugar are still sugar.

To see the last five tips,