Loving the BITE: Chocolate Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops
It’s Loving the BITE….Two Wheels, Fast Feet style.
It’s summer and that means it’s time for popsicles. And, when it gets hot, young athletes need a good way to cool down. But, instead of opting for sugar-laden, no-nutrition, neon-colored popsicles that will only drag you down, let’s make some Greek Yogurt Popsicles that taste great and provide our bodies with the FUEL they need to keep us strong, healthy, and energized!
Recipe of the week: Chocolate Raspberry Yogurt Ice Pops
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 cups Greek-style yogurt
- 3-4 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips ( 60%+ cocoa – you can also chop a 60% cocoa dark chocolate bar)
Instructions:
Puree raspberries, yogurt and sugar to taste in a food processor until smooth.
Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds, stopping about 1 inch from the top. Evenly divide chocolate chips among the molds. Stir the chips into the raspberry mixture, stirring out any air pockets at the same time. Insert the sticks and freeze until completely firm, about 6 hours. Dip the molds briefly in hot water before unmolding. Should make about 10 pops. Freeze for up to 3 weeks.
This week, it’s all about what we should skip, and what we should choose when it comes to yogurt.
First, let’s do some skipping. By avoiding many of the popular non-organic, “sweet” yogurts, you’ll:
Skip the high fructose corn syrup, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners. Some yogurts have more added sugar than candy bars. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, they are masked as health foods, but are anything but healthy. There are 12 grams of natural sugar in 8 oz. of plain yogurt. Any more than that and it’s added.
Skip the added artificial colorings. In many countries, these colorings aren’t even allowed to be used in foods because there has been some research that links them to brain function issues and conditions (attention deficit disorders), allergies, and intolerances. What’s more, the same food manufacturers will actually manufacture and sell the same exact foods in those countries as they do in the United States, but without the colors. It’s all about consumer demand and voicing the opinion that we don’t need potentially harmful chemicals in our foods just so they can look more “colorful and cool.”
Skip the chemical flavorings – for all the same reasons as the chemical colorings. Fruits, honey, natural vanilla, cinnamon, and other whole foods and natural flavors are delicious and offer so much more than chemicals!
Skip all the ingredients and fillers that take the place of nutrition. Typically, the more ingredients you see on a label, the less protein, calcium, and Vitamin D you’ll find in the yogurt.
Skip artificial hormones and antibiotics – many yogurts come from dairy cows that are routinely injected with artificial hormones and antibiotics…these have no place in our bodies! By selecting organic conventional or Greek yogurt, you’ll know that the milk was free of both.
Then, when choose organic Greek Yogurt, you’ll:
Choose more protein. Greek yogurt has more protein, ounce for ounce, than conventional yogurt.
Choose less sugar –Greek yogurt even contains fewer natural sugars than conventional yogurt.
Choose natural ingredients: Yogurt should only have Live and Healthy bacteria cultures, milk, and maybe one or two other natural ingredients depending on if it’s flavored.
Choose healthy bacteria. Maybe you shouldn’t eat mud, but you should definitely eat some bugs – healthy bacteria, that is! Yogurt has natural healthy bacteria that promotes a healthy immune system, healthy digestion, and a reduction in yeasts and other “bad” bugs that cause issues in our bodies.
Especially if you want to be frugal, choose to make healthy foods at home: With Greek Yogurt, you’ve got 2 options:
- Simply buy plain regular yogurt and strain it in a coffee filter for a few hours.
- Use our High-Probiotic Homemade Yogurt Recipe found at https://lovingthebike.com/cycling-nurition/loving-the-bite-high-probiotic-yogurt (strain this yogurt in a coffee filter to make it “Greek”). By making your own yogurt, and allowing it to ferment for 24+ hours, you’ll get a delicious, fresh, creamy yogurt that has exponentially more healthy bacteria than commercial yogurt which are only fermented for ~4 hours.
These pops make a great snack after any physical activity. They have everything except the fluid that you need to replenish your body with fuel. They have healthy carbohydrates (honey and fruit), protein (yogurt), and healthy components like healthy bacteria, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants (keeps you young and healthy). Remember, food is fuel for your body. When you choose healthy fuel, your body will keep on working right and have energy to do all the things, and go on all the adventures you want. When you choose unhealthy foods, they drag you down.
Don’t let yourself drag this summer! Instead, choose to eat healthy, stay hydrated, and stay active!
Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body.
