Sue Knorr is a Zone Health Coach who's freezer is full of frosty summer treats: berry & yogurt pops, herbal ice cubes, ice tea pops and yogurt bark - all packed with nutrition. See how you can cool off this summer.
Flash back twenty years to the summer before I began eating “in the Zone.” If you opened my freezer, you would have seen an assortment of Italian ices, ice cream bars, popsicles and other sugary frozen treats. Today I’m 20 years older and, I like to think, 20 years wiser. I’m also 100 pounds lighter thanks to the Zone. But alas, some things never change. My freezer is still full of frosty summer treats. Now I’ve got things like berry and yogurt pops, herbal ice cubes, ice tea pops, yogurt bark and more. They’re delicious and packed with lots of good nutrition from colorful berries, other fruits, herbs and nuts.
These are some of my favorite snacks and desserts. You can use your imagination to create your own variations. The possibilities are endless. Remember to balance all fruit snacks with appropriate amounts of protein and good fats. Keep cool as summer winds down and enjoy!
Tip: Use plain yogurt, either traditional or Greek. You may also add 1 scoop of protein powder (about 7 grams protein) and some alcohol-free vanilla per 2 cups of yogurt.
Yogurt Covered Berries - Wash berries of your choice and dry well. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries work best. Submerge the berries in a dish of yogurt. Remove the berries one at a time, using a toothpick. Place on a foil-covered plate or cookie sheet. Freeze for about 4 hours until frozen solid. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer.
Blueberry Yogurt Crunch Bark - Spread yogurt on a foil-covered cookie sheet. Scatter whole washed and dried blueberries on top of the yogurt layer. Sprinkle with Zone Cereal or thinly sliced almonds. Freeze for at least for 4 hours. Break apart and serve immediately. Store leftovers in a covered, airtight container in the freezer.
Berry and Yogurt Pops - Mash berries of your choice with a fork. Mix Zone Cereal into yogurt. Fill popsicle molds with alternating layers of mashed berries and the yogurt and cereal mixture. Freeze.
Red Raspberry Pops - Slightly mash very ripe red raspberries with a fork. Pack into popsicle molds and freeze.
Ice Tea Fruit Pops - Fill popsicle molds with sliced fruits and herbs of your choice, packing tightly enough so they stay in place but with pockets of airspace remaining. Mint leaves with sliced kiwi, peaches or nectarines, and strawberries are a nice combination. Pour iced tea, herbal or regular, into the molds to fill the air spaces between fruit slices. Freeze.
Herbal ice cubes - Place fresh herbs of your choice into an empty ice cube tray. Rubbing the herbs between your fingers will help release their flavors. Spearmint, peppermint and thyme are all refreshing choices. Optional, also add fruits to the empty tray. Fill the tray with water and freeze. Use to add flavor and color to plain water or iced tea.
Strawberry Avocado - Bites Use 2 tablespoons avocado per 1 cup strawberries. Chop strawberries and then slightly mash using a fork. Stir in diced avocado. Place mixture in bite-sized novelty shaped ice cube molds. Freeze 4 hours until solid. Remove from the ice cube mold and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer.
Enjoy and stay cool!