People Are Eating Popsicles for Breakfast—Are They Healthy?
You lick them poolside and pack them in your beach cooler, but have you ever tried eating a popsicle for breakfast? As odd as it sounds, many people have been indulging in the treat before starting the day, and it's not such a bad breakfast option—as long as you're cautious about the ingredients you pop into your freezer.
For example, Popsicle's Strawberry Fruit Pops contain a lowly 150 calories, but each pop is packed with 34 grams of sugar, mostly from added cane sugar, and only one gram of belly-filling fiber and zero satiating protein. Even if you go for a 100-calorie Creamsicle, you're still getting loads of sketchy preservatives, potentially trans fatty mono and diglycerides, as well as high fructose corn syrup. That's no way to start your day!
While many commercial popsicles contain added sugars, preservatives, and sometimes even artificial dyes, meal prepping your pop at home can save you time and cool you down with a wholesome morning treat. Looking to pre-make a batch that will last you the whole week? Go for ingredients such as rolled oats, Greek yogurt, fresh fruits, chia seeds, and chopped nuts to begin your a.m. with a balanced combo of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. You can even blend your go-to morning smoothie and freeze it in paleta molds for a refreshing twist. For breakfast inspo, we've rounded up some of our favorite breakfast popsicle recipes. Take a stab (pun intended!) at the ones below, and then don't miss our 32 Best and Worst Frozen Breakfast Foods.
Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Popsicles
Instead of scurrying to get pancakes and eggs on the table on a weekday, pop these babies into the freezer the night before for a quick and tasty breakfast the next day. These lollies are creamy as they are fruity, and will ward off any sugar cravings that creep up along with the mid-afternoon slump.
Get the recipe from Macheesmo.
Yogurt Granola Banana Pops
Got a bunch of bananas you want to use up before they brown? Just slice 'em in half, dip them into a low-sugar fruity yogurt (we like Siggi's Strawberry and Icelandic Provisions Peach Cloudberry), sprinkle them with granola, and pop them into the freezer. In about two hours, you'll have a sweet snack that may replace your Haagen Dazs addiction this summer.
Get the recipe from Diethood.
Berry Parfait Yogurt Popsicles
With berry season among us, there's no better way to start the day than enjoying a refreshing treat that's stuffed with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. We love that this recipe calls for protein- and probiotic-packed Greek yogurt. To cut down on the sugar content, decrease the amount of honey the recipe calls for by half.
Get the recipe from Well Plated.
Breakfast Parfait Pops
Find yourself forcing your kids to sit down to a meal before sending them off to school? These crunchy fruit-and-yogurt bars are as portable as they are effortless to concoct. If you're craving more nuttiness, try swapping the granola for some crushed vitamin E-packed almonds or omega-3-rich walnuts.
Get the recipe from Real Food By Dad.
