Recipe: Cool treats when the heat’s on

Ready to chill on a scorching hot day?

Grab a few simple ingredients, whip up these icy treats and find a spot in the shade. These snacks will cool you down and satisfy your sweet tooth — in a healthy way.

Tropical popsicles

Ingredients

• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt 
• ½ cup chopped mango (fresh or frozen) 
• ½ cup chopped pineapple pieces (fresh, canned or frozen) 
• ¼ cup coconut water
• 1 ice cube tray or paper cups 
• Popsicle sticks

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. 
2. Pour into ice cube trays or cups, add popsicle sticks and freeze. 

Frozen chocolate and peanut butter bars

Ingredients

• 2 packages sugar-free instant chocolate pudding
• 3½ cups skim milk
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• Graham crackers

Directions

1. Combine pudding mixture and milk.
2. Beat in peanut butter.
3. Line a 9”×13” pan with graham cracker squares.
4. Spread pudding mixture over crackers. Top with another layer of crackers.
5. Freeze for four hours. 
6. Cut into squares.

Chilled berries with banana cream

Ingredients

• ½ cup low-fat, plain yogurt
• ½ banana
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, chilled
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine yogurt, banana and juice and mash with a fork until nearly smooth. 
2. Wash and slice strawberries.
3. Top berries with yogurt banana mixture.
4. Top with honey and cinnamon.

All recipes adapted from myplate.gov.

This story originally appeared in PA Health, our quarterly full-color magazine filled with wellness tips, inspiring stories and more.

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