When it’s hot outside, it’s time for a cold treat that kids and grown-ups alike can enjoy. Making our frozen banana pops is a fun summer activity that can get kids interested in cooking.
Kids may think it’s cool that bananas are actually berries, even though they don’t look like them. That’s because berries and bananas grow out of one flower, they have soft skin, and they contain tiny seeds. There are 1,000 types of bananas grown in warm climates, and they can be as long as your forearm or as small as your finger. Some bananas taste like creamy vanilla ice cream, some taste like strawberries, and others are a bit like apples.
Even more unusual, the banana plant may look like a tree, but the trunk is not made from wood. It’s made from soft, moist leaves that are tightly packed together. The banana plant is actually the world’s largest herb.
Grown-ups will be glad to know that bananas are an excellent source of potassium that helps reduce the risk of heart disease and regulate blood pressure. Plus, the fiber in bananas promotes healthy digestion and helps you stay full longer. To improve your mood, bananas contain tryptophan, which the body converts into feel-good hormone serotonin. Finally, bananas are a good source of vitamin C to protect cells and B6 to maintain a healthy nervous system.
Our banana pops are easy to make. Kids can peel the bananas and then put the cut bananas on sticks. They’ll enjoy rolling them in yogurt and decorating them with dry cereal or freeze-dried fruit. Once they’re done, you just freeze them for a couple hours. They can be stored there for two weeks, but we bet your young cooks will make sure they’re gone a lot sooner.
Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today’s recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.
Frozen Banana Pops
Makes: 4 servings / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 2 hours 20 minutes
2 large bananas
1 cup strawberry fat-free Greek yogurt
1 cup crispy rice cereal or 1 ounce freeze-dried fruit (slightly crushed)
4 wooden treat or craft sticks
Peel bananas and cut in half, crosswise. Carefully poke a wooden stick into the cut end of each banana half. Place yogurt in shallow bowl. Roll each banana half in yogurt, then sprinkle with crispy rice cereal or freeze-dried fruit. Put banana halves on cookie sheet and place in freezer. Freeze bananas about 2 hours or until hard. Keep frozen until ready to serve.
From Henry Ford Health
110 calories (2% from fat), 0 grams fat (0 grams sat. fat), 25 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 75 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 36 mg calcium, 2 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 fruit, ½ carbohydrate, ½ milk.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Use yogurt, cereal or dried fruit to coat kid-friendly frozen bananas on a sick
Reporting by Bethany Thayer / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
