IMMUNITY BOOSTING HEALTHY DESSERT FOR FAMILY AS WELL AS WAISTLINE.

When the summer sun saps your energy, plain water is just not enough. We all look for something cold and sweet to get our energy levels back. Having colas, store bought sweetened beverages and ice creams make us consume approximately 3 to 4 times the amount of sugar that we should ideally have. No wonder we end up gaining a lot of weight.

Summer calls for chilled indulgences. Here are a few diet tips to help you lose weight in summer:

• Have plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated, as dehydration makes us crave for sugary foods. Water has zero calories and helps us lose weight.
• Have fruits instead of sweets to lose weight. Fruits are low in calories, high in fibre and nutrition and they will keep you nourished and also feeling full. However avoid excess indulgence of high sugar fruits like mangoes which are a summer time favourite. Have not more than 1 to 2 slices of a mango. That ways you can enjoy the fruit and also keep your weight in control.
• Make a big batch of your beverages at home. Things like Buttermilk, Lassi, Lemonade, Watermelon juice are great to quench your thirst and they will also help you reduce weight. Add little or no sugar when making your beverages.
• Avoid packaged food or store bought desserts as they have excess sugar in them. To lose weight, make your desserts at home and use fruits to sweeten them instead of sugar.

Here are 5 healthy popsicles recipes to help you lose weight, and your kids will love it too.

1. Watermelon Popsicle Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Slice of Watermelon chopped and with seeds removed.
• One third tsp soaked Chia seeds or soaked basil seeds.
• Half tsp sugar.

Method

1. Put the chopped watermelon, chia seeds and sugar in a blender.
2. Blend till they are smooth.
3. Then pour it into a popsicle mould.
4. Refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
5. Enjoy it chilled.

2. Orange Popsicle Recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Orange or Tangerine.
• 2 Drops of lime.
• Half tsp sugar.
• One third tsp soaked chia seeds pate or soaked basil seeds paste.

Method

1. Juice the orange in a citrus press juicer or a cold press juicer.
2. Add sugar to the orange juice.
3. Add a few drops of lime.
4. Add the chia seed paste to the orange juice. To make the chia seed paste, soak the chia seeds for minimum 30 minutes and then grind it to a paste.
5. Now stir it to blend it evenly in the juice.
6. Then pour it into the mould.
7. Keep it in the freezer till it sets and serve.

3. Lemon Popsicle Recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Lemon.
• 1 Tsp sugar.
• A pinch of black salt.
• One third tsp soaked chia seed paste or soaked basil seeds paste.
• 1 Glass water.

Method

1. To the glass of water, add sugar, salt, chia seed paste and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Stir it till it blends uniformly.
3. Pour it in then popsicle mould.
4. Let it freeze.

4. Mango and Saffron Ice Cream Recipe.

Ingredients

• Fully Ripe Mango, Diced.
• 1 to 2 strands of kesar or saffron per popsicle.
• 3 to 4 pistachios per popsicle.
• Milk for blending
• Sugar optional, and as per taste.

Method

1. Put the mango, pista, kesar, sugar and some milk in the blender.
2. Blend it to a puree or a thick smooth paste.
3. Transfer the contents into a popsicle mould.
4. Keep it in the freezer.

5. Banana Almond Butter Ice Cream Recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Ripe Banana, peeled and sliced.
• Half tsp Almond Butter.
• 1 to 2 drops of Vanilla Essence.
• Milk for blending.
• Sugar, optional and as per taste.

Method

1. Put the sliced banana into a blender, add the almond butter, vanilla essence, sugar and a few spoons of milk.
2. Blend the ingredients uniformly into a very thick flowing paste.
3. Then transfer the contents into a popsicle mould.
4. Keep it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours till it sets fully. Serve.

All the above popsicle recipes are healthy desserts to make you lose weight. They also give you and your family a lot of health benefits. Like Mango and Saffron have very high antioxidant properties, they are great for your skin and also protect your eyes. Bananas are a heart healthy fruit, Almond butter is reduces stress helps you concentrate better and also removes dark spots from the skin as it is rich in Omega fatty acids and Vitamin E.

So go ahead, enjoy these healthy popsicle recipes, that will not only help you lose weight by reducing your sugar intake and keeping your calories in control, they will also be loved by your entire family.