There is a huge movement to give our family clean ingredients at meal time. Most parents wouldn’t think this includes treats but if you’ve discovered making your own Popsicles, you’ve probably realised that these “treats” can actually be a source of added nutrients. Making your own also helps in removing artificial flavours, refined sugar, and toxic dye that lurks in store bought frozen treats.

An additional measure for improving Popsicles is to invest in reusable, stainless steel molds. This isn’t new information within the green circles, but did you know that stainless steel Popsicle molds exist? They are not just a new gimmick to trick green-minded consumers into spending money; they are a trusted material to ensure chemicals are not released when plastic molds start to breakdown from temperature fluctuations (heat from washing / cold from freezing).

These molds are an investment, and I love the example set by our friend Penelope Jagessar Chaffer (director of Toxic Baby film) for using these molds all year-round by having Popsiceuticals on-hand throughout the year for hydrating and soothing sick members of the family.

These molds allow you the freedom to keep a frozen treat ready in the freezer to keep kids happy. My favourite trick is to dump leftover smoothies into the molds (Greek yogurt, fresh berries, frozen banana, and milk) these are my children’s favourites. I’m also discovering that leftover kid-friendly juicing recipes can be poured into the molds and saved for later.

This is just one more thing that might seem overwhelming when switching to healthier recipe planning, but it is a lot of fun and kids will enjoy it too.

Need five more reasons to make the switch over to making your own Popsicles?

1) There is no plastic or packaging when you make your own

2) If you are using stainless steel molds, you can enjoy how easy it is to put them in the dishwasher to clean (steel doesn’t break down in heat or the freezer) unlike plastic

3) The ability to hide superfoods like chia seeds, raw honey, raw probiotics, veggies, fruit, and more with fussy kids (and maybe even some husbands)

4) Easiest way to avoid giving children corn fructose syrup and artificial dye in treats

5) Surfing Pinterest to find recipes for replacing those traditional treats and feeling the pride of making them yourself. It’s really fun for kids to be involved in the process! Check out the amazing homemade blueberry coconut dreamsicles from Raw For Beauty. Click here to view the recipe

If you want to find these molds locally, check out Green Planet Parties or the manufacturer of the molds; Onyx Containers. Get ready to discover more glass and stainless steel options to replace the common use of plastic that has literally shaped many of the environmental problems we are experiencing today.

Your local Used.ca site will be the first to let you know if these molds become available to be re-sold, but since they were designed by mom Carolyn to last a lifetime, it might take some time before they can be purchased secondhand.

Special thanks to Penelope for letting us share and use her pictures of the Popsiceuticals! If you are a parent and are looking more information on avoiding pollutants, I encourage you to follow the Toxic Baby fan page on Facebook. Lots of great information!

Additional Homemade Popsicle Recipes from Green Bloggers:

Check out Good Girl Gone Green’s recipe for Chocolate Coconut Popsicles or BerrApple Pops

Karen from EcoKaren shares her red bean popsicle recipe and links to other Popsicle ideas using stainless steel molds!