#FITRecipe: You Have to Try Our Summer Yogurt Popsicle

#FITRecipe: Trying to get your child to eat curd and fruits and failing miserably? Try our summer curd popsicle!

Yogurt keeps our gut healthy, keeps the body cool, keeps our bones stronger and is considered essential for brain development. And it tastes great as a popsicle.

(Photo: Monika Manchanda)

A bowl of chilled yogurt is one of the most simple and understated summer joys. Whether you have it topped with some salt and pepper, or with spoon of sugar, whether you like to drink it in the form of Lassi or buttermilk, or eat it with your rice, the fact is that yogurt is an integral part of our food culture across the country.

If you ask me, yogurt is vegetarian superfood. The vegetarian version of egg in terms of being a complete food. It has protein, fat, calcium and other minerals, and is loaded with probiotics, something you can get only from a handful of foods.

It keeps our gut healthy, keeps the body cool, keeps our bones stronger and is considered essential for brain development.

So just how do we get the kids to eat their daily intake of yogurt? My son disliked the plain yogurt so much he would tell the world he was allergic to it!

Before I give away my recipe, here’s how you can add yogurt to your child’s daily diet!

Tips For Adding Yogurt to Your Child’s Daily Diet

Smoothies, shakes, bakes, meats, the humble yogurt can be had with all!(Photo: iStock)

• Add it to smoothies and shakes. Most fruits have a strong aroma and flavour that will mask the taste of yogurt.
• Use it in dips. A simple hung yogurt dip with toasted pita bread tastes divine.
• Use it as a sandwich spread. The thick Greek yogurt work very well for this.
• Add it to your bakes. It makes your cake super moist.
• Layer in parfaits. Some granola, fruits and lightly sweetened yogurt with honey.
• Make a cheesecake! Yes hung yogurt can be an excellent substitute for cream cheese in no bake cheesecakes.
• Stir yogurt into soups. Add some whisked yogurt in your soups just before serving and you might not even miss the cream.
• Use it in marinades for meat or cottage cheese. It gives the dish a creamier texture and makes sure that your child still gets his dose of daily yogurt.
• And finally, my most favourite, turn into popsicles! I am yet to meet a child who said no to one.

#FITRecipe: Let’s Make Some Popsicles?

So here is the recipe of the Summer Yogurt Popsicles. These are a big hit in our house. My 10-year-old child makes sure he always has some in the freezer. And if I am not around to make them, he just assembles some pops himself. Yes, that’s how easy the recipe is.

Ingredients:

Method:

• Whisk together yogurt and sugar till smooth. The sugar needs to be completely dissolved and there shouldn’t be any lumps in the yogurt.
• If you are making mango (or any other fruit puree popsicle), layer plain and flavoured yogurt in the popsicle mould alternately, adding chopped fruits in the middle.
• If you are making plain yogurt and fruit popsicles, add the whisked yogurt mixture layered with fruit in the mould.
• Freeze the popsicles for at least 6-8 hours. Dip the moulds in warm water to demould them easily.
• Enjoy a guilt free summer ice cream.

(Monika Manchanda is an ex-IT professional turned into a food blogger, consultant, home baker and an amateur food photographer. She loves music, writing, food, and travel, but not necessarily in that order! She can be reached at [e-mail])

(For more recipes, follow FIT)