Naomi is obsessed with rainbows. They are everywhere – when she draws, paints, on her birthday cake, and even her underwear.  She asked for rainbow hair and I said no.  But when rainbow popsicles were requested, I obliged.

To be honest, I was pretty excited about doing this little experiment with her.  And attempting whole food rainbow popsicles.  Not the artificially died ones.  Extra perk…I got to spend quality time with one of my daughters!

By the way, when I make snacks – especially popsicles – I make A LOT.  So we are set for a week or two.  These whole food rainbow popsicles were the perfect snack to cool off after swimming and playing in the summer heat.  Love that I could just whip them out of the freezer and have a snack ready for them in seconds.  I shared them on my Instagram page and parents loved it.  Hope you do too!

What I didn’t realize was how long this experiment was going to take.  Nor how messy things would get trying to swap between colours.  We spent about an hour going from one colour to the next and searching for the best ingredients.  I was pretty proud that we made all 5 colours with whole foods.  A whole foods rainbow popsicle for the win!

I’ll be the first one to say that it isn’t the prettiest looking treats.  Truth is, I was more focused on nailing the colours with foods and veggies (not food dyes).  So the measuring and balancing were less of a focus.  Leaving us with uneven, inconsistent layers. Oops!

But you know what….the girls didn’t bat an eye.  They licked these whole fruit and veggie rainbow popsicles up so fast it didn’t really matter how they looked.

Here’s how we made them.

WHOLE FOOD RAINBOW POPSICLES 

Note: that because this was more of an experiment there aren’t any measurements. General rule is that if you’re using frozen fruit/veggies

RED

Blend fresh strawberries (or frozen with a touch of liquid)

Tip: You can also add a fresh beet for a veggie boost and a more rich and deeper red colour.

ORANGE

Blend fresh oranges (I added a few tablespoons of hemp seeds for protein and fat)

Tip: Fresh oranges are better than juice because it maintains the fiber/pulp.  Most orange juices are highly manufactured, so the real deal is always better, right?

YELLOW

Blend banana with splash of coconut milk (for some healthy fat)

Tip: Always opt for a coconut milk that comes in a BPA-free lining (or carton without added water) like these ones in Canada, in the US, in the UK.

GREEN

Blend frozen or fresh avocado and spinach (I added orange pieces for sweetness and liquid like coconut milk).

Want to give your green popsicle a nutrition boost?

You can also add spirulina for a brighter green colour and big boost of nutrition. Spirulina is an algae and a vegetarian source of protein.  It’s high in calcium, magnesium (a better source/alternative than milk) as well as vitamin B12 and iron.   It does have a “seaweed-y” flavour so just a teaspoon will do to start.  Taste test and add more if you life. I do recommend that you pair with something sweet like fruit to mask the flavour.

Popsicles aside, I love adding spirulina to my morning matcha lattes.

You can check out my favourite spirulina powders here for Canada, the USA,  the UK.

BLUE

Blend fresh blueberries (or frozen with some liquid like coconut milk)

PURPLE

Blend fresh cooked beets (I bought precooked ones from Costco) with oranges or mango for sweetness.

 

That’s it!  I’d love to hear how your experiment goes in the comments.  Or if you have any tips for making the perfect popsicle.  There will be plenty of frozen treats coming your way in the next few months as we soak up the summer.

Speaking of summer snacks, have you seen these super fun ways to use watermelon?

 

Rainbow popsicles