Savor these healthy summer treats before the season melts away

Summer's almost gone and you want to soak up every last drop of what makes the season fun. But enjoying healthy summer treats doesn't mean you have to pay a fortune or eat lots of added sugar. Making your own summertime favorites at home means you can be sure what you're getting is delicious and nutritious. Choose from a variety of refreshing smoothies homemade ice pops and healthy ice cream treats. The choices are endless!

Vanilla Greek frozen yogurt

Instead of buying regular ice cream this summer make your own nutritious frozen treat using Greek yogurt which is packed with protein and calcium but generally lower in sugar than regular yogurt. To make this healthy summertime treat from Busy but Healthy first strain your Greek yogurt to eliminate excess water. Then add a small amount of vanilla extract for extra flavor. You can also use honey but this will add extra sugar and calories to your treat. Whisk your yogurt mixture until smooth. Finally put the mixture in the freezer for about an hour. Top your homemade vanilla Greek frozen yogurt with sliced almonds peanuts cashews or fresh fruit.

Peanut butter banana ice cream

Another healthy ice cream treat you can make yourself consists of just two nutrient-packed ingredients: bananas and peanut butter. To make this delicious peanut butter banana ice cream recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod cut very ripe bananas into slices and put them in the freezer for one or two hours. After the sliced bananas are frozen place them in a blender with some peanut butter - for an extra boost of protein healthy fat and flavor - and blend the mixture until it reaches a creamy consistency.

Summer breeze smoothie

A summertime protein smoothie is the perfect meal replacement when you're trying to lose weight a refreshing snack for kids and an excellent post-workout muscle recovery drink. You can make homemade smoothies using a variety of different ingredients but the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's heart-healthy recipe uses plain nonfat yogurt strawberries pineapple a banana and vanilla extract. Blend these ingredients together with ice until smooth and enjoy. You can use soy yogurt instead or regular yogurt if you prefer or add some nut butter or whey protein powder to your smoothie for an extra boost of protein.

Homemade avocado ice cream

If you have an ice cream maker try this nutritious and refreshing homemade avocado ice cream recipe from the Hass Avocado Board. It calls for you to puree together avocados low-fat milk or soy milk low-fat coconut milk sugar and lemon or lime juice in a blender. Pour the mixture in your ice cream maker to complete the process. Or if you don't have an ice cream maker just finish the ice cream in your freezer.

Pineapple mint Italian ice

Make this homemade pineapple mint Italian ice recipe from Oxmoor House at MyRecipes.com by freezing then blending together a can of pineapple chunks in juice with chopped fresh mint. Add the mixture to a food processor and process it until smooth (but not melted) and serve.

Fruit ice pops

Use your imagination to create a healthy summer treat of homemade ice pops. Blend together fruits and juice or milk of your choice and get creative! You could try raspberries or strawberries with raspberry juice melons with orange juice and limeade or bananas with soy almond or coconut milk. If you or the kids like your treats a bit sweeter add a little honey. After you blend all of your ingredients together pour the mixture into small plastic cups or ice cube trays and place them in the freezer.

Many commercial frozen treats contain added sugar so creating homemade healthy summer treats is an excellent way to make sure what you're getting is nutritious!