Active + Nourished

In addition to being refreshing and absolutely delish, this healthy berry pomegranate popsicle provides a nutrient rich source of carbohydrates, protein and hydration to fuel your next workout. The special ingredient of pomegranate juice also provides some extra benefits proven to be beneficial for athlete performance. Try out this yummy recipe for a cool pre-workout boost!

5 reasons why this berry pomegranate popsicle is so special

1. Pomegranate juice is a powerhouse of antioxidants proven to be beneficial to athletes (see details below).
2. All other ingredients are also beneficial to athletes. They are all natural with no added sugar or chemical nasties.
3. The recipe is super easy to make.
4. The popsicles are absolutely delicious! (My girls can’t have enough of them!)
5. And they are made toxin-free and eco-friendly with reusable Onyx stainless steel moulds*.

Benefits to the active

Pomegranate juice

• Pomegranate juice is a natural source of carbohydrates providing fuel for training.
• Packed with antioxidants (three times higher than that of green tea and red wine ¹ ), pomegranate juice has been shown to “decrease oxidative damage caused by exercise.” ²
• The pomegranate fruit contains an abundance of polyphenols ³, a class of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Supplementation of pomegranate juice has been demonstrated to improve muscular strength recovery after eccentric exercise.⁴
• Pomegranate extract taken before exercise has been shown to assist blood flow and increase time to exhaustion in runners. ⁵
• It has also been effective to reduce some muscle soreness post training. ⁶
• A study of elite athletes showed natural supplementation of natural pomegranate juice supported intense training capacity by improving the perception of muscle fatigue and also accelerated muscle recovery post workout. ⁷

Mixed berries

• Berries are also a natural source of carbohydrate for fuel.
• They are high in antioxidants and have been shown, particularly blueberries, to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress caused by exercise. ^{8 9}
• They are also high in fibre.

Bananas

• Bananas are another nutrient dense source of carbohydrates. ¹⁰
• They are particularly high in potassium. Potassium works with sodium to balance electrolyte levels and the fluids in your body. This plays a crucial role in hydration, particularly for athletes.
• Ingestion of bananas has been shown to be “an effective strategy, both in terms of fuel substrate utilization and cost, for supporting performance.” ¹¹

Yogurt

• In addition to its positive probiotic qualities ¹², yogurt is also a good source of protein,¹⁰ necessary for recovery to repair muscles after training.
• It is rich in calcium¹⁴ which is particularly essential for bone strength and density, and also growth and bone development in sporty kids ¹⁵.
• Our preference is for greek yogurt or Chobani plain yogurt which is relatively higher in protein (9.7g per 100g) and has less sugar content than many flavoured varieties.

 

Berry Pomegranate Popsicle Recipe

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup plain or greek style yogurt

Method

1. Blend all the ingredients together. 
2. Then simply pour the mixture into your popsicle moulds.
3. Next, put the reusable bamboo sticks through the silicone rings in place on the lids and place on top of the popsicle (this is using the Onyx stainless steel moulds*).
4. Finally, pop into the freezer overnight to set.
5. Once they are ready, run tap water over the steel moulds* to loosen them free. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure you use 100% pomegranate juice with no added sugar or nasties.
• I like to use organic produce where possible. With regard to frozen berries, I always use organic as berries are very susceptible to high pesticide use.
• It’s also important to use a good quality plain or Greek style yogurt that is high in protein with no added sugar once again.
• I am a big fan of the Nutribullet to whizz up my smoothies. I find it works better than a regular blender especially when trying to blend frozen food.

Made toxin-free and eco-friendly

Many ice cream or popsicle moulds are plastic. Find out more about potential risks that can be associated with some plastic products in our article, “How to Fuel the Active Eco-Friendly and Plastic Free”.

To make this Berry Pomegranate Popsicle, I used the Onyx stainless steel ice block mould – paddle pop*.

• These moulds are easy to use and easy to clean.
• With the benefit of high-quality heavy duty 18/8 stainless steel, they will last a lifetime.
• They are lead and BPA free.
• Each set comes with one solid supporting stand, 6 moulds, 6 lids, 6 reusable bamboo paddle sticks and 12 removable silicone rings. The rings ensure the sticks are securely placed.

You can purchase these icy pole moulds from Biome Eco Stores*.

 

*Active + Nourished received an Onyx Stainless Steel Ice Block Mould set to review. All comments expressed are my own views. For further information please refer to our Disclosure Policy. Active + Nourished is also a Biome affiliate. This means that if you choose to purchase through this link we will receive a small commission from the sale. This is at no extra cost to you. This will assist in the development and maintenance of the Active + Nourished website.

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