It’s tempting to reach for the ice cream when you want a cool, tasty treat on a hot summer day. While the occasional ice cream cone won’t hurt, there are healthier options out there for cool treats. Here are some ideas.

Frozen Fruit

• Blueberries, strawberries, and grapes make wonderful snacks right out of the freezer. You can also blend them into frosty fruit smoothies. Dieters say that frozen grapes help curb their cravings for naughtier sweet treats.
• Chunked up watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple are also very good frozen. They make good smoothies as well.
• Sliced peaches, nectarines, and kiwis can be frozen on wax paper-covered trays. Then pull the slices off and freeze them in zip-top plastic bags. They are very good in smoothies or eaten right out of the freezer.
• Frozen fruit-kabobs are fun. Thread chunks of fruit onto skewers and freeze on a wax paper-covered tray.

Cool Drinks

• Try freezing fruit juice or fruit puree into ice cube trays. Pour soda water over a glass full of them for a fizzy drink.
• Fruit sorbet has far less fat than ice cream. Put a scoop or two in a glass and pour soda water over it.
• Fruit purees can also be mixed with soda water for a refreshing drink.

Popsicles

Who doesn’t love popsicles? Making healthy ones is good for grown-ups and kids alike. A popsicle mold may be your best purchase!

Home-made popsicles are a great way to get fresh fruits and fruit juices into your kids – you can even sneak in a few veggies. You can freeze commercial veggie/fruit juice into popsicles, or blend carrots or some greens into your favorite fruit juice. Fruit purees can be frozen as popsicles as well.

Try pureeing fruit, yogurt, vanilla, and honey to freeze into creamsicles.

Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

Frozen yogurt is lower in fat than ice cream, and often contains dormant cultures that will become active in your body. Soften some of your favorite flavor of frozen yogurt, then dollop some between two whole-grain graham crackers. Freeze for a few hours or overnight and enjoy. (The longer they’re frozen, the softer the crackers will become.)

Icy Granite

Make a refreshing granite by boiling together 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup evaporated cane juice for 5 minutes. While it’s cooling, puree 2 cups of frozen strawberries. When the syrup is cool, add the pureed berries. Stir, pour into a metal cake pan, and freeze. Scrape or “fluff” the granite periodically with a fork as it freezes. You can make granites in all kinds of flavors, from coffee to chocolate to lemon.