Green Granola Popsicles

It’s sunny and 75 here this week which means we’ll be pulling out the popsicles and hitting the pool! Our kiddos have been loving these Green Granola Popsicles — our favorite Tropical Green Smoothie in a fun-to-eat frozen form.

These Green Granola Popsicles are a nutritious after-nap snack and take only 10 minutes to make. Just blend up a batch of smoothie, add a sprinkle of granola mixed with a drizzle of honey or brown rice syrup, press it into the popsicle mold, pour and freeze.

Adding real dairy milk is my favorite way to make a lot of the foods we eat more nutritious — from soups, and smoothies, to eggs, oatmeal, mac and cheese, and even popsicles. Real milk provides nine essential nutrients, including three of the nutrients most likely to be missing from kids’ diets – calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

We’re fortunate to always have a fresh gallon in the fridge, but many kiddos may miss out on milk’s nutrition this summer when they lose access to free or reduced-price meal programs at school. While some programs like the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program help to deliver meals when school is out, the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program do not reach children during summer.

Food banks also provide critically needed nourishment – including milk – to millions of Americans, but it’s often difficult to meet demand. On average, food banks are only able to provide the equivalent of less than one gallon of milk per person per year.

We’re teaming up with the dairy community and Feeding America to donate fresh milk to children and families in need in our community. Every time we use milk in June, the kiddos make a small donation to our “milk jar”. It’s fun, but also a great opportunity to teach our littles about kindness, generosity, and the importance of giving back.

At the end of the month, we’ll make our “milk jar” donation at GiveAGallon.com, which will provide fresh milk to our local Feeding America food banks.

If you want to give back too, head to GiveAGallon.com. Even a small donation can make a big impact. Just $5 can deliver fresh milk to children and families who need it most right in your community.

Special thanks to Milk Life for sponsoring this important message and giving our family the opportunity to give back.