Food Revolution Ambassador monthly challenge for August 2014: yoghurt pops

For many of you reading in Canada, it’s the final week of school summer holidays. For many of you reading in the US, school has already started up again. And those of you reading in the Southern Hemisphere are just going about your regular business, looking forward to spring and summer. It’s hard to choose a recipe to post that will appeal to all readers, everywhere, but with this month’s Food Revolution Ambassador Monthly Challenge, we’re coming pretty close.

Even though these yoghurt pops seem like a summer dessert, for me they are a great, year-round treat that kids will enjoy helping you make as much as they will eating them. Or, you know, if you don’t have kids, like me, it’s something you’ll definitely want to keep in your freezer for a quick snack (or even the base of a smoothie). The point is, as Jamie says, these are a “great alternative to the sugary lollies found in regular stores and will satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth, regardless of age. They’re perfect on a hot summer’s day, or any time of year – whenever you fancy really!”

With just four ingredients (strawberries, bananas, honey and plain yoghurt), they couldn’t be easier and when you make them you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them before. They are SO easy and much cheaper than a store-bought alternative – not to mention better for you since you will know all the ingredients you are putting in.

This, my friends, is the point of the Food Revolution – not to make huge changes once or twice a year but to discover ways you can eat better – real food rather than processed, store-bought on a regular basis (and show your kids how to as well!). And to try to do that, maybe not all the time but most of the time, with a goal of making it more and more common. It’s, as I said last month, a journey, not a destination.

Too many people think that “eating healthy” is difficult. Or at least difficult to sustain. I understand that. Eating real, not processed, food takes some planning. And initially it might take a lot more time to prepare food like this. But if you make small changes, often (i.e. make these yoghurt pops in a big batch one weekend and enjoy them for the rest of the week for desserts or snacks), it will become routine.

Like anything worth doing, “eating better” does require some planning. And, I’ll admit that it isn’t always easy. But like I say to my students, it’s the process, not the product. The Food Revolution is a journey, not a destination.

So, with back-to-school looming or already started for many of you and spring/ summer just around the corner for others, how about you commit to making a few small changes to the way you cook or eat? Even if you don’t have kids. These yoghurt pops are quick to make (and are fun for kids to help with!). You’ll know what all the ingredients are. They taste great. I’d say those would be your ideal goals for pretty much anything you eat. And even though it might not always be possible to eat real food, these are a great place to start.

Get the recipe for Jamie Oliver’s yoghurt pops here.