Summer is on the horizon in Europe, which means that warmer weather is soon to arrive. While the sunshine of the season brings with it plenty of good things, it also increases the temptation to indulge in some unhealthy treats.

As things heat up, you’re more likely to treat yourself to ice cream or ice lollies, both of which are full of sugar and aren’t healthy snack options. While they may taste good, they aren’t ideal for your diet so it is a good idea to look for alternatives.

To ensure you can still enjoy a cooling treat without the calories, here are some great ideas for alternatives to ice cream:

Strawberry frozen yoghurt

Swap out your unhealthy ice cream for easy-to-make and super tasty strawberry frozen yoghurt. This is really easy to make yourself so you know that there are no additives.

Simply blend frozen strawberries, fat-free yoghurt (natural or Greek-style), a squeeze of lemon juice and agave nectar together until smooth. You can either eat it straight away or pop it into a freezable container and keep it at the ready for when you have sweet cravings.

For portion control, fill ice lolly moulds with the mixture and freeze for 24 hours.

You can also use different fruit, such as blueberries and peaches.

Fresh fruit lollies

We all know that fresh fruit is a great snack option, but it isn’t as refreshing as an ice lolly on a hot summer’s day.

Luckily, you can use it to make tasty and healthy ice lollies that both look and taste great. All you need to do is slice up your favourite fruits — you can use as many as you like — and put them into ice lolly moulds, leaving room for liquid.

Pour coconut water into the moulds and put the lolly sticks in before putting everything in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, you’ll have a delicious snack that is completely natural.

Chocolate pops

If you love frozen chocolatey treats, you can create great alternatives that could very well taste better than store-bought chocolate ice cream.

Melt dark chocolate with a spoonful of honey for sweetness before adding in milk — almond or dairy both work. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before mixing in fat-free Greek yoghurt and vanilla extract.

Pour the liquid mixture into ice lolly moulds and put in the freezer for an hour. Take them out after this and put the lolly sticks in before freezing again overnight. You’ll be left with creamy and delicious chocolate lollies that are sure to help you cool down and satisfy your sweet cravings.