Summer Snacks – Live Laugh Love Do http://livelaughlovedo.com A Super Fun Site Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:26:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 9 Must Try Grocery Store Treats To Snack On This Summer http://livelaughlovedo.com/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/#respond Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:26:58 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/07/22/9-must-try-grocery-store-treats-to-snack-on-this-summer/ [ad_1]

Summer is a time for taking your foot off the pedal, letting life slow down and pausing to enjoy everything that Mother Nature has to offer — which equates to adventures, road trips, PTO and life on the go. What does this mean for snacking? Products that will satiate an appetite stoked by activity and sun while still being portable. The sort of stuff you can throw in a cooler — think cold, frozen, light and hydrating, over rich and hearty.

One recent trend we love is how much frozen fruit has become ingrained in the snacking zeitgeist, whether that’s in its pure form, pulverized for your smoothie routine, covered in chocolate for your late night sweet tooth, covered in citric acid and sour sugar for your sour tooth or marbled into mini pearls like a fruit version of Dippin Dots — frozen fruit is definitely having a moment and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

So for the steamy months and climbing temperatures; we’re sharing a roundup of snacks and beverages that can tag along in your (ideally temperature-regulated) backpack, suitcase, 2-wheel or 4-wheel vehicle that also satisfy that craving for a pick me up, cool me down or whatever works for you when it comes to busting that summer heat fatigue.

Grape Freeze Spindrift Soda

Spindrift

Price: $25.99 for a 12-pack

If you’re a frequent visitor to the seltzer aisle, you’ve probably tried or noticed Spindrift at this point. What you may not know is they actually originally started making fruit sodas, and years after cancelling them in favor of seltzers, they’re back! If you’re able to find them locally, trying all the new fountain-soda inspired flavors wouldn’t be a futile endeavor (we also loved their sharp and not very sweet take on Shirley Temple), but Grape Freeze is the best of the bunch. Lacking the sugary sweetness you’d expect from a traditional grape soda, or any sodas, Spindrift’s Grape Freeze is more of a seltzer plus – there is smidgenly sweet fruit juice and citrus tartness with ideal carbonation ratio, but no cavities will form from routine consumption.

Spindrift’s Grape Freeze is a tasty beverage primed for Summer heat and fits snugly in pockets, coozies and coolers.

Sun-Maid Farmstand Reserve – Dried Mixed Berries

Sunmaid

Price: $3.75

Back in the day, the little red Sun-Maid raisins boxes went in lunches nationwide and were pretty much the only readily available and easily accessible dried fruit treat. If your parents were health nuts, you could buy a bag of apricots, dried peaches, or prunes but you also would need to wear a diaper to school to be prepared for any collateral damage. Craisins came along later on, but Sun-Maid’s raisin cultural cachet was tough to transcend.

Today, the dried fruit market has expanded greatly and includes just about every type of fruit you can find under the sun. Cue Sun-Maid’s Farmstand Reserve line, a selection of premium dried fruits packaged for your snacking or lunching pleasure – the Dried Mixed Berries variety is particularly delicious, featuring not just craisins but also Bing cherries and blueberries. The dried Bing cherries and blueberries are both plumper and juicier than you expected from typical dried berries and in that same vein, feel like a special treat. And we all deserve special treats on the daily, don’t we?

Olli Salumi packs

Olli

Price: $4.99

Think of this like an elevated version of Lunchables — Olli has taken the pains of pairing and packaging 3 perfectly complementary items in one for your pleasure (examples are Pepperoni & Mozzarella, Calabrese & Asiago or Chipotle & Monterey Jack all with the same crackers) and when there are so many choices, every option is a winner.

Our personal favorite is Sopressata & Cheddar – the mild but rich cheddar pairs perfectly with the umami-forward and more aggressive Sopressata! Olli’s snack packs can save a hangry moment on a trip, be on deck for light snacking or even a mini-meal when you need a power up.

Firehook x Fly By Jing flatbreads

Firehook

Price: $7.99

Firehook and chili crunch-makers Fly By Jing have teamed up for a special chili-infused snack.

The snack strikes the perfect balance with the Fly By Jing-collab Chili Crackers. The flatbread like snack doesn’t overpower the palate but help to ensure a nice spiced accent to whatever else you’re eating it with.

Firehook has injected the chili crunch flavor into the flour, creating a unique spicy flatbread that’s subtle enough to enjoy with veggies, dips and cured meats while being not so spicy that they make you reach for the Tums.

Tru Fru Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Raspberries

Tru Fru

Price: $7.29

Tru Fru’s dark chocolate-covered raspberries are straight-up addictive, mostly due to their berry-like bite-sized shape and crunchy texture. The outer chocolate provides a sweet richness and serves as a binder for the inner berry portion. The combo is a dark chocolate and sugary but tart raspberry taste perfect for any time of day you crave a cold fruity treat that’s also slightly decadent.

Flock Original Chicken Crisps

Flock

Price: $3.60 a bag

What the flock is Flock? It’s chicken skin in a bag! As unappetizing as that word combination is, if your family hasn’t fought over the chicken skin anytime a roasted chicken is served is it even a real family? Flock mediates those squabbles with bags of reserves, plainly seasoned but full of protein and fatty richness. The crunch factor is on full display and the seasoning though plain, does not overpower or overwhelm the natural umami poultry flavor.

Bobo’s Peach Oat Pie bites

Bobo’s

Price: $.99 a bite

Bobo’s Peace Oat Pie bites are one of those packaged treats you see at convenience store and instantly recoil. A dry packaged pie bite filled with some sort of potentially gross fruit filling? No thanks. Well at Uproxx, we don’t turn our noses — or tastebuds — up to new snacks. Bobo’s Peach Oat Pie bites offer a perfect bite size flavor and carb grenade. Gluten, non-GMO and vegan, Bobo’s deftly packs a ton of peach flavor, texture and actual fruit into these chewy, moist bites.

Edward Marc Thin Mint Girl Scout Balls

Edward Marc

Price: $5.99

Anything bite size is automatically better than the original, think Butterfinger BB’s, the York Peppermint Patty or Reese’s Bites. Enter Edward Marc’s Girl Scout Thin Mint bites.

These remixed Thin Mints pack the cookie crunch of the Girl Scout original with a coating of mint cream around the cookie core, mimicking the cookie in candy form with a chocolatey outer layer, and a waxy sweetness that conjures the childhood wonder of sampling thin mints and feeling that coolness of mint in the back of your mouth for the first time.

Haribo Sauer Brenner

Haribo

Price: $2.49

Haribo wasn’t messing around with the Burner bag (Sauer Brenner in German = Sour Burner) — a perfect medley of classics like the sour sugar dusted cola bottles, sour color rings, sour twin cherry branches, sour grapefruit sticks, and two differently flavored sour ring-shaped gummies of unknown origins. If you’re in Frankenstein mode (the sort of snacker that likes to dissect and reassemble before consumption) then Haribo’s Burner bag is a choose your own adventure in sour Haribo gummy format.

The Burner Bag gummies offer that gummy bounce we expect from Haribo, in a mix of classic flavors. But hey Haribo — where are the sour bears at? Get them in this mix ASAP!

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Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe – Love and Lemons http://livelaughlovedo.com/strawberry-banana-smoothie-recipe-love-and-lemons/ http://livelaughlovedo.com/strawberry-banana-smoothie-recipe-love-and-lemons/#respond Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:52:45 +0000 http://livelaughlovedo.com/2025/06/20/strawberry-banana-smoothie-recipe-love-and-lemons/ [ad_1]

This classic strawberry banana smoothie recipe is a delicious healthy breakfast or snack! It’s sweet, creamy, and super refreshing.


Strawberry banana smoothie


In the last few weeks, I’ve made this strawberry banana smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Now that it’s summer, my whole family has been having it for breakfast almost every morning. Thick, creamy, and sweet, it’s super refreshing on a hot day.

This strawberry smoothie recipe couldn’t be simpler to make. It calls for a handful of basic ingredients and comes together in the blender in less than 5 minutes. It’s the kind of thing you can easily pull off for breakfast on a busy weekday morning (yes, even if you have a toddler running around!) or quickly whip up for a healthy afternoon snack.

Like all smoothie recipes, this one is flexible. Make it as written, or mix it up by tossing in your favorite add-ins. Find a few of my go-to variations below!


Strawberry smoothie recipe ingredients


Strawberry Banana Smoothie Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this strawberry banana smoothie recipe:

  • Strawberries, of course! I use frozen strawberries to give this smoothie a thick, frosty texture. For a thinner consistency, use fresh strawberries or thawed frozen ones.
  • Banana – 1/2 frozen banana perfects this smoothie’s creamy texture and sweet flavor. For a thicker smoothie or stronger banana flavor, use 1 banana instead of 1/2.
  • Whole milk Greek yogurt – For creamy texture and tangy flavor. It adds protein too!
  • Milk – Any kind you like! Almond milk is my go-to, but oat milk or regular milk would also work.
  • Fresh lemon juice – My secret ingredient! Its brightness balances the sweet berries and banana.
  • And honey or maple syrup – A little extra sweetness brings out the berry flavor.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe Variations

  • Make it green. Throw in a handful of spinach or kale.
  • Add a protein boost. Add 1-2 scoops of your favorite protein powder.
  • Add healthy fats. Blend in 1-2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or chia seeds.
  • Make it dairy-free. Use your favorite vegan yogurt, or skip the yogurt and use an entire frozen banana instead of half of one. Use your favorite plant milk.
  • Make a mixed berry banana smoothie. Replace half the strawberries with blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries.
  • Make a citrusy strawberry smoothie. Use orange juice instead of milk. Omit the honey or maple syrup.

Other delicious add-ins: A splash of vanilla extract, grated fresh ginger, or 1-2 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter

Let me know what variations you try!


Strawberry smoothie in blender


How to Make a Smoothie

This recipe is super simple:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth, adding more milk as needed to reach a creamy consistency.
  3. Taste and adjust, adding more sweetener, fruit, and/or lemon juice as desired.

Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

  • You control the consistency. Full disclosure: I like my smoothies super thick and frosty (I sometimes eat them with a spoon!). To achieve this extra-creamy texture, I use both frozen strawberries and frozen banana in this recipe, and I start with just 1 cup milk. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more milk, or use just one type of frozen fruit—strawberries or banana. Add the other fresh.
  • No ice required! The frozen fruit makes this smoothie cool and creamy all on its own! It also gives it a concentrated berry flavor. I don’t like adding ice here because it waters down the taste.


Strawberry banana smoothie recipe


More Smoothie Recipes to Try

If you love this strawberry banana smoothie, try one of these delicious smoothie recipes next:

 

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