I seem to get a lot of questions and feedback from readers about the reusable freezie pop molds that we use (and recommend). First of all, I have absolutely no relationship with the company whatsoever…I simply found these molds on Amazon and have been a very satisfied customer. In fact, we own two sets now and use them quite frequently! Here are some answers to the questions I get the most…
- Do your freezie pop holders have an odor to them, which was mentioned in a few of the Amazon reviews?
Ours do not have a smell to them at all. I even stuck my nose down in there just to be sure.
I do take a little extra time to wash ours thoroughly (both by hand and in the dishwasher), so maybe those reviewers aren’t washing out all the food bits well enough? One reader suggested using a small bottle brush to get them clean at the very bottom, and I happen to think that is a brilliant idea!
- - What do you fill your molds with?
I mostly fill ours with smoothies…either a version of our standard “Fruit Smoothie” or “PB&J Smoothie,” which is actually sometimes a “Sunflower Butter & Jelly Smoothie” since my older daughter goes to a nut-free elementary school. You could also fill them with plain yogurt that’s been sweetened with “Berry Sauce” or fruit and honey. And applesauce is another good option as well. Once they’ve been filled we put them straight in the freezer.
- - When you put these freezie pops in your daughters’ lunchboxes are they thawed by lunchtime?
I take the frozen smoothie pop directly out of the freezer and add it to my 1st grader’s lunchbox at 6:30 A.M. (yes, the day starts early around here!). I usually add at least 3 ice packs to her lunch bag as well. By lunchtime, which is at 11:20 for her, she tells me it is mostly thawed with one or two hard chunks still in the middle. Funny story…the first time I sent one in my 4-year-old’s lunchbox the icy chunk in the middle caught her off-guard because she told me she thought it was a rock in there. I assured her that mommy would never put a rock in her lunch so ever since then she has eaten it worry free. LOL I also want to mention that both of my daughters eat these freezie pops completely solid straight out of our freezer when we are at home.
- - How do you keep the lids on in the lunchboxes?
I put their lunches in a plastic (BPA-free) Ziplock divided container, which is very similar to the Easy Lunchbox containers…both can be found on Amazon. I fold up the bottom of the freezie pop mold, wedge it into the biggest compartment, and then of course secure the lid. This keeps the top from coming off the mold and also keeps it from moving around. I also tell my girls it’s important to put the empty mold (and top) back into the plastic lunch container with the top back on to avoid any mess in their lunch bag. You could also fold up the bottom of the mold and put a rubber band around the top and bottom long ways (and then put it in a Ziplock bag) to ensure it stays together.
I also want to mention that one reader told me her kindergartner’s freezie pop made a little mess in her lap at school (poor thing). For the younger kids it might help to “practice” with partially thawed pops at home first so they know what to expect come lunchtime. In a couple months the pool might just be the perfect place to practice. And speaking of, I learned last summer that both of my daughters absolutely loved having (partially) frozen smoothie pops as their snack up at the neighborhood pool. I kept them in a cooler with ice packs of course, but they were the perfect outdoor cold “treat” on a steaming hot summer day.
Anyway, I hope this little FAQ clears some things up for those who are considering buying a set of molds (or for those who are trying to figure what to do with the ones they ordered!). If you have any other questions or tips please share in the comments below!
I’m so excited! I just order these and some silicone muffin cups from Amazon and they came today!
I am a little confused at the ingredients put in the pop. Your putting PB&J and use it as a popsicle? That doesn’t sound appetizing to me. I think I may be missing something. I’d love to try these out though!
Dena, if you click the words “PB&J Smoothie” it takes you to this link: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/11/recipe-pbj-smoothie/ which is the recipe she uses. It’s basically a fruit smoothie with apple juice as the liquid, and some peanut butter added in. Which I imagine is just about the most delicious “PB&J” ever… And one that I can have even though I’m gluten free!
I am excited to make my children’s lunches now! I just ordered these freezie pop molds from Target. Thank you for the inspiring food choices that you share!
Hi, thankyou so much for your article
I love the idea of these for my 4.5yr olds lunchbox as he starts primary school next year but I’m curious to know if these are actually watertight once frozen? These unfortunately aren’t available here in Australia so I’d have to order through Amazon and really want to know about the watertight issue before ordering. Thankyou 
Hi Melissa. They can sometimes leak, but, the trick is to make sure you don’t fill them all the way (I would leave about 3/4 inch on top, maybe a little more) and to stand them upright in the lunch box. I also put mine in a ziploc bag so that if they do leak they don’t get onto the other food. Hope that helps. Jill
I love your site and I am on here all the time for recipes. Thank you so much. My question is what type of lunch box do the girls use that fit the zip lock containers. I have the containers but they will not fit into their new lunch boxes. Thank you
Hi Jennifer. They are the Lands End ones. You can find them here…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#kids. Jill
I love your meal planners and recipes. Our only problem is that we live abroad in Hong Kong, where food can be very expensive, especially fresh produce. We still buy almost exclusively organic, but it’s outrageously priced. Today I paid US$6 for a liter of organic milk. Once I ran into one of the better grocery stores here with the nicest produce and grabbed two heads of broccoli. I didn’t pay attention at all to the price, and when I got into the car I realized that I had paid about US$15 per head. No joke. I actually shrieked out loud when I read the receipt. I think your weekly meal planner would cost at least twice here. Still, I think your recipes are cheaper than eating out, so we will continue to cook as much real food at home as possible. Thanks for all your great ideas!
Hello
Does anyone know where I can find the freezie pop molds in Canada? I went on Amazon.ca and found them there but the price, especially the shipping cost, is just too high.
Thank you
Andreea, I bought these ones from Raspberry Kids http://www.raspberrykids.com/kids-feeding-gear/accessories/kinderville-silicone-little-bites-popsicle-mold.html
They work well and my 12yo loves being able to take frozen smoothies to school!
Hi, I don’t know if they are the exact same, but there are some available from well.ca and they ship to your door, with free shipping over $25. You can use the coupon code asousa84 for a $10 discount off of a purchase of $40 or more if you’ve never made a purchase before.
http://well.ca/products/norpro-set-of-4-silicone-ice-pop_55842.html
I purchased these and the first time I sent one in to school for my daughter it leaked all over her lunch bag, backpack and cubby. Not a fan…it was frozen solid and the cap was snugly secured …
Hi Christine. Sorry that happened. I actually put mine in a baggie as well just in case. I also find that if you fill them too much they will leak…I usually try and leave about 3/4″ at the top. Hope they work out better next time. Jill
[...] pop molds I discovered these via Lisa at 100 Days of Real Food (a fabulous blog about striving to eat unprocessed in a preternaturally junk-filled [...]
Hey-I love the idea of the freezie pop molds, the only thing is that my children complained that they “exploded” in their lunch boxes, and it looked like they did too. This also happened to a friend on mine. I left plenty of room at the top, they were frozen solid and the caps were on…Even if they had been in a ziplock it would have been a real mess that they wouldnt want to eat. Please help-I would love for these to work!
Thanks
Hi Laddy. I have had that happen to my kids on occasion, but, I find that if I make sure they are in an upright position (not folded over at all in the container, just in the lunchbox on its own (usually in a ziploc just in case of spillage)) we seem to avoid it. Also, just double check that the lid is completely closed before freezing…it really is hard to get off when it’s completely sealed. I hope they work out better next time. Jill
Hi
I am just a bit confused..how do your kids eat partly frozen smoothies?Do you send a straw?I really like the idea of using this instead of frozen yogurt from stores.
Thanks
GKB
Hi GKB. They are mostly thawed, but, it’s really no different than eating a “Gogurt” if you’ve ever seen those. They just squeeze the bottom and eat as they slowly push it up out of the mold. Jill
Yeah – we tried these too and they were not a hit. Mess everywhere, kids didn’t like the yogurt/smoothie/applesauce that came out. They had eaten them at home, but they did not work for us at all for putting in a lunchbox. Bummer – especially since I know have 8 of them!
Hi Ginaj. Sorry to hear that these didn’t work out for you. We use ours in the summer as well for frozen “push up” treats, so, hopefully you can still use them for that. Jill
@ Jennifer, I think she uses Bpa free 3 part containers. But you should really look into http://www.planetbox.com It’s a great lunch box.
[...] I used up some yogurt that had gone sour but not yet bad, along with some frozen bananas, to make smoothie pops, using my new silicon moulds. I was very happy not to waste it since I am buying organic yogurt, [...]
[...] Smoothies or Smoothie Pops [...]
[...] when I stumbled upon this post from 100 Days of Real Food I knew I needed to buy a set of those ice pop makers that she recommended so I could make some [...]
Hi, We have used iceblock moulds for many years, but they dont seal, so cant be used to take for lunch/snacks outside of home.
I live in Australia and Amazon wont post to me… so any ideas where I could get these or something similar in Australia?!
Thanks
Hi Julie. I don’t know where you could get them, but, have you read through the comments? I think some other readers may have shared ideas. Jill
PS – we love to freeze pureed fruit layered with homemade natural yoghurt. Or just plain old pureed mango! YUM! Or ‘hot’ chocolate, or coffee for the adults.
where do you buy teh stainless stell lunch boxes???
Hi Miriam – Here is the information on lunchbots…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/14/lunch-ideas-for-all-ages-with-lunchbots/. Jill
Maybe someone has already suggested this, but have you ever used the Sili squeeze? http://thesilico.com/ We have a few and use them all the time. Very easy to use and clean, very low mess, and used for the same purposes (although to be honest I have never frozen them, we mostly just put smoothies in them). BPA – PVC – and Phthalate – Free, etc.
Thanks for sharing. I just ordered some molds!
I just got the molds and the molds don’t smell…even after washing in the dishwasher…However, they do seem to pick up an unpleasant smell from our freezer and my son refuses to eat them. I just cleaned out my freezer, so it’s just a “frozen” smell.
[...] that I want. This recipe is adapted from the 100 Days of Real Food’s site and she has a whole post about these freeze pop molds. I’ve had them for about two months and I use them every [...]
I hate to be a kill joy, but does anyone remember this article a few months ago: “Food Babe Investigates: How Food Companies Exploit Americans with Ingredients Banned in Other Countries”. Dimethylpolysiloxane was listed as an “evil” anti-foaming agent in McD’s French Fries. Guess what. That is the monomer (fancy word for little molecule) that is polymerized into silicone, used to make those exact molds that you are filling with smoothie. Polymers are never fully polymerized, so you have DMPS coming off into your freeze pops. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, just the truth. If Food Babe is going to use faulty logic and denounce the evils of some chemicals, be consistant.
I am trying out the freezie molds in our Ziploc bento containers. It is really tough to cram it in there! Do you fill them a little less to provide more room to squish the bottom in ? I worry my lid will come off and leak as it melts before lunch!
Hi Jocelyn. You can see by the way we position it in the photo, that is is a tight squeeze but it serves to keep the lid sung. We do have to have a bit bending room at the bottom and we experience small leaks from time to time. ~Amy