Sugar-free popsicles can be a life line during the 2-week liquid diet before surgery. Sometimes, however, they are hard to find. Sugar-free popsicles are basically water, flavor, color, starch, and a sweetener.

Sugar-free popsicles can be a life line during the 2-week liquid diet before surgery. Sometimes, however, they are hard to find. Sugar-free popsicles are basically water, flavor, color, starch, and a sweetener. Some brands found in grocery stores include Sugar Free Blue Bell7 Bullets, Sugar Free Popsicle7 and Budget $aver Sugar Free Twin Pops. The Blue Bell7 and Popsicle7 brands are 15 calories each. The Budget $aver brand is 30 calories for the whole twin pop, so you will need to use half, or one stick’s worth for a serving size.

The calorie limit for sugar free popsicles is 20 calories each to keep the calories low during this pre-surgery liquid diet phase. Although sugar-free, they are not calorie-free because, of the starch and sugar alcohol content. Check the ingredient list to make sure you can tolerate them.

Some of bariatric patients don’t tolerate sugar alcohols or aspartame, which are the more common sweeteners found in sugar free popsicles. Most of these sugar-free popsicles have at least one flavor that is red. No red colors are allowed on that last day before surgery, so use those first. Can you guess the major nutrient found in these sugar free popsicles? The first ingredient in all of them is…water! Nice to know it counts towards your fluid intake.

Wondering if anyone found a recipe to make them? I could use Stevia or Nectresse but I am not sure how to add flavor. Kool Aid sounds so unhealthy, even if I pick a non-red flavor. There's must be something else out there.

Why not just use the diet fruit drinks, like welch's or v-8 splash?

@@Beni, what about some McCormick's extracts if you're looking to make your own?

You mean like lemon extract and the like? Aren't they alcohol based?

D'oh! You're right, they are - I didn't think about that. I wonder if it matters in the amounts we'd use it in? I may need to rethink my own plans.

Mixx up some Crystal lite and pore in dixie cups and put in the freezer. You can put stick in and secure with tape or just get them "slushy" for treat anytime. I freeze broth and other liquids in ice cube trays and pop them out when needed. Just let everyone else in household know what you've got there. haha

I make my own... The only real flavor I like is lime and I like them real tart. I have Popsicle forms that hold 4 oz per Popsicle x 4 Popsicle.

juice from three limes add more for a more tart taste

Enough Water to make 2 cups total

3 - 4 splenda packets (sweeten to your taste)

And freeze. They are harder since they have no sugar but are not like just ice. I enjoy one every night and at around 30 to 40 calories I call it guilt free

I asked my dietitian about the aspartame in the sugar-free popsicles and Jello. Can't find sugar-free of either without aspartame. Seems like the companies that make these products would look to make these products with the safer sweeteners. I have a friend who suffers from severe migraine headaches if she has any foods, including chewing gum, with aspartame in it. I'm writing to these companies to ask if they can make their products with a different artificial sweetener. Meanwhile, I'm going to be taking some of your advice and make my own with those plastic molds you can get at the store for popsicles.

Yes, that's what I am doing, using the plastic popsicle maker. I just saw another post for Capella Flavor Drops. It's available online. There is Crystal Light too.

I am trying not to use too much artificial sweeteners. I may have to think about this some more.

I don't do well with artificial sweetners either, so would love some other options. I can't do Crystal Light products.

@4LgrLife_53 I found some sugar free popsicles called Outshine popsicles that are made with Stevia. They have really nice flavors like wild berry and strawberry kiwi... much better than the kiddie colored / flavored ones you usually find. You can check them out here: http://www.outshinesnacks.com/home.aspx

I think it will let you search to see if there's a store that carries them in your area. They really taste great. They do have Sorbitol but I'm not sensitive to it.

On 9/22/2014 at 3:12 PM, 4LgrLife_53 said:

I asked my dietitian about the aspartame in the sugar-free popsicles and Jello. Can't find sugar-free of either without aspartame. Seems like the companies that make these products would look to make these products with the safer sweeteners. I have a friend who suffers from severe migraine headaches if she has any foods, including chewing gum, with aspartame in it. I'm writing to these companies to ask if they can make their products with a different artificial sweetener. Meanwhile, I'm going to be taking some of your advice and make my own with those plastic molds you can get at the store for popsicles.

Snack Pack Jello does NOT use Aspartame. It's the only one that I can find that doesn't use it. The Snack Pack pudding doesn't use aspartame either