Have Your Ice Cream & Eat it Too

Summer of Healthy Eating Week 7:

It’s the middle of summer and it’s nice and hot. Sooner or later you’ll run into an ice cream truck or cart offering cool, sweet relief from the heat.  Now, you may expect me to lecture you on eating low fat, no sugar added tofu ice cream. Relax… I’m not. Instead, I want to show you how to have your ice cream and eat it too!

Scoop smart. If you’ve ever wondered what an actual serving is… hold on to your spoon. It’s ½ cup. As in one medium scoop. That little Ben and Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs tub in the freezer, well that’s a pint. A pint of ice cream = FOUR servings.

Use a small bowl. Serve ice cream in a small bowl so you aren’t tempted to pack too much in. And always dish it out. Eating from the carton is a recipe for overeating.

Add a little something for a healthier dish. Instead of a second scoop, top your ice cream with blueberries and strawberries to pump up the volume and fill you up on fewer calories. Skip the candy, crushed cookies and syrups which can add hundreds of calories to your dish.

Don’t be fooled by frozen yogurt. It sounds all good but frozen yogurt can be high in sugar, fat and calories.  The newest craze is frozen Greek yogurt.  On average a half cup (about one medium scoop) of it is about 200 calories.  That’s not so bad for a dessert. The problem is many people don’t stop at ½ cup… they go for the entire pint or several scoops in a bowl. Is that you?  If so… tone it down.

Try sorbet, a granita or a whole fruit bar for cool refreshment. Because these use fruit as the primary base, this is a healthy option with a little fiber and vitamins.

I hope these tips help you enjoy your ice cream without overindulging.  Just remember. Not all ice creams are created equal. Premium ice creams can pack in as much as 350 calories per scoop versus just 140 calories in other brands.  Read the label and enjoy in moderation.

Photo courtesy Joyosity, Creative Commons on Flickr