What's in your icy treat?

Do some detective work before digging into this dessert.

Posted: April 2019

Spoiling yourself with a small frozen dessert dish was simple: we had a limited number of types and flavors of dessert available, like chocolate ice cream or orange sorbet. Today, there are so many options at the grocery store that you could feel the brain freeze before even taking a bite.

You'll find ice cream, frozen ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and gelato. It can be high in fat, low in fat, low in fat, no fat, low in carbohydrates or no sugar.

For people who can not digest lactose and people who do not eat animal products, there is a wide range of options without dairy products.

"What concerns me is all packaging – some make things seem healthy when they are not," says Teresa Fung, badistant professor in the Harvard T.H. Department of Nutrition at Chan School of Public Health.

Frozen treats

The most important ingredient in ice cream is the milk fat (cream). The FDA requires that a product contain at least 10% milk fat to be able to call ice cream.

Other ingredients include milk proteins; sugar; stabilizers and emulsifiers (lecithin and mono- and diglycerides) to smooth ice; flavor; fruits, nuts or pieces of other treats (like pieces of brownie); and a lot of air to prevent ice cream from becoming a solid frozen ingredient.

Other ice cream-based frozen desserts contain ingredients similar to those of ice cream. But frozen custard also contains egg yolks; Frozen yogurt contains fermented milk with yoghurt cultures. and the ice cream contains less fat and air than ice cream (which makes it a bit denser).

Sorbet contains much less milk fat than ice cream (1% to 2% vs. 10%). It is often very rich in sugar, fruit juice being an important ingredient.

Non-dairy frozen treats

The selection of frozen dairy-free desserts has exploded over the last decade. These products mimic ice cream using non-dairy milk (such as almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or cashew milk) and proteins (such as soy protein or soy protein). peas).

How do dairy-free "ice creams" get their creamy texture? Some nut milks (coconut and cashew nuts, for example) are rich in fat, a natural thickener. When using less milky milks, such as almond milk, food manufacturers must add other fats, such as coconut oil, cocoa butter or coconut oil. # 39; avocado oil.

Is one in better health than another?

All frozen desserts are treats containing varying amounts of calories, fat and sugar. For example, one serving (half a cup) of Breyer chocolate ice cream contains 140 calories, 7 grams of fat and 16 grams of sugar. Half a cup of Breyer Fat Free Chocolate Ice Cream contains 90 calories, no fat and 12 grams of sugar.

A dairy-free option is not necessarily healthier. For example, a half cup of So Delicious Creamy Chocolate Cashew Milk Ice Cream Free Dessert contains 160 calories, 10 grams of fat and 16 grams of sugar. In addition, it contains twice as much sodium – 105 milligrams (mg) – as regular Breyer ice cream (55 mg).

"If you are a vegetarian or lactose intolerant, you can make a compromise, otherwise not eating dairy products may not be the best choice," says Fung.

When you want to have fun

Check the Nutrition Facts Label and ingredient list before choosing your frozen treat. "If you see a dessert that does not contain any ingredients, such as fat, it could contain more ingredients, such as sugar, thickeners or emulsifiers, to compensate," warns Fung.

Look for the list of ingredients the shortest possible (the less additives, the better it is). Aim for the smallest amounts of sugar, fat, calories and sodium. And remember that the amount of nutrients you're ready to consume in an icy treat should match your food intake for the day, not just one meal. "Limit your total intake of added sugar to 10% of your daily calorie intake, and limit your total intake of saturated fat to 10% of your daily caloric intake," says Fung.

Two last points: stick to a portion, which is only half a cup. "Enlarge it by adding fruit and nuts," Fung suggests. "And enjoy it, eat it slowly and really let your taste buds become saturated and you'll enjoy it more."

Image: © JulijaDmitrijeva / Getty Images