|
BACK TO
COLUMN MENU
Dear
World’s Fittest,
I’m
sure you’ve heard this before, but ice cream is one of those foods
I really can’t seem to live without. No matter what season, I
can eat ice cream anytime of the day: breakfast, lunch or dinner. Are
some types of ice cream healthier than others? Should I be more concerned
with cutting calories or cutting fat? Is it better to eat ice cream
in the morning rather than right before I go to bed as dessert?
I
Scream for Ice Cream
Dear I Scream
for Ice Cream,
Believe
it or not, there is some good news about ice cream before you clean out
your freezer and throw away the scoop. Some new research shows that calcium
(and ice cream is a good source of calcium) can help your body’s
fat burning ability. Now that doesn’t mean you necessarily have
to eat ice cream to get calcium. Most dairy products or a calcium supplement
can provide the calcium you need too.
But just
because ice cream has calcium doesn’t mean you should eat as much
of it was you want. If you’re going to indulge, I suggest you try
a low-fat version or even frozen yogurt. With low-fat you do get less
saturated or “bad” fat but watch out, you still get calories.
So read the label! A perfect serving is one scoop or cup, the size of
a tennis ball.
Now onto
the bad news about ice cream. The nonprofit Center for Science in the
Public Interest (CSPI) just published some startling news about ice cream
that even surprised me:
- A scoop
of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream with a Waffle Cone
Dipped in Chocolate has 830 calories and 30 grams of fat, that’s
more fat than a one-pound rack of ribs.
- Haagen
Dazs’ Mint Chip Dazzler sundae has 1,270 calories and 38 grams
of saturated fat, like eating a T-bone steak, Ceasar salad, and a baked
potato with sour cream.
- Basin
Robbins’ Vanilla Milkshake has 1070 calories and 32 grams of saturated
fat, like eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders.
- Friendly’s
5-scoop Candy Shop Reece’s Pieces Sundae has 1310 calories and
a whole day’s worth of fat, and two day’s worth of saturated
fat.
- TCBY Toffee
Coffee Cappuccino Chiller has 1200 calories, a day and a half’s
worth of saturated fat and as many calories as two pork chops, a Caesar
salad and a buttered baked potato.
Here are
some tips for healthy ice cream eating:
- Choose
“simple” ice cream flavors like vanilla and chocolate. Add-ins
like candy and nuts can sometimes double the calories.
- Choose
a low-fat version. You may be getting the same number of calories but
there’s less saturated fat.
- Choose
sherbets or sorbets. With only 100 to 200 calories per scoop, there’s
no saturated fat. CSPI found that a scoop of Haagen Daz sorbet has 120
calories -- the lowest calorie item they found.
- Eat your
ice cream at home. If you go to ice cream shops you’ll be tempted
by sundaes and milkshakes.
As for when
to eat ice cream -- for breakfast or desesrt right before you go to sleep
– a calorie is a calorie no matter what time of day you eat it.
For more
information about the Center for Science in the Public Interest visit
their website www.cspinet.org
© Joe Decker 2003
TOP |