Best Ice Creams For Weight Loss
Discover the worst, better, and best ice creams for weight loss and good health, compiled by the nutritionists at the famed Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida.
Worst Ice Cream Choices
At Coldstone’s Creamery, one small-sized serving (just 5 ounces) of Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream has 410 calories and 13 grams of artery-busting saturated fat – the equivalent of a Quarter Pounder with Bacon and Cheese.
Want toppings and more ice cream? You’ll find it at many ice cream shops. Just make sure your cardiologist’s number is in your contact list. For example, a Mint Chip Dazzler at Haagen-Daz (3 scoops of mint chip ice cream, hot fudge, cookie pieces, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles) adds up to a heart-stopping (literally) 1,270 calories and 38 grams of saturated fat. It’s like ordering a half-pound of spareribs and three slices of double-cheese pizza – for your dessert.
Nature’s Treats
Now certainly, there are healthier frozen dessert choices in ice cream parlors and supermarkets. And in just a bit, we’ll list some better and best ice creams for weight loss and good health.
But first keep in mind that when it comes to dessert, what’s best of all is not in the frozen food aisle. It’s nature’s own candy – season-fresh fruit like sweet, luscious cherries, vine-ripened peaches, and cold chunks of watermelon.
With fresh fruit, explain the dietitians in nutrition workshops at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, you’re getting not only big flavor but a big, marvelous array of vitamins, minerals, and other health-enhancing nutrients. Plus, you’ve chosen what’s truly the best dessert for helping you peel off body fat.
And do always ask yourself: “Am I hungry for dessert? Or am I simply hungry for some kind of reward at day’s end?” Try to get in the habit of seeking out zero-calorie joys like a walk at sunset, a really good movie, a massage, an evening swim, a game of golf at twilight, or time with a great friend.
Still want ice cream every now and then? Okay! But before heading out for the market, ask yourself these two questions.
1
How much am I scooping out?
Turn around any container of ice cream and you’ll likely see on the Nutrition Facts label that the serving size is a half cup. A level half cup. That’s the same size as those little single-serving containers of Jello pudding or Activia yogurt. Yep, four or five bites and it’s all over.
So unless you’re being really careful (or using teeny-tiny bowls), you’re probably scooping out at least a cup, which means twice the calories, twice the saturated fat, and twice the sugar listed on the label.
It also means that an ice cream that says it has zero grams of saturated fat may in fact contain saturated fat. That’s because food companies are allowed by the FDA to “round down” their ingredients to zero. So a serving of fat-free ice cream could actually contain a half gram of saturated fat, especially if you’re seeing cream in the Ingredient List. Double your serving and you’re taking in a full gram of plaque-building fat.
2
Am I keeping a lid on not only fat but calories and sugar?
It’s difficult to know exactly how much added sugar a serving of ice cream contains because the number you see for grams of sugar on the Nutrition Facts label includes added sugars as well as the naturally-occurring (and Pritikin-friendly) sugars from the milk and fruit ingredients.
100 calories
Suffice it to say that if you’re sticking with fat-free ice creams and frozen yogurts that have 100 calories or fewer per serving, you’re probably not getting more than 3 teaspoons of added sugar.
Now, 3 teaspoons of added, refined sugar is still a lot, particularly if you’re concerned about your blood glucose and triglyceride levels, not to mention your waistline.
Our doctors and dietitians at Pritikin are far from alone in their concerns about added sugars.The American Heart Association now recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar (for women) or 9 teaspoons (for men) for the entire day.
The problem is, it’s really tough, if not impossible, to find ice creams that are both fat-free and sugar-free. And with sugar-free ice creams, you’re often getting a fair amount of fat, especially heart-damaging saturated fat. So the better choice, usually, is fat-free ice creams and frozen yogurts that keep calorie count (and therefore added sugars) relatively low.
Better Ice Creams For Weight Loss
Below are better choices in markets today in terms of calorie, saturated fat, and sugar content. We call them “better choices” – not “best” choices – because if you’re trying to lose weight, “you’ve really got to stick to the half-cup serving size. This is a high-calorie-dense food,” points out Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD, Director of Nutrition at Pritikin. “The other problem is that the pint or half-gallon container is sitting in the freezer, calling out to you to scoop out more later on in the evening.”
“Know yourself,” advises Kimberly. “If you can stop at a half-cup, the following choices are probably fine. But if you can’t, these store-bought products can stop weight loss in its tracks, and maybe even promote weight gain.”
Breyer’s® Deliciously Rich & Creamy, Fat Free
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Flavors:
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Nutrition Information (per half-cup serving):Calories: 90 |
Lifeway® Frozen Kefir
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Flavors:
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Nutrition Information (per half-cup serving):Calories: 90 |
Stonyfield® Organic Nonfat Frozen Yogurt
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Flavors:
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Nutrition Information (per half-cup serving):Calories: 100 |
Best Ice Creams For Weight Loss
Best choices for weight loss and good health include all-fruit frozen desserts that you can whip up with high-speed blenders like Vitamix, Blendtec, or Yonanas.
Another best choice are all-fruit, no-sugar-added popsicles like:
Dreyer’s® or Edy’s® Outshine No-Sugar-Added Fruit Bars
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Flavors:
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Nutrition Information (per popsicle):Calories: 25 to 30 |
Additional Best Ice Creams For Weight Loss
Among best ice creams for weight loss and good health are three recipes for icy cold delights that our talented chefs teach in cooking classes at the Pritikin Longevity Center:
Healthy Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Banana Blueberry Ripple “Ice Cream”
Very Berry Ice Cream
Strawberry Sorbet
Here’s another best choice that delivers cold, creamy crunch. And it’s super simple:
Shaved Ice, Yogurt, and Fresh Berries
Spoon out about ¾ cup of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt into a dessert bowl. Swirl in a packet of Splenda and a handful of fresh berries. To make shaved ice, drop 6 or 7 ice cubes into a food processor and pulse until ice is flaky but not slushy (about 45 seconds). Fold shaved ice into yogurt and berries. Refreshing and so fast and easy!
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