Dieters consider ice cream a forbidden food. Choosing the right kind of ice cream allows you to indulge in your favorite flavor without the guilt that often accompanies unhealthy food choices. Low-fat and fat-free ice creams come in a variety of flavors and knowing which ones taste good and offer nutritional benefits will help you make a diet-conscious and delicious choice. Roberta Larson Duyff and the American Dietetic Association, authors of "American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide," note that the right ice cream choice can be part of a healthy diet.
Step 1
Read the nutrition label. Look for how many grams of fat each ice cream contains. Put back the ones full fat because they are not part of a healthy diet, say Ron Goor and Nancy Goor, authors of "Choose to Lose: A Food Lover's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss." Identify several low-fat or fat free options that interest you.
Step 2
Look at the ingredient list on each of your low-fat and fat-free selections. Identify what type of milk was used to make the ice cream. Skim milk contains less fat than 1 percent or 2 percent milk, note Duyff and the American Dietetic Association.
Step 3
Examine the front label of each carton of ice cream for additional clues. Ice cream labeled reduced fat contains 2 percent milkfat and low-fat ice cream contains 1 percent milkfat, note Duyff and the American Dietetic Association. Fat-free ice cream contains skim milkfat. Look for the type of milkfat to give you clues about how much fat is in each option. A low-fat ice cream has 3 g of fat or less, reports Consumer Search. Fat-free ice cream is not completely fat free: it can contain 1/2 g of fat or less and still label the product "fat-free."
Step 4
Choose one small carton of ice cream. Many brands offer one serving sized cartons to help you limit fat and calories. Taste your chosen flavor to see whether it is one you will try again. Choose one new flavor every week or so. Sample the different flavors, one at a time, to help you compare different flavors that are low-fat or fat-free. Limit yourself to one small carton at a time so you do not consume more fat, calories and sugar than what is considered healthy.
Tips and Warnings
- Goor and Goor suggest frozen yogurt as a treat that tastes like ice cream but is lower in fat and calories than regular ice cream. Sorbet is another ice cream treat that is lower in fat and calories than traditional ice cream, add Duyff and the American Dietetic Association.
- Do not assume that you can eat more fat-free ice cream just because it does not contain any fat, caution Goor and Goor. Fat-free ice still contains calories and eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. A serving of any type of ice cream is a half cup and eating more increases how much total fat your treat contains, even if is labeled as reduced fat or low-fat.
References
- "American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide"; Roberta Larson Duyff and American Dietetic Association; 2006
- "Choose to Lose: A Food Lover's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss"; Ron Goor and Nancy Goor; 1999
- Consumer Search: Low-Fat Ice Cream
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