Invented by a microbiologist in 1988 by using a cryogenic encapsulation method to freeze ice cream into small spheres, Dippin' Dots have become a popular treat at amusement parks. The Dippin' Dots company describes their futuristic take on the traditional frozen treat as "beads of ice cream." While this treat might be fun, nutritionally they are full of calories and saturated fat. However, among their variety of products and flavors, some are healthier than others.
Ingredients
The main ingredients in Dippin' Dots ice cream are whole milk, cream and nonfat milk solids. It also contains sugar, guar gum, carrageenan and natural flavors. The Dippin' Dots website explains that the beads are made of the same ingredients found in regular ice cream and then flash frozen with liquid nitrogen.
Nutrients to Limit
A 1/2-cup serving of vanilla Dippin' Dots contains 170 calories. It has 15.4 percent daily value of fat, 35 percent DV saturated fat and 10.7 percent DV cholesterol. The saturated fat content is the one of most concern for this food item. According to FDA standards, a daily percentage of 5 percent or less is considered low and over 20 percent per serving is considered high. The saturated fat percentage is well over 20 percent. While Dippin' Dots are packaged in a fun way, they actually contain more calories and saturated fat than regular ice cream. A 1/2-cup serving of Breyer's vanilla ice cream contains 130 calories and 20 percent DV saturated fat. Dippin' Dots also contain a high level of sugar, with 28 percent daily value per serving.
Healthy Nutrients
Dippin' Dots do provide some healthy nutrients to your diet. A 1/2-cup serving contains 6 percent daily value of protein, 8 percent DV vitamin C and 10 percent DV calcium. These nutrients follow the same FDA guidelines of 5 percent per serving considered low and 20 percent considered high. The difference is that you want a high number of vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients, whereas you want to keep your fat, sugar and sodium percentages low.
Varieties
You can control the amount of nutrients in your Dippin' Dots by the variety you choose. One of the unhealthiest flavors of Dippin' Dots ice cream is Andy Bar Crunch with 208 calories and 40 percent daily value of saturated fat. One of the healthiest is Root Beer Float with 111 calories and 10 percent DV saturated fat per 1/2-cup serving. Dippin' Dots also offers a variety of treats separate from their ice cream line including flavored ice, yogurt and sherbet. Their Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt has 100 calories and no saturated fat in a 1/2-cup serving. The same size serving of Orange Sherbet contains 97 calories and 5 percent daily value of saturated fat. The Rainbow Flavored Ice has 90 calories and 0 percent saturated fat. Dippin' Dots offers varieties with no sugar and with little or no fat. The Fat Free No Sugar Added Fudge flavor has 92 calories and no saturated fat. The Low Fat No Sugar Added Vanilla contains 123 calories and 20 percent DV saturated fat. However, these varieties have unhealthy additives in place of the sugar and fat including aspartame and sorbitol.
Member Comments