Beloved as a summertime -- or anytime -- treat, chocolate ice cream ranks high on the list of life's pleasures for many. Dieters especially may attribute momentary lapses to a cone of smooth, rich, cool chocolatey goodness and may even fool themselves into thinking that it's at least providing some nutrients -- it's dairy after all. The truth is that a small amount of chocolate ice cream won't completely derail your healthy eating plan, but it's never good for you in any amount.
Ice Cream Types
One reason why it's difficult to create an allowance guideline for ice cream is that there are so many types. Regular ice cream is the most familiar, but some manufacturers add extra fat and less air to produce a richer, creamier desert that falls into the premium ice cream category. Many brands also produce a light version that may be slightly lower in calories and fat but not enough to make it a healthy choice. Many people are fooled by alternative ice creams made with tofu, soy milk, coconut milk or rice milk, but beware -- these are meant to be dairy alternatives, not healthy options. Some of them have more fat and calories than traditional ice cream.
Nutrition
The biggest problem with ice cream is the portions. A serving size is a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup, and most people don't stop there -- a typical waffle cone can hold about three servings. A half-cup serving of regular chocolate ice cream has about 143 calories and contains 7 g of fat, but the same amount of a premium ice cream has 188 calories and 12 g of fat. Multiply that by the three servings in a typical cone, and you consume 429 to 564 calories and 21 to 36 g of fat. That's a meal's worth of calories and a day's worth of fat for some people.
Substitutions
The next time you crave chocolate ice cream, try using healthy substitutions. Blend light almond or soy milk with fat-free chocolate syrup and a few ice cubes to make a thick drink that will kill a milkshake craving. Or add chocolate syrup to fat-free Greek yogurt and freeze it for a cool treat. Try a chocolate sorbet -- it's made with ice and only minimal amounts of fat, but it retains the smooth, creamy chocolatiness. At the very least, choose a light ice cream, which has only 127 calories and 4.9 g of fat per 1/2 cup serving. Be sure to stick to the serving size.
When You Cave
When the substitutions just won't do it, it's okay to cave in. Have only a small amount and savor every bite to appreciate it fully. Calculate the number of calories it added to your day and focus on fresh fruits and vegetables the rest of the day or the next day to compensate. Add an extra workout or make your workout harder or longer to burn off the extra calories. Chances are, after you've atoned for that scoop of chocolate ice cream, you won't be so quick to cave next time.
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