Soy ice cream is a non-dairy dessert made from a base of soymilk, which is traditionally combined with a sweetener and other ingredients and then frozen. The ice cream often tastes less creamy and rich than dairy-based ice cream and can have fewer calories and less fat per serving. However, the calories it does have can still contribute to steady weight gain if you don't carefully monitor your portion sizes.
Nutrition Facts and Ingredients
According to SoDeliciousDairyFree.com, the company's soy vanilla ice cream contains soymilk, tapioca or brown rice syrup, oil, mixed fruit concentrate, vanilla extract, plant fiber and potato starch, among small amounts of other ingredients added for binding and flavor purposes. Although soy ice cream is lower in fat than traditional ice cream, it's still an indulgence. A 1/2-cup serving contains 130 calories, 1.5 g fat and 9 g sugar. In contrast, a 1/2-cup serving of dairy vanilla ice cream has 140 calories, 7.25 g fat and 14 g sugar.
Weight Gain
Soy ice cream is a relatively calorie-dense food, but it's not singlehandedly responsible for making anyone gain weight. To do that, you must consistently eat more calories than you burn. For every extra 3,500 calories that you eat, you'll gain 1 lb. For example, if you currently eat and burn about 2,000 calories daily and you start eating a 1-cup scoop of soy ice cream after dinner every day, you'll gain just over 2 lb. per month as a result of the additional calories. If you add soy ice cream to your diet but monitor your portion sizes and eat less throughout the day, you are not likely to gain weight.
Alternatives
You might choose to eat soy ice cream because you're lactose intolerant or vegan. If so, another alternative to consider is coconut milk ice cream, which is still free of dairy-based ingredients. Coconut milk ice cream sometimes has more calories and fat than soy ice cream ice cream, however, so keep your serving sizes small and eat the dessert only occasionally if you're concerned about weight gain. If dairy products aren't an issue, you might try indulging in frozen yogurt or "light" ice cream instead of soy ice cream to get fewer calories per serving. One main difference between soy ice cream and dairy ice cream is the emulsification method. Soy ice cream has "[a] need for additional oil to offset the lack of saturated fat in soymilk," state consultants at Soya Dairy. The American Heart Association recommends looking for oils that are natural and not hydrogenated.
Considerations
A single type of food is rarely to blame for either weight loss or weight gain. If you find that you're putting on unwanted weight, it can help to cut high-calorie foods such as soy ice cream out of your diet or reduce the amounts that you eat. Keep in mind that soy isn't an appropriate choice for everyone. As Suzanna Havala Hobbs, author of "Living Dairy-Free for Dummies," notes, people with a soy intolerance may experience cramps, diarrhea or nausea as a result of eating soy ice cream. Before you make any significant changes to your diet, speak with your doctor.
References
- Turtle Mountain; So Delicious Vanilla Soy Ice Cream; 2010
- NAL.USDA.gov: Nutrient Data Laboratory
- CBSNews.com; The Fat Facts on Ice Cream; February 11, 2009
- SoyaDairy.com: Soya Dairy Independent Consultants
- American Heart Association; Knowing Your Fats; 2011
- Dummies.com; Soymilk or Almond Milk - Not for Everyone's Dairy-Free Diets; Suzanne Havala Hobbs; 2011
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