Slow-churned ice cream delivers the same sweet taste and creamy texture found in regular ice cream but with fewer calories. In spite of the potential health benefits that come from the slow-churned process, ice cream is still a sugar-filled treat to be enjoyed in moderation.
Slow-Churned Ice Cream
Slow-churned ice cream is made using a process called low-temperature extrusion. The standard commercial method of producing ice cream keeps it continuously frozen, which creates a lot of ice crystals. The ice crystals cause roughness and a grainy texture, so milk fat is added to make a smoother and creamier ice cream. The slow-churning process requires less freezing and that results in fewer ice crystals. Having fewer ice crystals eliminates the need to add extra high-calorie and high-fat milk products.
Fewer Calories
Advertisements for slow-churned ice cream state that it has 30 percent fewer calories and nutritional values show that to be true. Nutrition information from the manufacturer states that 1/2 cup of slow-churned ice cream has 100 calories. The USDA reports that regular generic vanilla ice cream has 137 calories in 1/2 cup. As long as portion sizes are controlled, you can enjoy slow-churned ice cream as a treat while consuming fewer calories.
Less Fat
If you eat 1/2 cup of slow-churned vanilla ice cream you’ll gain 3.5 grams of total fat, which includes 2 grams of saturated fat, and 15 milligrams of cholesterol. The same serving of regular vanilla ice cream has 7 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat and 29 milligrams of cholesterol. This means that slow-churned ice cream has half the total fat. This is an important health benefit since eating too much fat can cause weight gain and saturated fats may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Excess cholesterol sticks to blood vessel walls, causing blood clots that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Nutrients
Slow-churned ice cream is such a new product that detailed nutritional analysis by the USDA has not yet been reported. But according to the required nutrition labeling, 1/2 cup of slow-churned vanilla provides 2 grams of protein, which is 4 percent of the recommended daily value of protein. It also gives you 6 percent of the recommended daily value of calcium. In addition to building strong bones, calcium stimulates heart muscles to contract and is needed in the complex chemical processes responsible for secreting insulin and blood clotting.
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