Ask a Dietitian

If you love your ice cream but are also conscious of your health, the best recommendation is to practice the pleasure maximization principle. Enjoy the highest quality, most delicious ice cream, have a reasonable portion, satisfy your craving once a week and enjoy every bite. Eat mindfully and not in front of the TV.

However, if you are trying to make some more health conscious choices or find once a week just won’t cut it, having a sorbet or sherbet will cut the saturated fat almost right out. Sorbet has 0g of fat and sherbet is made with a small amount of milk so will have 1/2-1g saturated fat. But not all sorbets and sherbets are created equal. Choose one that has fruit as either the 1st or 2nd ingredient rather than sugar. Haagen-Dazs Raspberry sorbet is delicious and only 130kcal for 1/2 cup and is totally fat free. Some sherbets say they are made with real fruit juice but may contain only 1 Tbsp juice per serving.

For example, Breyers Classic fruit sorbet or Nestle Real Fruit Sorbet are full of sugar not fruit like the label seems to indicate. Most sorbets and sherbets will have sugar unless they are sweetened with Splenda, NutraSweet or Aspartame. Either way, it is a good idea to limit your serving to 1/2 a cup and serve it with some fresh fruit to boost the nutrient content of your dessert or snack. On the non-dairy front, Soy Delicious, Rice Dream and So Good are free of saturated fats but the calorie content can still get up to 250 kcal/1/2 cup with unsaturated fats and sugar.

Frozen yogurt may not have the creamy texture that ice cream does but it will certainly carry fewer calories and fat. If you want a creamy frozen yogurt try the Breyers Double Churned Frozen Yogurt. It is low in fat and saturated fat but still tastes creamy like ice cream. Beware if you love your ice cream. Regular Ben and Jerry’s and Haagen-Dazs ice creams offer almost 300kcal per 1/2 cup and 1/2 your daily intake of saturated fat (that’s if you only eat a 125ml (1/2 cup) serving, not the 500ml container. Worse yet are the Haagen-Dazs Extraas and Breyers with chocolate bar pieces!

The Bottom Line: If you are going to have your favorite ice cream, make it good, enjoy every bite and get back to your healthy eating plan. Don’t write off the rest of the day’s intake. It is not all or none! Moderation is key.